| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
The HNC in Computing (Cyber Security) at Bradford College equips students with the knowledge and skills for a career in cybersecurity. The part-time program, starting in September 2025, covers networking, data protection, and coding. Students benefit from industry partnerships and opportunities to attend events, while the course emphasizes practical skills and portfolio development.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The HNC in Computing (Cyber Security) at Bradford College is a Level 4 Higher Education course designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in the computing and cybersecurity sector. Students will learn about networking, data protection, preventing and dealing with cyberattacks, and programming/coding.
Outline:
The course is a part-time program lasting two academic years, starting in September 2025, and delivered at the David Hockney Building.
Year 1:
- Programming
- Networking
- Professional Practice
- Database design and development
- Security
- Planning a computing project
- Cyber Security
- Website design and development
Year 2:
- Professional practice
- Database design and development
- Planning a computing project
- Website design and development Specialist topics covered throughout the program include:
- Networking
- Cyber Security
- Applied Cryptography in the Cloud
- Information Security Management
- Forensics
Assessment:
One core 15-credit unit at Level 4 will be assessed by a mandatory Pearson-set assignment.
Careers:
Career progression can include further study or careers in:
- Software Engineering
- Data Analytics
- Network Engineering
- Applications Development and Testing It mentions an expected salary range (£42,269/year or £20.31/hour with experience) and job market data for Yorkshire and the Humber (2,386 people currently employed, 92 vacancies expected that year). A Bachelor's or Honours degree is usually required for this career path.
Other:
The course is delivered in partnership with Cisco, AWS Academy, and CompTIA. Students will have opportunities to attend conferences, seminars, and events such as IPExpo in Manchester, Leeds Tech User Group, Tech Huddle in Manchester, Leeds Digital Job Fair, UK World Skills, and JISC Digifest. While the course doesn't directly offer work experience, opportunities for placements or work experience exist during the course. The course is designed to build practical, hands-on skills, allowing students to develop a portfolio demonstrating their skills and knowledge for employment. The qualification gained is an Edexcel BTEC Higher National Certificate in Computing for England.
Entry Requirements:
48 UCAS tariff points with a minimum of three GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above, including Mathematics and English. Applicants who don't meet the Math and English criteria will be considered and invited for an interview with a numeracy and literacy skills assessment. The School of Computing also welcomes applications from candidates who don't meet the above criteria. These applicants will be invited for an interview where they'll need to provide a portfolio (physical or digital) demonstrating professional industry experience in a computing discipline OR examples of computer skills appropriate to Level 4/5 study (e.g., digital media, website development, database design, app development and programming skills, data analysis). Candidates will also take a literacy and numeracy skills assessment and a computing aptitude test.
