Electronic Engineering vs Cyber Security?

Electrical engineering most likely. Never heard of a cyber security degree, sounds like something one would do a PhD in, not a degree.

There's not quite a plethora of them, but there are quite a few! :-)

@ OP -
There are currently two undergraduate degrees which are recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre (who I believe have a representative active on these forums, so may be able to advise). This accreditation is not essential for getting jobs, in the long run, but it's still worth noting.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/ncsc-certified-degrees

BSc Cyber Security at the University of Warwick. (UoW ranks *very* highly in the UK Uni Tables).
BSc Computer Science (Information Security) at Royal Holloway, University of London.

There's also Abertay University also has a fairly well respected Ethical Hacking programme.
https://www.abertay.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate/ethical-hacking/


As for the comparison of the two, they're two very different areas. I guess it comes down to which one you feel that you'd enjoy most. My undergraduate and industrial placement specialised in Cyber Security, and I loved it. (Although, ironically, it got me into Artificial Intelligence and that's the field that both my MSc and current job are in, so I didn't exactly stay in it!). I don't have any experience with electrical engineering other than the occasional dabble with a soldering iron. I think both are sustainable, but I would suggest that Cyber Security is a *very* intense field. I'm limited in what I can divulge from my industrial placement, but I can honestly say it makes you very paranoid about everything. Electrical Engineering will be a far more normal day. But yes, it's just down to what you prefer!

I'm thinking of applying for the MEng Computer Science with Cyber Security at Southampton, but I'm not sure if I should apply for just Computer Science at Warwick, or Cyber Security (which in fact has a lower entry requirement of AAB compared to ABB). Also, Imperial has a new course starting in 2019 for Computing with Security and Reliability which I am also interested in.

With thanks to @Revolver72 for the information above, it's worth noting that the MEng Computer Science with Cyber Security at Southampton also has Provisional Certification under our programme (apologies if you'd already noted that from the table).

The aim of our Certified Degrees programme is to identify excellent degrees in cyber security. Whilst it may not (yet) be a big factor when applying for jobs, we're working hard to promote the scheme's benefits amongst employers, and we include industry reps on the assessment panels for new degrees.

Our standard for Bachelor's courses has been written on the basis that these courses will involve a lot of computing content too - as others have pointed out elsewhere, this is probably the best combination at undergraduate level.

We also appreciate that very few undergraduate courses are currently certified by our scheme, but that's because we only started certifying Bachelor's courses last year. There is another batch currently under consideration, but the results won't be known until mid-late July - we'll definitely be publicising these in good time for those who are thinking of making applications in the autumn.

We're happy to answer any other questions about the scheme - good luck with your search!

Thank you very much for the reply

After doing a lot of research, I'm now pretty set on doing cyber security, and I'm looking to enter the industry as soon as possible.

Would it be better for me to just apply for Computer Science at Imperial College London, Southampton and York, or instead apply for the cyber security related courses? Also, is the Cyber Security BSc at Warwick worth doing, or should I instead just apply for Computer Science?

Whichever uni course I do end up applying for (although it will be related to computer science), what can I be doing now to improve my portfolio? I have attended a number of workshops, completed work experience and started programming, however I am struggling to find more work experience for the summer, and general ideas to boost my application.

Thanks for your time!

No problem - glad you find it of use, and that you're so keen to enter the profession

Unfortunately we're not in a position to give detailed advice on individual courses, as many other factors come into play, such as the detailed course content/modules, links with industry, location (city, town, campus etc.), student life and accommodation.

Whilst we differentiate between those degrees that have been certified and those that haven't, within the certified courses we recommend that students enquire directly with the universities to establish if the course is potentially right for them.

In terms of improving your portfolio, it sounds like you're doing lots of good stuff, and I'm sure that others on the forum will have some ideas. Have you considered this summer's CyberFirst courses at all? They're free to attend, and held around the country, but they are filling up quite quickly. In particular, CyberFirst Advanced is designed to expand the knowledge of anyone studying computer science at AS/A Levels or equivalents, or for any student who has a real interest and aptitude for computers.

Although the CyberFirst bursary scheme is currently closed for applications (they should reopen in the autumn), this may also be worth considering. NCSC partners with other government departments and selected industry, offer students £4,000 per year and paid cyber skills training to help you kick start a career in cyber security.

Once again, we hope this helps, but just let us know if you have any other questions.

Can I attend any if I'm 18?

Sadly, not the CyberFirst courses - for the Advanced course students must be 16 or 17 years old (born between 1 September 2000 and 31 August 2001) on the first day of the course, with the others being open to younger students.

If you're 18 and looking to go to university (or already in your first year), then the bursary scheme is the one to go for.

Can anyone apply for the bursary scheme or does it depend on school, area, parental income, etc?

Sorry for the slight delay in replying - the bursary scheme is open to applicants regardless of which school they attend or the area they live in, and is not means-tested in any way. As you may expect there are some academic entry requirements - these are under review prior to applications opening this year, but last year were as follows:

Thank you!
But please could you expand on the part about "Have a good knowledge of how computers work and how to secure them". Like how in depth is the knowledge is necessary, and what exactly does it entail?

Although this may not seem overly helpful, the answer here is 'it depends'. The selection panel is interested in what applicants know (whatever level that may be) and their aptitude for the subject, and they combine this with the other information that applicants provide, and their performance at the assessment events, to reach their decision.

As such, it may be the case that an applicant doesn't know a huge amount now, but has lots of aptitude, and is extremely keen to learn - they will structure their discussion accordingly. (In this case it might be that our new degree apprenticeship is the best option).

Likewise, someone may have a lot of technical knowledge, and be looking to take that even further - in that case the discussion will go in a different way.

If somebody has no knowledge or interest in computers, networks etc., and isn't really willing to make the necessary adjustments to address that, then this isn't really the scheme for them