MSc in Network and Information Security
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 19,300 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* there is no application deadline for postgraduate courses
** International full-time study |£11,400: home full-time study. Additional fees may apply
Key Summary
Undertake practical experiments in a safe sandbox environment, with penetration testing, port scanning and other ethical hacking activities.
On our Network & Information Security masters, you will be based at the Penrhyn Road campus. Here you'll have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including:
- Dedicated postgraduate computing laboratories, fully-equipped with fold-flat LCD screens, data-projection systems and high-spec processors
- State-of-the-art hardware and the latest software, including:
- Development software and tools, such as Linux, Microsoft.net, Dreamweaver MX, Flash 8, Eclipse, Java 2 Standard and Mobile Editions, tools for Motorola and Nokia phones, UML and CASE tools and NXP Processors Development Kits
- Digital Signal Processors (dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers)
- IP Set Top Box development environment (NXP's STB810)
- Electronics Laboratory
- A mix of wireless LAN technologies
- State-of-the-art hardware and the latest software, including:
- The learning resources centre, offering subject libraries, online database subscriptions and resource materials
- A postgraduate teaching suite
- The dedicated Graduate Centre on campus, providing seminar rooms and social spaces
Why choose this course
Cyber security, the umbrella term for computer, network and information security, is of increasing importance. New legislation, technologies, vulnerabilities and threats necessitate frequent system updates.
Our Network and Information Security MSc course will equip you with a critical awareness of current developments and future trends in cryptography, network security and mobile/wireless security.
You will explore techniques and technologies to combat threats, such as malware, social engineering, data leakage or zero-day attacks. All the techniques taught are underpinned by an understanding of secure authentication mechanisms, access control, intrusion detection, information security policies and user education.
This course can also be combined with Management Studies, to allow you to develop key business and management skills.
A project/dissertation will enable you to study an area of interest in depth and gain valuable research skills. Your project is usually relevant to your career, so it provides an excellent selling point when you are looking for a job or promotion. If you are an overseas student, we will help you to carry out a project either based in your home country or that will be of specific relevance when you return home.
Many of our staff in the Faculty are research active. This ensures they are in touch with the latest thinking and bring best practice to your studies. Computing research activities are focused around the following main research centres:
- Digital Imaging Research Centre – offering expertise in computer vision, medical imaging, visual surveillance, ambient intelligence, machine learning and computer graphics.
- Wireless Multimedia and Networking Research Group – The research group carries out fundamental and applied research on wireless communications and networking, media streaming and closely related fields.
Industry contacts provide demonstrations of current technology for you to explore. We also organise vendor seminars to expose you to current and emerging technologies.
Accreditation
This degree has been accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT, until June 2025. We are seeking reaccreditation for September 2025 intake onwards.
Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. An accredited degree entitles you to professional membership of BCS, which is an important part of the criteria for achieving Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status through the Institute.
Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords. This degree is accredited by BCS for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
This degree has been accredited by BCS, on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).
For full details of exemption and accreditation levels, please check the BCS course search.
The Faculty is a long-time member of BCS. For many years we have hosted meetings of the local BCS Kingston and Croydon Branch, contributing to members' continuing professional development programmes.
Please note: The programme delivered at our partner institution overseas is not currently accredited by the BCS.
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Network & Information Security with Management Studies MSc at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
- Inspire the Future Scholarship
- International scholarships
- Progression Scholarship
- Discounts for Kingston University alumni
- Kevin Walsh Scholarship
Course Content
You will gain a critical awareness of the current developments and future trends in cryptography, network security and wireless security, starting from the mathematical principles behind cryptographic algorithms and moving on to secure network protocols.
As security and dependability are inextricably linked, the course also covers dependable and highly available architectures. Techniques and technologies to combat threats will be explored, from secure authentication mechanisms, through firewalls, to information policies and user education to combat social engineering and data leakage.
The Management Studies route will set your technical knowledge in a management context.
The full MSc course consists of an induction programme, four taught modules, and a project dissertation. Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.
For a student to go on placement they are required to pass every module first time with no reassessments. It is the responsibility of individual students to find a suitable paid placement. Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.
Please note, optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Work placement scheme
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University enable students to take the option of a 12-month work placement as part of their course. Although the University supports students in finding a placement and organises events to meet potential employers, the responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. You may find securing a professional placement difficult as they are highly competitive and challenging, but they are also incredibly rewarding. It is very important to prepare and apply yourself if this is the route you wish to take. Employers look for great written and oral communication skills and an excellent CV/portfolio. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
Network and Information Security MSc modules
Core modules
- Cryptography and Applications
- Network and Information Security
- Project Dissertation
Optional modules
- Cloud Computing and Networking
- Mobile Security
- Data Communications
- Cyber and Artificial Intelligence
Teaching and assessment
Guided independent study (self-managed time)
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.
Support for postgraduate students
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
Your workload
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 18% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
How you will be assessed
Type of assessment
Core pathway:
- Year 1: Coursework 61%; exams 38%; practical 1%
Management pathway:
- Year 1: Coursework 65%; exams 30%; practical 5%
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
Feedback summary
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Class sizes
You will be part of an intimate cohort of 20-40 students which provides dedicated academic guidance and advice as well as the opportunity to build a life-long network of colleagues. Some modules are common across other postgraduate programmes; you may therefore be taught alongside postgraduates from other courses.
Boost your employability
Many companies are actively recruiting security specialists and the major software houses are training their coders in security. In fact, it can be hard to get a job with a large company, even as a software developer, without some appreciation of security.
This means graduates of our Network & Information Security course are in high demand. They have progressed to work at corporations such as Google, ECS and Lloyds, in roles such as ethical hacker, cyber security engineer and security consultant.
Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education
Kingston University is committed to promoting excellent cyber security education. As such the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment has established the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education and Culture.
Careers and recruitment advice
The Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing has a specialist employability team. It provides friendly and high-quality careers and recruitment guidance. This includes advice and sessions on job-seeking skills such as CV preparation, application forms and interview techniques. Specific advice is also available for international students about the UK job market and employers' expectations and requirements.
The team runs employer events throughout the year, including job fairs, key speakers from industry and interviews on campus. These events give you the opportunity to hear from, and network with, employers in an informal setting.
Links with business and industry
To ensure your studies are kept up to date and answer the needs of business, our courses are created and reviewed in consultation with an advisory board of key industry experts and senior academics. The Board also provides input and advice on our research portfolio.
Members of the board are from organisations, such as Google, Microsoft, easyJet, games developer Colossal. The board also includes Chief Information Officers from local government. Our Advisory Board therefore represents the diverse spectrum of industries and public sector organisations that make up the jobs market for our graduates.