DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
SEK 130,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Introduction
Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding career – with huge growth potential? With cybercrime causing trillions of US dollars in damages each year, cybersecurity experts are in high demand. Help protect the critical assets of an organisation. This one-year, English-taught programme has a broad scope and is aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework. It covers advanced topics related to cybersecurity standards and regulations, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) security, risk assessment and management, cyber forensics, network and cloud security and penetration testing. You’ll gain hands-on skills, with many chances to connect with the cybersecurity industry. Additionally, you’ll receive complimentary training to obtain your CCNA cybersecurity “CyberOps” certification.
Protecting our future
The value of cyberphysical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is undeniable. But digital dependence also increases vulnerabilities to cyber intrusion across every segment of our society: corporations, universities, governments, private organisations and the homes of individual citizens.
A cybersecurity attack on an industrial application, for example, can expand rapidly and put an entire facility at risk. The consequences for operations, people and equipment can be devastating.
IoT networks, including connected machinery, cars, phones and smart homes, are amplifying the potential of cyberattacks. There are already over 21 billion IoT devices worldwide, and their number is expected to double by 2025 (Varonis). Cybersecurity specialists are needed in nearly every area to help close the cybersecurity skills gap and to assist companies, governments and organisations in remaining on top of cyber risk prevention and management.
Admissions
Curriculum
Subjects
In your programme, you will develop the most in-demand cybersecurity skills as outlined by the ISC:
- Penetration testing
- Digital forensics
- Governance, risk management and compliance
- Security analysis
- Risk assessment, analysis and management
- Cloud and network security
Course Overview
There is a high demand for cybersecurity specialists with a big-picture understanding of the technical aspects of cybersecurity – and complimentary competence in related areas. This is why your programme is broad and multidisciplinary. We’ve built your training in collaboration with industry to best prepare you for the cybersecurity workforce.
Your studies will include the main functions of cybersecurity, from risk management, compliance, law, regulations, security and hacking to digital forensics. This broad scope prepares you to design strategies that integrate best security practices and solutions.
The total programme consists of 60 credits in accordance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
- Cyber-physical Systems Security, 7,5 credits
- Principles of Cybersecurity, 7.5 credits
- AI-based Risk Assessment and Management, 7.5 credits
- Cloud security, 7.5 credits
- Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing and IT Forensics, 7.5 credits
- Privacy, law, policy, and compliance in cybersecurity, 7,5 credits
- Master of Science Thesis in Computer Science, 15 credits
Program delivery
Educational methods
- Lectures (20%)
- Seminars (5%)
- Practical/group work (30%)
- Independent work or self-study (20%)
- Thesis work (25%)
Program Outcome
To effectively design security solutions with an understanding of their limitations and impact on people and society, you will learn how to:
- Identify issues in system security
- Evaluate various tools used in the field
- Practice operational and white hacking skills
- Build and test security controls using tools of the trade
- Model threats and vulnerabilities related to a given system
- Make assessments regarding social and ethical aspects
- Collate and investigate laws regarding privacy issues, standards/regulation in cloud security, network security, risk assessment and certain types of tests and assessments
- Enforce policy for threat detection, employee awareness campaigns and response and recovery protocols
- Identify internal and external threats to the operation of the cloud, the network and the devices attached to it
- Assess risk as well as how to manage it based on an organisation’s risk appetite strategy
Career Opportunities
There is a huge, unfilled demand for experts in cybersecurity worldwide. The ISC, Forbes and Cybersecurity Ventures have all forecasted a global cybersecurity personnel shortage of 3.12 million by 2021.
- In 2021, cybercrime damage is expected to reach US$ 6 trillion (Cybersecurity Ventures)
- Attacks on IoT devices increased by more than 300% in the first half of 2019 (Forbes)
- The FBI has reported a 300% increase in cybercrimes, with a 238% increase in cyberattacks against banks and a 58% increase in attacks against the healthcare industry (Varonis)
Opportunities in Sweden
According to a recent report released jointly by the Swedish Agency for Civil Protection and Emergency (MSB), the Swedish armed forces and the Swedish police “there is a large scarcity of skilled people in cyber security. We have the knowledge, but not enough people.”
Upon graduation, you will be highly competitive for positions within the private and public sectors or for further PhD studies – anywhere in the world.
Positions
This degree qualifies you to hold positions such as:
- Cybersecurity engineer
- Cybersecurity architect
- Cybersecurity consultant/analyst
- Cybersecurity specialist
- Penetration tester
- Forensic investigator
- Incident responder
- Audit/compliance consultant
You will be qualified to fulfil a range of roles on graduation, depending on the focus of your degree project. Examples include:
- Supporting start-ups working on browser-based productivity apps
- Securing cyber-physical systems, connected cars or robots
- Working for military outfits or financial institutions
- Defensive roles like safeguarding existing physical systems, devices, software, data and networking infrastructure against potential attacks
- Offensive roles involving ethical hacking where you look for vulnerabilities and risks
Potential employers
You’ll be highly sought after by corporations and organisations big and small – worldwide.
Additionally, cybersecurity is a top priority of the EU. Recent legal regulations, including the EU Cybersecurity Act (CSA), are advocating for the development and adoption of security requirements to assure safety for organisations, critical infrastructures and consumer products. Furthermore, all manufacturing companies will need to comply to ensure consumer product safety, data privacy, etc.
In the Trollhättan and Gothenburg region alone, where University West is located, there are promising opportunities in multinational companies such as:
- Volvo Cars
- NEVS
- GKN
- Husqvarna AB
- Combitech
As these companies increase their development of connected and autonomous products, they must hire cybersecurity experts to address potential cyber risks.
Further education
This programme helps you build a strong foundation in cybersecurity and develop the qualifications you need to pursue your PhD in the broader field of computer science with focus areas such as cybersecurity, cyber law, network security and more.
After graduation, you will be eligible to continue studying as a PhD student at University West or other universities in Sweden and abroad.
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
University West Scholarship Programme
The University West scholarship programme is open for fee-paying students admitted to specified master's programmes. The scholarship will fully or partly cover the tuition fee for the programme (so not costs for travel or living expenses).
Swedish Institute Scholarships
Students admitted to master's programmes in Sweden can apply for a scholarship to cover their tuition fee. There is a national scholarship programme administrated by the Swedish Institute towards specific countries.
Why study at University West
Work integrated learning
University West is Sweden’s leading university when it comes to work-integrated learning (WIL). The university was tasked with the development of WIL by the Swedish government 15+ years ago and continues to lead the field today. WIL allows you to focus on problem-based learning for the industry, with real projects from partner companies.
Your specialisation in cybersecurity has been built in close collaboration with industry and is founded on the pressing needs of governments and leading companies. Your instructors also have a wealth of industry experience.
Industry professionals will help introduce you to the latest best practices within the cybersecurity landscape. Through guest lectures, company visits and company-proposed topics for degree projects, you’ll gain hands-on experience in designing complete security solutions based on real-life case studies. Here, you can discuss your understanding, raise questions and propose ideas to experts in the field – and to potential employers.