Why Study Cyber Security at the University of Queensland?

If you’re interested in computer science and IT, you should consider studying cyber security at UQ.

If you’re interested in computer science and IT, you should consider studying cyber security at university (and, more specifically, at the University of Queensland).

A cybercrime is reported every 6 minutes on average in Australia, and it’s estimated that we’ll need an additional 23,000 tech workers focusing on cyber security by 2030. There’s demand for cyber security specialists in a huge range of industries. With such a positive outlook for job security and growth, it’s both a logical and fascinating avenue of study to pursue.

Why study cyber security at UQ? Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of choosing us for your degree.

1. Prepare for careers in a wide range of industries

UQ's interdisciplinary approach to learning tackles key cyber security challenges from technical, business, mathematical, and social science perspectives, giving you a thorough understanding of cyber security's impact on all aspects of modern life.

According to the ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2023 report, the following skills will be needed in the cyber security industry by 2030:

• network configuration
• cloud solutions
• information security
• software development principles
• system design and implementation
• teamwork/collaboration
• communication
• problem solving
• adaptability and continuous learning.

Cyber security specialists will need a combination of technical and interpersonal skills, and here at UQ, we’re dedicated to equipping you with both throughout your studies. You’ll learn the nitty gritty of how to protect computing systems from attack, damage, and unauthorized access. But you’ll also learn how to clearly communicate with people who have limited knowledge of cyber-attacks, teach them what to look out for, and show them how to protect themselves against cybercrime.

At UQ, you’ll graduate prepared to undertake a variety of roles in a range of industries. You might become a cyber security analyst for a bank, a cyber systems engineer for a global clothing retailer, or an information security officer for a government department. Whatever industries you end up in, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed to progress your career in new directions in the ever-changing field of cyber security.

2. Graduate with two qualifications in four years

One of the benefits of studying cyber security at UQ is that you can combine your undergraduate and postgraduate studies to help you focus on pursuing your interests, broadening your skill set, and increasing your employment opportunities.

Here’s how you can study cyber security at UQ:

• Our Bachelor of Computer Science is a 3-year program that allows you to major in cyber security. Should you wish to specialize further, you may apply to undertake a Master of Cyber Security (a 2-year program) after you complete your bachelor’s, meaning you’ll be studying for 5 years in total to get your undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.
• Our Bachelor of Computer Science / Master of Cyber Security is what we call a vertical dual degree (pdf). You’ll study a combined bachelor’s and master’s in just four years instead of the five it would take you to study them separately (as in the above example). This program requires a higher ATAR but is certainly worth pursuing should you wish to fast-track graduation while enhancing your employability and qualifications.

3. Learn in world-class training facilities

Ever heard of a cyber war room? Study cyber security at UQ and you’ll get to train in one. The UQ Cyber Security Hub is comprised of a range of state-of-the-art facilities:

• The Cyber War Rooms facilitate red-blue teaming simulations where teams attack and defend systems to better understand how cyberattacks work.
• The Agile Security Operation Centre teaches students what it’s like to work in a security operation centre, where they’ll respond to incidents and analyse data.
• The Device Testing Lab allows students to test and evaluate a wide range of devices, including smart home, edge computer and consumer electronic devices to look for vulnerabilities. The lab is also fully equipped with a Faraday’s Cage for experiments requiring signal shielding.
• The Energy TestLab 4.0 provides students with a new and powerful platform for innovative research in power systems analytics, security and demand side management supported by Siemens Energy related software tools.

As a UQ cyber security student, you’ll get to learn and train in these exciting environments and benefit from the practical experience they provide.

4. Get hands-on experience

You’ll also get hands-on experience during your studies by joining extracurricular clubs and societies, and undertaking internships or field trip opportunities.

Join the student-run UQ Cyber Squad and you could find yourself competing in cyber security competitions locally and internationally. They’re frequent users of the Cyber War Rooms, and they compete in capture the flags, crisis management competitions, and hackathons too.

The UQ Cyber Research Centre (UQ Cyber) is one of the co-founders of the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC), recognized internationally as a ‘World Cup’ of cyber competitions. It qualifies and trains the top youths from Team Oceania from 17 nations around the Pacific, and recently won second in the ICC at San Diego, California!

You may wish to boost your skills and experience by taking advantage of our capstone courses embedded in our degrees, or one of the many internship opportunities available. Our students have interned with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), Origin Energy, CSIRO, Virgin Australia, Nestle, Flight Centre, Volvo, Rocket Lab, and B&R Enclosures, to name a few.

There are also global experiences available, whether you’re looking for a short field trip or a semester abroad. You could find yourself jetting off to China for a month-long field trip to learn about innovation in IT, or to Vietnam to get involved in hands-on projects at the forefront of computing. Or perhaps you’re more inclined to spend longer doing an exchange semester in Canada, Denmark, or the UK. There’s a range of scholarships and funding available to help you on your way, too.

Whatever avenue you head down, you’ll be sure to learn a wealth of new skills to help you launch your successful career in cyber security.