Cyber security degree or comp science?

[Soverytiredtoday]

Year 12 DD has been keen on a career in cyber for some time having done various outreach events. Is there anyone out there with a DC studying this/applying for similar? Any tips/thoughts about the best courses?

She’s currently not sure what predicted grades will be and whether it is best to do computer science with cyber options compared to a straight cyber degree. When we’ve spoken with people working in the field it all seems to be about work experience afterwards but they generally still advise getting a degree. She’s likely to want to go to uni rather than a degree apprenticeship although investigating these.

The CyberFirst bursary might be of interest? Study any degree and get financial support and internships, and you commit to working for a partner organisation on graduation.

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/cyberfirst/university-bursary.html

Computer science! No doubt about it

What’s your thinking behind recommending computer science over doing cyber straight off? Keeping options open? Or better regarded even in companies recruiting for cyber positions?
she would likely try and get intern positions and hopefully a year in industry whatever course she does.

How fixed is she on the idea of university?

You can apply for cybersecurity apprenticeships and be paid a good salary while training www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/government-security-cyber-apprenticeship-level-4/

I would recommend she do the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity course and exam, it's free and will give her a good idea of what cybersecurity means.

www.isc2.org/certifications/cc

Computer Science definitely appears to be the more academic. I think most places require better grades and Maths A level. Cyber Security has lower requirements but there are many good opportunities I think. At a well ranked Uni like Warwick they get companies offering internships and jobs all the time.

With regards to keeping options open it depends I suppose. Bit like taking English or Creative Writing. I mean both would be acceptable to many careers like teaching or journalism but maybe one or another might be more useful if you wanted a masters in something niche?

Hi, OP. @SabrinaThwaite ’s programme is definitely worth investigating, and I am sure you can find others.

Writing as a STEM academic, the basic principle is that a more broad-based, solid degree from a good university can prepare you for a variety of specific careers. Narrower degrees prepare you for fewer things (which they can do very well) There are exceptions, of course, and the Cybersecurity degree from Warwick is one of them. It looks excellent.

CS degree programmes do vary some by philosophy but have a lot of commonality; Cybersecurity degrees are ……. quite variable. That is why many have lower offers, frankly.

I suggest DD study the specs for the Warwick Cybersecurity programme and any other high tariff Cybersecurity programme that may interest her so that she can compare this field to CS and decide where her academic interests lie. Then she should go with her academic interests for her degree. Students do best following their interests.

When she goes to work, DD can move into Cyber from a CS background if she likes, once she gets her feet in the door.

Thanks for all the comments- kind of what I suspected. Other than Warwick the Cyber degrees are mostly lower tariff and not requiring Maths or CS- whereas DD is doing Maths/FM/CS and physics. Just not sure that she is going to be predicted A stars, suspect she may be more A/Bs. Lots of the Computer science degrees need at least one A star.

Would your DD be better off dropping one A level to concentrate on getting the best grades possible in the three A levels that she needs for uni offers?

My DS started with the same four but dropped FM (took the AS at end of yr 12) and I think that helped him do better in his A levels.

CS is extremely competitive at the top right now , but that is a very impressive collection of subjects and those are good grades!

How many As and Bs, in what subjects? The general run of Russell Group universities will be making offers on three A Levels. Any three of these subjects will help, a lot, with a CS application. Would DD’s grades in the remaining three subjects go up if she dropped one? Ironically IMO unless specifically requested by a university of interest CS itself is the most dispensable. This is taught ‘from scratch’ with a more sophisticated approach at uni. But if it is a solid A, keep it ( and hopefully drop FM or Physics).

Having said that, I just had a look at CS entry requirements. The two unis I currently favour as being under-rated gems, Glasgow and Lancaster, are AAA and AAB respectively. Newcastle and Leicester, beloved by many students, are also AAB. CS students with good degrees who have used their time well do not need a COWI background to get a good job.

BTW, regarding my views on the A Levels, I am a former STEM admissions tutor and I feel strongly that the large majority of pupils should be taking three A Levels. (A few elite unis won’t count FM as a full A Level but the rumours about the extent to which this holds are vastly overblown. Go by the university websites!)

You can earn A LOT of money doing cyber security in the NHS. It's an area where we lack specialists, and therefore have to "buy" them in at a high premium. Most are freelance and can basically charge what they want, as we don't have the skills internally.

Sorry I did not see @SabrinaThwaite ’s second post just above mine. I agree that dropping FM could also make sense. Basically, drop the weakest or if two are equally weaker drop the more time consuming of those.

FM is Marmite - the gifted find it less than a full A Level, the others needs to put in a lot of effort to do well. You don’t need to be mathematically gifted to be an excellent computer scientist.

Thank you for all your thoughts. Potentially stopping FM at some stage may be wise although she is really enjoying the maths course (they do Maths first and then the FM course rather than in parallel).
I’ll get her to look in more detail at the CS courses rather than just researching the Cyber ones. Places like Southampton and York seem potentially good as they offer CS with Cyber (same first two years for all studying CS) but grades may be aspirational.
Newcastle and Lancaster look good.

Doing CS, taking any cyber modules available, then doing a masters in cyber after (if still interested in delving deeper) would make sense and give the most options in employment.
And there's always scope in the final year project for pursuing special interest.

This is a very good idea!

If you're trying to decide between a cybersecurity degree or a computer science one, it really depends on what you're looking for. A computer science degree is more general and gives you a broad foundation in programming, algorithms, and software development. But if you're more interested in protecting systems and understanding things like hacking, a cybersecurity degree could be a better fit. Cybersecurity is becoming more important every day. Check out website stresser for some real-world insights on this field.

Cheltenham is becoming the Cyber hub of the UK. Look at NCSC accredited degrees. My son is a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice studying at Future Park (part of University of Gloucestershire, just down the road from GCHQ) and really loving it.

This is something that would of great interest to my DS.
What did your son do for A Levels? DS is just choosing his A levels and Sixth Form at the moment.

He did Maths, Computer Science and Physics plus an EPQ.

Ah my thread has been bumped back up! To update DD is now predicted two Astar and 2 As although we think that was rather generous!
So she ended up applying for courses that are mainly computer science with cyber options to choose.
She has offers for York, Lancaster, Surrey, Newcastle and Sheffield. Basically trying to decide between the first three. Anyone have any insights on which one to choose? Offers are essentially the same at AAB. Lancaster is her current favourite. Going back for offer holder days for all three. They’ve all got various awards for cyber research etc and Lancaster say they likely will be NCSC approved once a full
cohort go through.

Lancaster is my current favourite amongst her choices, also. But they are all good!

There’s a GCHQ cyberfirst bursary scheme too:

www.gchq-careers.co.uk/cyberfirst/university-bursary.html