If you would like to apply for our Cyber Security Master's degree, you need to use Lancaster University's Postgraduate Applications website.
MSc Cyber Security
We work hard to provide a rich environment for cyber security education and a key part of that is our collaboration with industry.
Work Placements
We work hard to provide a rich environment for cyber security education and a key part of that is our collaboration with industry.
Preparation for a career in cyber security is at the heart of Lancaster’s MSc. We have worked with a wide range of organisations to provide our students with insight and experience of real-world cyber security. Throughout their course our students have contact with representatives from industry through group projects on live data, company talks and skills workshops.
Our students can conclude their studies with a 3-month placement project on-site with an external organisation. Placement projects generally attract a stipend of £3,000 and provide the commercial experience to enable our graduates to stand out from the crowd. Within our programme, we also place emphasis on helping students develop the soft skills that will enable them to make the most of careers opportunities. In addition to our industry seminars, we work closely with students to help them present themselves to potential employers most effectively.
How does it work?
Placement projects are usually based on a cyber security challenge relevant to the host’s activities and will give you the opportunity to gain real-world experience as a cyber security specialist. You will be supported throughout the projects by an academic supervisor and by a company supervisor, who typically has an established cyber security role.
If you do not choose to work in a partner organisation, you also have the opportunity to base your dissertation on a research project based at the University working with members of our Cyber Security Research Centre, which is a NCSC/EPSRC Accredited Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research.
Your dissertation project will culminate with a Poster Conference at the University, where students present their work to their peers, academics and representatives from host organisations. The conference is an opportunity to celebrate students' achievements on the course and to mark their transition from student to a cyber security professional.
What is the Process?
Students complete a profile form in the first term which identifies their research interests and whether they would like to pursue a research or industrial project. These profiles are then used to match with academic staff and business interests.
Partner organisations provide an indication to the University of their wish to participate in the programme by the end of December each year. This indication gives details of the number of placements offered and, in broad terms, their likely topics and objectives. Over a similar time period academics will provide indications of their research and project interests.
Academic Projects
Academic student projects will be offered from January, with students needing to make an appointment to meet with potential academic supervisors. Academic staff will have the students previously submitted profile to help make their decision as to whether they are a suitable candidate for the project. Students are allocated projects and a detailed project specification needs to be completed by May. The project will occur from June until September.
Industrial Placement Projects
Students are invited to apply for the offered placement opportunities from January. The students are interviewed and selected by the placement hosts. Students are assigned an academic supervisor and are expected to produce a detailed project specification by May. The placements take place from June until September, with the student generally spending the majority of this time on their host's premises.
