NCI Course Details

The course is technical and practical in nature, uniquely embedded in industry, and develops in-depth expertise of core technical topics within the area of cybersecurity such as information security, secure programming, network security, penetration testing, malware analysis, IT law and ethics, and technologies and tools that support application and service vulnerability detection, incident detection, data and log retrieval and analysis. The course also provides a sharper focus into forensics and cloud security through the two specialisations that are offered to the learners.

This course is ideal for ICT professionals or graduates with an honours degree in computing/computer science or in a cognate area (STEM) that wish to develop a career as a cybersecurity professional; to take a leading technical or managerial role; to progress faster in their employment or to apply the knowledge in their current role. 

Candidates who do not hold a computing degree and are currently working in the IT sector may be considered based on relevant academic qualifications or extensive work experience. 

As a graduate of this course you will be able to:

• Conduct independent research and analysis in the cybersecurity domain including secure application design, development and testing within a given context e.g. web, cloud computing, and forensic investigation
• Demonstrate practical skills and expert knowledge of technologies and tools that support cryptanalysis, application and service vulnerability detection and patching, security incidents detection and log file analysis
• Critically evaluate the design and implementation and evaluation of a research idea
• Analyse and evaluate the legal, ethical and economic ramifications of developing secure applications and services
• Communicate effectively to a range of audiences in both written and verbal media and undertake self-learning in order to acquire new knowledge

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity is awarded by QQI at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). Students who successfully complete this course may progress to a major award at level 10 on the NFQ. Students may also elect to exit early with a Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Cybersecurity at level 9.

Several reports highlight the skills shortage in cybersecurity. The Bureau of Labour Statistics projects 36.5 percent employment growth for information and cybersecurity experts and analysts by 2022. This field has the fastest growth rate when compared with the rest of the technology jobs.

The top 5 worldwide companies in this field are located in Ireland. Considering the high demand of various types of jobs in the cybersecurity domain that currently exist in the market, graduates from this course may work in the following roles: information security analyst, secure application developer, cybersecurity tester, risk advisory on information security and forensics, cloud security analyst, etc.

The course offers two specialisations: Forensics and Cloud Security. Learners must select one specialisation.

Core Modules:

• Security Fundamentals
• Secure Programming for Web
• Network Security and Penetration Testing
• IT Law and Ethics
• Research in Computing
• Cryptography
• Secure Programming for Application Development
• Malware Analysis
• Research Methods
• Internship

Forensics Specialisation:

• Incident Response and Analytics
• Forensics and eDiscovery

Cloud Security Specialisation:

• Cloud Security

For more information on the modules taught on this course view our module descriptors.

In accordance with our quality assurance processes, we conduct a full programmatic review of all our courses every 5 years. This current review may result in some changes to the content of this course starting in September 2021.

An honours (level 8) primary degree in computing or a cognate area with a 2.2 award or higher. Cognate area means a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree that also taught programming/application development related modules. Candidates are expected to have programming ability. An assessment and/or interview may be conducted to ascertain suitability if necessary for candidates who do not meet the normal academic requirements.

For applicants whose first language is not English, please note the English language entry requirements.

The college operates a Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) scheme meaning applicants who do not meet the normal academic requirements may be considered based on relevant work and other experience. This may be assessed using a portfolio of learning, demonstration of work produced, and an interview. The programming ability of the applicant will also be assessed.

This programme has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. Specifically, students are expected to successfully participate in lectures, laboratories and projects using a portable computer (laptop/notebook) with a substantial hardware configuration. The minimal suitable configuration is 8GB of RAM (16GB are recommended); a modern 64-bit x86 multi-core processor (Intel i5 or superior); 250+ GB of available space in hard disk; WiFi card; and a recent version of Ubuntu, macOS, or Windows.

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure their computer is functioning correctly and that they have full administrator rights. NCI IT cannot provide support for these personal devices.

A Laptop Loan Scheme is available for eligible students to assist them in completing their chosen course.

Students need to be available 09.00 - 18.00 Mon – Fri (class days and times vary).

Please note that exams can be scheduled during the morning, afternoon or evening Monday to Saturday. 

Blended/fully online (fully online delivery is subject to QQI validation).

Read our COVID-19 update in relation to programme delivery for further information. 

This course runs over 1 year; 2 semesters with a final internship. 

The cost of this course is €6,500.

(EU/Ireland applicants, fees revised annually)

You can spread the cost of this course with a direct debit plan.

NCI Scholarships

We offer a range of scholarships and discounts for both NCI and non-NCI graduates. Current NCI students and alumni can avail of a 50% discount on this course by applying for our Master's Edge Scholarship.

View our full list of scholarships.

The fee for this course for international students is €15,000.

Find out more about studying at NCI as an international student.