International Cybersecurity major

Almost every ICT career path encompasses some aspect of cybersecurity. The Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (International Cybersecurity) will prepare you for a range of specialist cybersecurity roles with a global perspective. With industry integrated learning, you'll gain the practical skills and knowledge to lead design, implementation and management of secure computer systems across a range of exciting career paths, protecting people and their data from cyber-attacks. The major provides you with strong computing and cybersecurity skills and includes advanced units. You also study contemporary international politics in the context of cybersecurity, providing you with the breadth of understanding that local and global employers are looking for alongside technical knowledge.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) use mathematical, technical and business tools and an awareness of international political agendas to secure information systems across a range of industries and real world settings; (2) design prevention and mitigation strategies to address specific cyber security challenges; (3) create secure computer systems; (4) work effectively as a team member and as a team leader for real-world cybersecurity projects; (5) communicate cybersecurity concepts and techniques and results clearly in oral and written formats; (6) extend knowledge in cybersecurity through research, experimentation and analysis; and (7) discuss the impact of global politics on cybersecurity risk and mitigation strategies.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Mathematics Methods ATAR

International Cybersecurity can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BH008 Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours]
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

International Cybersecurity is a degree-specific double major comprising:

  • six Level 1 units
  • five Level 2 units
  • ten Level 1 complementary units
  • two Level 2 complementary units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021; NS = non-standard teaching period

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (36 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or
MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or
equivalent
or
higher
Incompatibility:
CITS1200 Java Programming, CITS1220 Software Engineering
S2 CITS1003 Introduction to Cybersecurity
Incompatibility:
CITS3004 Cybersecurity (ID 6150)
S2 CITS1402 Relational Database Management Systems
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or
MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or
equivalent
or
higher
Incompatibility:
CITS2232 Databases
S2 CITS2211 Discrete Structures
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Methods ATAR
or
MATH1721 Mathematics Methods
or
equivalent
or
higher
Co-requisites:
at least one Level 1 unit in computing
or
mathematics
S1 PHIL1001 Ethics for the Digital Age: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy
Incompatibility:
PHIL1107 Ethics, Free Will and Meaning
S2 POLS1102 Understanding Global Politics

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (30 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 CITS2002 Systems Programming
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Methods ATAR
or
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Incompatibility:
CITS1210 C Programming, CITS2230 Operating Systems, CITS1002 Programming and Systems
S1 CITS2003 Open Source Tools and Scripting
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the MJD-ICYDM International Cybersecurity major
or
the MJD-CYBER Cybersecurity major.
S1 CITS2200 Data Structures and Algorithms
Prerequisites:
CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java and (Mathematics Methods ATAR
or
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or
equivalent
or
higher)
S2 CITS3001 Algorithms, Agents and Artificial Intelligence
Prerequisites:
CITS2200 Data Structures and Algorithms
S1 POLS2214 Foundations of Foreign Policy
Prerequisites:
12 points of Social Sciences and/
or
Humanities study at level 1

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (36 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 CITS3002 Computer Networks
Prerequisites:
CITS1002 Programming and Systems
or
 CITS2002 Programming and Systems
Incompatibility:
CITS3230 Computer Networks, CITS3231 Security and Privacy
N/A CITS3006 Penetration Testing
Prerequisites:
12 points of programming-based units
N/A CITS3007 Secure Coding
Prerequisites:
12 points of programming-based units
S2 CITS3200 Professional Computing
Prerequisites:
enrolment in one of the following majors: MJD-ARIDM Artificial Intelligence; MJD-CMPSC Computer Science; MJD-CDSDM Computing and Data Science; MJD-CYBER Cybersecurity; MJD-DATSC Data Science; MJD-ENGSC Engineering Science (Software Engineering); MJD-ICYDM International Cybersecurity and completion of at least 84 points, including (CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python (ID 411)
or
 CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java (ID 296)) and (CITS2002 Systems Programming (ID 4722)
or
 CITS2200 Data Structures and Algorithms (ID 300)
or
 CITS2402 Introduction to Data Science (ID 7427))
S1 CITS3403 Agile Web Development
Prerequisites:
CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java (ID 296)
or
CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python (ID 411)
or
CITS2002 Systems Programming (ID 4722)
or
equivalent
Incompatibility:
CITS4230 Internet Technologies
S1 CITS4401 Software Requirements and Design
Prerequisites:
Enrolment in 62510 Master of Information Technology
or
62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Software Engineering specialisation).
Incompatibility:
CITS2220 Software Engineering: Design
and
CITS3220 Software Requirements and Project Management

Level 4

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (36 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A CITS4010 Computer Science Honours Research Project Part 1
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours]
N/A CITS4011 Computer Science Honours Research Project Part 2
Prerequisites:
CITS4010 Computer Science Honours Research Project Part 1
N/A CITS4403 Computational Modelling
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the MJD-ARTIF Artificial Intelligence
or
MJD-INTCY International Cybersecurity
or
HON-CMSSE Computer Science and Software Engineering
or
62510 Master of Information Technology
or
62530 Master of Data Science
or
62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Software Engineering)
Incompatibility:
CITS7211 Modelling Complex Systems
S2 CITS4419 Mobile and Wireless Computing
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the MJD-INTCY International Cybersecurity
or
HON-CMSSE Computer Science and Software Engineering
or
62530 Master of Data Science
or
62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering
or
 Software Engineering)
Incompatibility:
CITS7219 Mobile and Wireless Computing
Degree-specific major units
Group A—take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 CITS5501 Software Testing and Quality Assurance
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the BH008 Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours] (International Cybersecurity major)
or
62510 Master of Information Technology
or
62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Software Engineering) and completion of 12 points of programming-based units
Incompatibility:
CITS4220 Software Quality and Measurement
NS POLS5641 International Security
Incompatibility:
POLS8604 Problems of International Security; POLS5642 Contemporary Issues in International Security
Degree-specific major units
Group B—take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A CITS5016 CISSP Certification
S2 CITS5503 Cloud Computing
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the BH008 Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours] (International Cybersecurity major
or
 Computing and Data Science major)
or
HON-CMSSE Computer Science and Software Engineering
or
62510 Master of Information Technology
or
62530 Master of Data Science
or
62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Software Engineering)
or
42630 Master of Business Analytics and completion of 12 points of programming-based units
S1 PHYS4021 Frontiers in Quantum Computation
Prerequisites:
MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
or
equivalent
or
higher.
Incompatibility:
PHYS3005 Quantum Computation (ID 7770)

Choosing your degree-specific major

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not allow you to choose a double major.

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the International Cybersecurity degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours] course.

Example 1:
Course Study Plan: CSPH008-ICYDM

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .