Computer Networks and Security with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

This first-year project allows you to develop and cultivate a creative mind-set through collaborative innovative practice, allowing you to bring together knowledge and imagination to construct a viable product. It is an opportunity to express your ideas, skills and talent to the wider community of innovative practice.

The project provides you with an opportunity to be part of a thriving community of innovators that practices connected learning. This is facilitated by putting you into inter-disciplinary project teams supported by innovation mentors, advisors and academics; culminating in you exhibiting your work to an international panel of experts.

Within the Computer Systems Module, you will gain knowledge and experience of computers and computer hardware.

This module presents a holistic view of how computer systems work and it also provides the underpinning knowledge required:

• for the design of computer architecture
• to show how software interacts with hardware
• to apply electronics principles
• to use number systems for computer technology

In this module, you learn how modern operating systems are the glue that bind computer hardware and networks together and how they manage the user experience for individual computers and wider networks. We will focus on the function and purpose of operating systems, with a focus on hands-on practical skills. We will build on learning from your networking, programming and computer systems modules, enhancing and extending skills in all these areas. You will make heavy use of Open Source Software, demonstrating what can be achieved with this huge publicly shareable resource on a very limited budget.

This introductory computer programming module provides the underpinning knowledge and practice for computing students to design, build and test software components. The module will make use of practical sessions primarily to allow you to apply programming principles and constructs in order to creatively solve problems by means of developing small programs. Module content and assessment enables learners to acquire programming skills in a modern imperative language.

The module gives you the opportunity to learn mathematical concepts and methods and critically reflect on how they relate to computing and communication systems. You will develop core mathematical and statistical skills which are fundamental in computing and technical work in general. You will be expected to solve mathematical and statistical problems on paper and on a computer.

The module provides the opportunity to learn and critically reflect the skills required in building and designing basic networks and their requirements within a network infrastructure. This module builds on the underpinning knowledge and theory of networking systems.

The module consists of:

• Subject specific lectures/laboratory sessions to introduce knowledge and skills relevant to network and information systems, along with communication architecture
• Lectures/laboratory sessions to introduce principles and techniques for information communication within a network and ensuring effective communication
• Global view on information system communication.

This module introduces you to the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within modern enterprise environments, with a particular focus on its use across information technology infrastructure and systems, and organisational operations. It is designed to prepare you for roles in which you will work with, manage, evaluate, or secure AI-enabled systems.

You will explore how organisations use AI technologies to support decision-making, automate processes, enhance operational efficiency, and improve security and resilience. The module examines the end-to-end lifecycle of enterprise AI solutions, including data sourcing, tool selection, deployment considerations, governance, and ongoing management. Emphasis is placed on helping you understand how AI integrates with existing enterprise IT systems, also how it influences organisational workflows and professional practice.

The module provides you with an opportunity to build on the learning and to develop knowledge of cyber security and how it relates to information and network security. This module will allow you to learn how to protect a network system from issues of cybercrime, based on security principles and the principles of how to defend networks from attack.

Cloud is a transformative technology that has revolutionised the way organisations operate. It allows organisations and individuals to rent computing, storage, network, and software resources on demand over the Internet. This module introduces the fundamental concepts of cloud systems and enabling technologies such as virtualization and data centres. Through this module, you will learn to design, configure, and troubleshoot cloud systems to deliver the data and network services essential for modern networks.

The module will be delivered through in-person lectures, supervised lab sessions, and demonstrations. Assessment will be based on lab tasks and a coursework project.

This module builds on your foundational programming knowledge and skills developed during the Level 4 Computer Programming module to extend and focus these towards the area of network engineering. It provides an essential skillset for network engineers to manage and develop networks/networking applications. This aids the management of complex networks by allowing the automation of regular tasks and the potential reduction of human error when configuring multiple devices.

In this module you will have the opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills required for Network Technologies. This module builds your knowledge and underpinning theory for the networking modules and you will review the requirements from a small to medium scale network deployment engineering context.

This module allows you to examine network technology, applications and protocols to enable you to gain a thorough understanding of the developments in this area. Routing and switching will be investigated theoretically and practically using a variety of different network operating systems and devices. The module content builds on the networking technologies introduced previously, and focuses on developing design and implementation skills relevant to achieving industry certification applicable to small and medium enterprise networks.

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project.

The module provides you with an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of Ethical Hacking and information security within a global context. This module builds on the knowledge and underpinning theory from the networking modules and reviews the requirements for a secure network communication system.

The module gives you an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of wireless network design. This module builds on the knowledge and underpinning theory from the networking modules and reviews the requirements for a secure wireless network communication system.

The module consists of:

• Subject specific lectures/workshops to introduce knowledge and skills relevant to wireless networking and the corresponding state of the art technologies.
• Lectures/workshops to introduce principles and techniques for secure communication within a wireless network and ensuring security of data in transit.
• Global view on information security and the changing requirements for information and data communication security.

The module provides you with an opportunity to gain experience and critically reflect on the skills of software and information security within a global context. This module builds on the knowledge and underpinning theory from the networking modules and reviews the requirements for a secure network communication system.

The module is an opportunity for you to learn and critically reflect on the skills of network and information security within a global context. This module builds on the knowledge and underpinning theory from the networking modules and reviews the requirements for a secure network communication system.