Cybersecurity

This programme is designed to prepare IT professionals for a managerial or technical career in cybersecurity. It will be of value to people working in project/product/systems management, or as software developers or software engineers, as well as those in incident response, tech support or networking, who are looking to move into cybersecurity.



It will help companies, government and state institutions, defence forces and others to upskill their staff to fill new roles in cyber security so that they can protect their organisations, their customers and the public.



It is designed to facilitate professional learners through flexible blended study options. Lectures are delivered online and complemented by occasional full-day workshops on campus, with a remote option for those who cannot attend in person. The combination of mainly distance but with some on-campus days allows flexible learning but with face-to-face interactions.



In developing the programme we have collaborated with industry and law enforcement practitioners – in particular the Leadership in Security and the Incident Response modules – to ensure that these modules meet the needs of professional learners.



The curriculum is aligned with the ACM/IEEE/AIS SIGSEC/IFIP Cybersecurity Curricular Guidelines so that it will prepare students to take a variety of cyber security roles, including some modules for professionals seeking a managerial role in security.



Flexible study options for professional learners

The programme is designed to facilitate professional learners through flexible blended study. Lectures will be delivered online and will be complemented by face-to-face, intensive full-day tutorials that will typically be delivered three times per semester. The combination of mainly distance but with some on-campus days allows flexible learning but with face-to-face interactions. We plan to deliver the full-day tutorials in a hybrid mode to allow those students who will not be able to attend the full-day tutorials in person to participate remotely.



Teaching activities will be supported by using security use cases, open-source web applications (e.g., WebGoat), cyber ranges (Kypo Cyber Range https://crp.kypo.muni.cz/) and tools (e.g., Metasploit). Where applicable, the modules of the programme will adopt problem based learning.



The online portion of study consists of an engaging mixture of videos, assignments, quizzes and tutorials. In addition to making the study materials available, lecturers will answer student queries through the course discussion boards, or through a virtual classroom environment. Tutors provide regular additional support through the online portal. The full-day tutorial will cover exercises and group activities for all the modules taught in that specific trimester.



The workshops and tutorial sessions are intensive mandatory study days on campus. These sessions currently fall on a Friday and consist of 3 days per semester. (Please refer to your timetable for details)

Stage 1 - Option

Leadership in SecurityCOMP47800

Incident ResponseCOMP47870

Network SecurityCOMP47880

Applied CryptographyCOMP47890

Cyber Risk Assessment and StandardsCOMP47900

Secure Software EngineeringCOMP47910

Information SecurityCOMP47920

Cybersecurity Law and RegulationLAW42160

Minimum a 2.1 honours bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or a cognate discipline) or



• 2:2 honours bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or a cognate discipline) and equivalent (>5 years) industrial experience in software development or software/system security

How to apply?

The following entry routes are available:



Graduate Diploma Cybersecurity PT (F249)

Duration 2 Years

Attend Part Time

Deadline Rolling*



* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

2 years part-time.

MODE OF DELIVERY: Blended

NEXT INTAKE: 2024/2025 September.

Careers & Employability

The programme will help to reduce the cybersecurity skills shortage and prepare professionals for a rewarding career in cybersecurity; for example, to take a role as a security manager, security engineer, security analyst, or IT security specialist. Career development possibilities in this field are excellent. Organizations of all sizes in all sectors, including both Irish and foreign owned companies, are looking for people with these skills. Many global companies have a base in Ireland, including security software and cyber security companies with a security operations centre (SOC). There is a growing cyber security market globally as cyber security is recognized as critical for national security and the smooth functioning of society. Opportunities abound in government, healthcare, critical national infrastructure, ICT, financial services, telecoms, manufacturing and SMEs, which all face growing cyber security threats. Digitization and the move to remote working are increasing the threat surface.