MSc in Penetration Testing
Course Overview
The MSc in Penetration Testing is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree, one year full-time or two years part-time. The programme runs across 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time and is focused on penetration testing and offensive security. The course equips practitioners in web, network, cloud and infrastructure testing, red teaming and structured reporting, and it is designed for candidates who need a UK credential that carries clear weight with employers. The programme is aligned with CREST (Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) and CompTIA (Security+, Network+, CySA+), and it draws on the wider LSCE partnership with UK professional bodies including BCS Cyber Security Specialist Group. Teaching is structured around a small research-adjacent postgraduate cohort, with weekly tutor visibility, structured critique of student work and a named programme tutor throughout your studies.
By the time you complete the MSc in Penetration Testing, you will have produced a Level 7 dissertation or sponsor consulting project on a real problem, backed by structured research methods training. Assessment across the MSc in Penetration Testing blends coursework, applied artefacts and a closing Level 7 dissertation or sponsor consulting project, so you leave with evidence you can put in front of a UK employer or a professional-registration panel. Marks are moderated to UK Level 7 standards, and the course sits inside the LSCE ladder so credit transfer and articulation are considered from your first tutorial. Where relevant, the MSc in Penetration Testing also builds portfolio evidence toward professional-body membership and the Engineering Council or BCS chartership routes, and the wraparound English-language, careers and study-skills provision on the MSc in Penetration Testing remains available throughout your registered study period.
Key Features
- Curriculum aligned with CREST (Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) and CompTIA (Security+, Network+, CySA+) competency frameworks for the MSc in Penetration Testing, reviewed each academic year against the latest professional-body guidance.
- Applied laboratory, project or portfolio work in web embedded across every taught module of the MSc in Penetration Testing, so learning stays close to industry practice.
- Weekly named-tutor visibility on the MSc in Penetration Testing with structured written feedback on your Level 7 dissertation or sponsor consulting project and clear progression targets.
- A small research-adjacent postgraduate cohort with cross-cohort critique, employer-style project reviews and mentor pairings drawn from the LSCE alumni network.
- LSCE careers-service introductions to UK CREST-registered testing firms, financial-sector red teams and public-sector cyber employers through the London employer contact book, plus at least one industry-careers day each academic year.
- Three parallel study modes on the MSc in Penetration Testing: on-campus in central London, fully online with provisioned lab or GPU access, or by distance learning with the same remote provisioning across the MSc in Penetration Testing.
- Rolling intakes and structured induction so working professionals on the MSc in Penetration Testing can start when the diary allows, plus wraparound English-language and study-skills support during induction.
What You Will Learn
- Perform structured web, API and mobile application penetration tests
- Test enterprise network, Active Directory and cloud estates
- Design and execute red-team operations against realistic environments
- Apply MITRE ATT&CK and threat-informed defence frameworks
- Handle payload development responsibly and safely
- Produce CREST-style reports and executive summaries
- Apply CREST, (ISC)² and NCSC-informed practice
- Deliver a Level 7 dissertation or sponsor consulting project on offensive security
Who This Course Is For
- SOC analysts, cyber engineers and technical testers moving into senior offensive roles
- CTF and self-taught testers formalising a Level 7 credential
- Consultants building a senior penetration-testing portfolio
- International postgraduates targeting UK CREST-affiliated firms
- Working professionals on employer-sponsored red team development
Career Pathways
- Penetration Tester
- Red Team Operator
- Security Consultant
- Cyber Security Analyst (senior)
- Application Security Engineer
- Cloud Security Engineer
- Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Security Researcher
The LSCE careers service maintains a working contact book across UK CREST-registered testing firms, financial-sector red teams and public-sector cyber employers, and runs one-to-one application coaching during the final stage of the MSc in Penetration Testing. Structured application support covers CV, portfolio and interview preparation for UK employers, with warm introductions where cohort fit is close, plus alumni-network mentoring throughout your studies and after graduation.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above, or an international equivalent, in a relevant discipline.
- Applicants with five or more years of senior professional experience are considered for admission by portfolio.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- Two references , normally academic; senior professional accepted for experience-route applicants.
- A one-page personal statement setting out your dissertation or capstone interest.
Why Study at LSCE
The London School of Computing and Engineering is a specialist computing and engineering division of Harold International College of London. LSCE teaches in small tutor-visible cohorts, partners with UK professional bodies including CREST (Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) and CompTIA (Security+, Network+, CySA+), and puts the AI Safety Institute, Alan Turing Institute, the NCSC, the ICE, IMechE and IET, and central London's engineering consultancies within a short tube ride of every classroom on the MSc in Penetration Testing. Alignment with IISP (Chartered Institute of Information Security) further strengthens the standing of the MSc in Penetration Testing with employers.
Whether you study on-campus, fully online with provisioned lab or GPU access, or by distance learning, you join the same MSc in Penetration Testing intake with weekly tutor visibility and named programme-tutor support. LSCE students routinely attend BSides London, IET Young Professionals events, IMechE London Region evenings and BCS group meetings during their studies, and the careers service holds a working contact book with UK employers across UK CREST-registered testing firms, financial-sector red teams and public-sector cyber employers. Students on the MSc in Penetration Testing also access the Harold International College shared library and elective-module catalogue subject to availability.
Apply for MSc in Penetration Testing
Advance your career with a postgraduate MSc in Penetration Testing at LSCE. Click Enrol Now, and admissions will respond within one working day with intake dates, dissertation supervision options and scholarship review for the MSc in Penetration Testing. Enrol Now
