Teaching
This course has two components – a taught component accounting for two thirds of your time and effort, and a research component accounting for one-third.
For the taught component, we blend synchronous and asynchronous learning delivered through lectures, seminars, lab work, syndicate exercises, simulations, and case studies. The majority of modules are taught in small classes to facilitate and encourage interaction. Others practice larger-scale lectures, which are then supported by small class seminar and group activities. Our module leaders have extensive industry experience. Guest speakers from industry also contribute regularly, bringing real-world insight into your learning experience.
In addition to your taught modules, you will undertake a major project as part of your Master's degree, which will develop your research and analytical skills and enable you to specialise. This is nominally 600 hours (60 CATS points) of learning, mainly taking place during the Spring and Summer terms. You will engage regularly with your Project Supervisor and to provide progress updates and drafts of your work to an agreed schedule.
As a CSE student, your project will need to demonstrate technical depth and will ideally involve coding and/or practical experimentation.
Class sizes
The typical intake for this course is around 60 students, divided into two classes of 30 students for most modules.
Typical contact hours
Module delivery patterns vary, but most will be delivered in a short learning block of up to 4 weeks, allowing your focus to be on one module at a time. Each module nominally accounts for 150 hours, which includes scheduled classroom time and online sessions as well as your independent study and assessments.
Assessment
This course uses a variety of assessment methods across modules. These may include reports (both topic based and reflective), individual and group presentations, critical evaluation or commentary pieces, case study exercises, simulation reports, cyber incident reports, business or consultancy reports, online tests, and video presentations.
Assessments have been designed not only to assess your achievement in meeting the course learning outcomes in an academically sound manner, but also contribute to preparing you with the requisite competencies required for employment.
For the research component, you will undertake a major project. Project submission is likely to include both a written and a presentation element, and accounts for 33% of your overall academic grade. For Cyber Security Engineering students, your project should be technical in nature.
Reading lists
If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform.
You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.
Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.
Your timetable
Core modules will be allocated to students at the end of the first week of term - you will then be able to view your individual module schedule for the rest of the year via the WMG module selection system.
Your elective module will be bookable through the same system later in the term.
Modules will include scheduled classroom time and online sessions as well as your independent study and assessments, and will usually be delivered within a 4 week timeframe. Occasional classes and study skills sessions may be held at weekends or in the evenings.
As a Master's student, you are expected to manage your own time appropriately. On average, you are expected to commit 38-40 hours of study each week, in order to successfully achieve your Master’s degree.
This is a full-time postgraduate course - undergraduate term dates do not apply. Whilst there are no holidays as such, there will be no teaching scheduled when the University is officially closed for staff, during the two weeks over Christmas and New Year.
