Computing

We live in a digital age where the demand for ICT and digital technology is growing at an incredible pace. With good computing and IT systems now central to every business, organisations are set to become even more driven by technology and data. In addition, modern organisations hold large amounts of data – about their customers and about themselves. But they face many threats to the security of this information, and they have many legal obligations to take care of it. This course will give you many perspectives about data breaches and how to protect against them. In this dynamic and continually evolving sector, there’s already a skills shortage and it’s predicted there could be as many as 11,000 job opportunities each year in Scotland alone. So by investing in digital and IT skills now, you could find yourself highly sought after in the future!

For entry to this course you’ll need:

• a real interest in Computing Science
• a minimum of 1 Higher, but preferably two
• Maths at SCQF Level 6, although we’ll consider a relevant group of National Units in Maths at SCQF Level 6
• an interview with us

If you’re interested in a career in computing and IT systems or the cyber security industry, this course can help you on your way. This course will give you the skills you need to design, implement and support IT systems in a wide range of industries. It focuses on the key areas of software development, databases, interface design, troubleshooting and cyber security.

• You'll begin by looking at computer system basics - the various hardware and software, how to install an operating system and how to install/configure application and security software In software development you'll look at programming, coding, testing and technical documentation.
• You'll focus on basic programming constructs, before moving onto more complex programming structures.
• You'll also look at the software development life cycle, and will design and construct a small standalone interactive application.
• You'll learn about relational databases using a query language (SQL) and develop skills to create a relational database management system using commercially available database software.
• You'll learn about the causes and effects of data security breaches and look at data security tools for personal devices You’ll learn how to implement security measures to protect corporate data and deliver an appropriate security strategy to improve corporate data security.
• You'll learn about digital forensics: incident response procedures, managing digital evidence, preparing forensic documentation You’ll look at ethical hacking, plan a penetration test, undertake a penetration test to exploit system vulnerability and learn how to implement appropriate countermeasures to mitigate a cyber-attack.
• You'll develop valuable skills for finding solutions to computing problems in computer networking, software development or technical support You’ll also have the chance to work on a team-based ICT project.

When you successfully complete this course, you’ll have the choice of:

• Moving onto HND Computing (Technical Support)
• seeking to start your career with an entry level role in cyber security, software development or database design.

Gain the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital landscape. From programming and database management to cyber security and digital forensics, this course opens doors to various career paths

Throughout the course you will meet with guest speakers from universities, various companies and third sector organisations as well as ex-students who have studied the course and gone on to further study. There are also opportunities to work on projects alongside a number of companies such as CyberFirst, iDance, Barclays Bank, East, North, and South Ayrshire Councils, and many more.

BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Networks at GCU, BEng (Hons) Cyber security at UWS, and many more.