Computer Forensics with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

With digital forensics playing a critical role in the world of modern criminal investigations, our BSc Computer Forensics course with a Foundation Year will help you develop the practical and professional skills needed by employers in the digital forensics, cyber security and law enforcement sectors.

You’ll have access to our specialist Digital Forensics labs. Plus, laboratories are equipped to industry standards and run the latest software so that you can experience the most current technology and prepare yourself for the working world.

About the Foundation Year

The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. In order to progress to the next year of your degree, it is necessary to achieve a pass in all of the modules of the Foundation Certificate.

What's covered in the course?

This computer forensics course is for you if you want to combine a highly rigorous academic qualification with real life practical work experience that will prepare you to apply your knowledge as a computer forensics expert or forensic investigator.

The multidisciplinary nature of the course will foster the essential skills you require in computer networking, ethical hacking, computer programming, and legal and expert witness roles, complementary to digital forensic investigations. These attributes are not only essential to employers in law enforcement and the digital forensics industry but also serve as broader employability skills.

On graduation, you will be capable of managing a digital forensic case and conducting technical examination and interpretation of digital-based evidence. You will develop as a confident, highly skilled and professional graduate with a meticulous and methodological approach to problem solving, whether working individually or as part of a professional team.

Our course is well established, with a proven track record of producing skilled and confident graduates who are ready to meet the demands of the digital forensics industry. To ensure the course meets the knowledge and skill requirements for conducting professional digital forensic investigations, the course curriculum has been designed in close consultation with digital forensics experts from the private sector as well as from a number of UK police constabularies.

Motivated by a practice led, knowledge applied philosophy, you’ll take a hands on, practical approach to learning digital forensic investigation, computer networking and other essential computing techniques using commercial and open-source forensic tools. We incorporate additional activities such as industrial workshops, practitioner boot-camps, guest lectures and vendor qualification assessments to strengthen the employability driven nature of our course.

Why Choose Us?

• Collaboration with industry - Our curriculum has been developed with various digital forensics service providers and police constabularies around the UK, to ensure that you are learning the most up-to-date information that aligns with industry practice.  
• State-of-the-art facilities -  To provide you with the best learning opportunities and industry-relevant hands on practical skills as well as our specialist Digital Forensics Lab which has digital forensics and data recovery resources. You will be based in Millennium Point, at our City Centre Campus, which has recently undergone a £6.5 million investment.  
• Network with potential employers  - We have excellent links with industry and regularly host guest lectures and workshops hosted by digital forensics and law enforcement professionals. This provides you with the opportunity to meet key industry figures and build relationships to help secure work experience and employment.
• Obtain additional qualifications - Delivered by digital practitioners we host specialist boot-camps that provide opportunities to additional qualifications, to compliment your degree and enhance your career prospects.  
• Employment in a range of sectors - We have a proven track record of producing highly skilled and confident graduates who gain employment in various industries including cyber security, digital forensics and law enforcement.  

See our facilities

We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.

Essential Requirements

Additional information for EU/International students

International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).

Additional Requirements

As part of the application process you will be invited to attend an applicant visit day where you will undertake a short one-to-one interview with an academic member of staff. This is your chance to show us how passionate you are about the subject and it will help us make a decision on your application.

This will provide you with more information about the School and your course. In addition, it will give you a chance to meet and our staff and students to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a student here.

Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

The programme is motivated by a practice led, knowledge applied philosophy placing considerable emphasis on a practical approach to learning digital forensic investigation, computer networking and other essential computing techniques using commercial and open-source forensic tools.

The programme is delivered largely through a flipped methodology, placing significant emphasis on the development of practical skills supported by blended learning and a variety of learning activities including lectures, seminars, practice-led, self-directed and experiential learning, in person and online through Virtual Learning Environments (VLE).  The programme incorporates additional activities including industrial workshops, practitioner boot-camps and vendor qualification assessments, strengthening the employability driven nature of the course.

Assessment

The assessment strategy applied throughout the programme has been devised in conjunction with comprehensive student feedback, industrial practitioner consultation and best academic practices. You will acquire knowledge and understanding through formal lectures, computer networked practicals, laboratory experiments, seminars and other directed independent learning activities.

A range of assessment methods are employed, the criteria for each module being published within each specified module guide and assignment briefs. Knowledge is assessed, formatively and summatively, by a number of methods, including seminars, coursework, examinations (seen and unseen, open and closed book), presentations, and practical work. You will develop analytical and problem-solving skills by using a range of case-studies and problem/task-based learning scenarios.

Assessment activities include practical work, individual and group work, presentations, written coursework, laboratory experimentation, examinations (seen and unseen, open and closed book). The acquisition of appropriate practical skills is central to the learning strategy of the programme. You will gain initiative and independence incrementally as the course progresses. Emphasis is placed on guided, self-directed and student-centred learning, with increasing independence of approach, thought and process.

You will develop research skills in module activities and assessments, by undertaking a major individual project and completing a related dissertation. Transferable key skills are also pervasive and incorporated into modules and assessments as appropriate, for example team working skills are fostered via group, task-based practical projects, presentations, coursework, peer and self-assessment.

Attendance requirements

For more information on attendance requirements, course contact time and suggested self-study hours, download the course specification.

Enhancing your employability skills

Our course has been designed with graduate employability at its heart. Throughout the course we invite speakers from industry to share their valuable knowledge and experience in guest lectures and seminars. This provides an invaluable opportunity to network with the experts. At various stages during the course, we host specialist boot-camps delivered by digital forensics practitioners as well as provide opportunities to obtain vendor qualifications to enhance your career prospects.

Because we have close links with business and industry – with our academic team having worked in the sector – we know that your studies are always relevant, up-to-date and meet the exact needs of the current marketplace.

Recent graduates have been snapped up by specialist digital forensics companies or departments in a range of reputable organisations, including:

Our graduates forge rewarding careers in areas such as systems security, forensic accounting and fraud investigation and specialist digital evidence/high-tech crime units.

Placements

We aim to have you employer-ready by the time you graduate and as part of your course, you have the option of undertaking an industrial placement after the second year of study. Placements will also provide you with an opportunity to develop your practical expertise, earn money and try out a potential career path. It may not always be possible to get a placement in the digital forensic industry, so we actively encourage you to broaden your interests to allied sectors, for example, cyber security, data recovery companies as well as law enforcement agencies. We have successfully allocated placements for students at the following employers:

• Arcanum Digital Forensics
• Context
• Cheshire Police Constabulary
• Humberside Police
• DiskLabs Ltd
• Aperio Digital Investigations
• BBC
• IBM
• BT
• Rolls Royce
• Xerox
• TATA Motors
• Caterpillar
• TNT

OpportUNIty

OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.

It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

• Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
• Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
• Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
• Learn where to find financial support for your studies.

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities. This course will be taught at Millennium Point at the City Centre Campus.

As a student at the School of Computing and Digital Technology, you have access to networked laboratories equipped to industry standards and running the latest software, giving you the best possible introduction to the technologies you will encounter in the world of work.

Dedicated facilities are provided for systems analysis, computer networks, programming in a wide range of languages, artificial intelligence, modelling and visual programming, e-commerce and .net environments, and business intelligence, as well as supporting the application areas of mechatronics, games technology, electronics and computer forensics.

Computer networking

The laboratories are well-equipped for all our computer networking courses, as well as specialist areas for practical work such as voice-over internet protocol (VoIP), forensic and ethical hacking technologies, wireless and mobile technologies and radio frequency identification technologies to name but a few.

Software development and computer programming

There are a number of open access, software development and computer programming
laboratories that can be used to develop systems and programmes, including database management systems such as MySQL, to name but a few.

Systems laboratories

Our embedded systems laboratories are used to develop real-time systems, such as specialist hardware training and development resources, and industrial-standard software development and simulation tools. These include microcontroller software and robotics design and development, to name but a few.

Electronic systems

To underpin the basic principles of electronic systems, we have a well-equipped laboratory of general and specialist test and measurement kits, including powered prototyping development boards, dual power supplies, frequency generators and counters and digital multi-meters to name but a few.

Forensic computing

Our successful development of forensic computing has led to a specialist forensics laboratory that is fully equipped with essential hardware and software for this sensitive area of study. The laboratory includes high-spec PC’s with built-in multi interface Tableau write blockers, EnCase and FTK computer forensic software and steganography detection and analysis software, to name but a few.

More on our facilities