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Think like a hacker or security professional

Cybersecurity focuses on keeping computers, networks, and data safe from unauthorised access, attack, and damage.

Study Cybersecurity if you have a curious mind and like to know how things work.

Our teaching covers people, processes, and technology. This is a technical subject—but you’ll graduate aware of the legal and ethical issues around cybersecurity. You’ll gain the analytical, communication, and teamwork skills needed to excel in this profession.

Courses have a strong practical and hands-on focus, backed by theory and an understanding of cybersecurity trends.

Make lasting connections

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What you’ll learn

In your study you will:

  • learn about threats, attacks, defences, and techniques
  • learn how to use cryptography to secure systems
  • study social engineering—why humans are the most vulnerable part of any information system, and how to combat this
  • develop technical skills to build secure systems from the ground up
  • work with software and tools to assess and implement network security
  • carry out a penetration attack using industry-standard tools and techniques
  • learn how to propose policies and procedures for keeping a system secure
  • study risk management and how to match controls to risks.

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There are so many people who are more than happy to help, including lecturers, tutors, and peers who want to see each other succeed. I’ve met some of my close mates through this course.

Riana Pho

Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Cybersecurity

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Build your degree

BE(Hons) majoring in Cybersecurity Engineering

A four-year Bachelor of Engineering with Honours degree majoring in Cybersecurity Engineering gives you the most in-depth study of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity Engineering is not available as an ‘outside’ major in other degrees.

The BE(Hons) gives you training and a qualification as a professional engineer. You’ll learn about professional practice and project management, with 800 hours of work experience in two different engineering environments.

You’ll also be able to take some courses in different subjects.

The final-year project in the BE(Hons) lets you apply your learnings to an engineering problem. You might:

  • build a new security tool
  • evaluate new security technology
  • apply machine learning to solving security issues.

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

Complement your study with Cybersecurity courses

If you are interested in cybersecurity but want to focus your study in another area, you might study a BE(Hons) in Software Engineering that includes Cybersecurity Engineering courses.

Alternatively, you could take Cybersecurity courses as elective courses in a different degree, such as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Commerce. For example, Cybersecurity courses pair well with a Bachelor of Science majoring in AI or Computer Science.

Other areas of study that go well with Cybersecurity include:

  • psychology
  • criminology
  • business, finance, and IT
  • international relations.

60%

The proportion of small and medium-sized businesses that did not recover from a cyber attack and shut down within six months. (Source: Symantec Internet security)

️Future career options

There are great career prospects and job security in cybersecurity—the demand grows every year.

The Cybersecurity major at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has been developed to meet this increasing demand.

Our graduates get entry-level roles as:

  • security engineers
  • security consultants
  • penetration testers.
With some work experience, you could be a:

  • senior security consultant
  • governance risk and compliance expert
  • security manager.
All of these professionals are in high demand.

Engineering and Computer Science careers

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded to hundreds of first-year students each year. They help with living costs and accommodation costs at the University’s halls of residence.

TeachNZ Scholarships

You can also apply for a TeachNZ Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded based on specific areas where teachers are needed, including science, technology, and mathematics.

Specific scholarships

Summer of Tech

Many of our students participate in the Summer of Tech internship programme. There are workshops, talks, and networking events throughout the year.

At the heart of tech

Wellington is at the heart of New Zealand’s thriving tech industries. Hear about what’s happening in the business right now from industry guest lecturers, and work on real-life projects with local tech organisations.

Why Wellington

Work as a tutor

You can apply to tutor undergraduate courses in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. To become a tutor, you need to be in your second year or above and have good results in your courses.

Find out more about becoming a tutor

Postgraduate Cybersecurity study

Although there is no specific postgraduate qualification for Cybersecurity, you can still continue to study it through 300- and 400-level courses or through research.

If you’re looking to add some Cybersecurity skills to your previous study, you could complete a:

If you want to dive deeper into research and improve your career options, you could complete a:

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Related subject areas

  • Design

  • Electronics

  • Information Systems

  • Psychology

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