MSc Cyber Defence at Cranfield: Security Clearance, Fees and Entry
Cranfield’s Cyber Defence and Information Assurance MSc is not a general first cybersecurity degree. It is taught for a defence audience at a Ministry of Defence site, and that brings an entry condition most other courses do not have. This guide sets out what Cranfield publishes.
The key facts
| Item | What Cranfield publishes |
|---|---|
| Course | Cyber Defence and Information Assurance MSc (Defence), delivered at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham; one listing gives 11 months full time |
| Overseas fee, 2027-28 | £27,900 for the full-time and part-time MSc. For 2026-27 the overseas fee was £26,865 (home £24,625) |
| Entry | A UK first or second-class honours degree, or an equivalent international qualification, as a minimum |
| Security clearance | All applicants to courses wholly or partly delivered at Shrivenham must hold suitable clearance |
| English | Cranfield sets test thresholds on its entry page, including different scores for tests taken before and after 21 January 2026; check its page for your test |
| Deposit | Cranfield says self-funded students normally pay a non-refundable deposit, offset against the tuition fee. We did not read the amount |
The security clearance condition
Cranfield says every applicant to a course delivered at Shrivenham must hold suitable security clearance. A course listing we read describes this as completing the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard before registration, or already holding clearance at that level or higher. Whether an international applicant can meet this depends on your circumstances, so ask Cranfield’s admissions team before you pay an application fee or a deposit.
Who it suits, in our reading
The course suits people already working in, or aiming for, defence, government or critical-infrastructure security who can obtain the clearance. It is a poor fit if you want a general first cybersecurity degree with no defence connection, where other courses in our NCSC-certified masters guide are simpler to join. We have not given an NCSC status for this course, because the Cranfield page we read does not state one.
Visa funds
Shrivenham is outside London, so the outside-London living-cost figure applies: £1,171 a month for up to nine months on GOV.UK today, rising to £1,203 for applications from 30 November 2026 under Statement of Changes HC 584, as reported by immigration law firms. Use our calculator.
Correction, November 2026
An earlier version of this guide quoted the 2026-27 fees as if they were current and gave a deposit range of £1,000 to £3,000. The fee has been updated to Cranfield’s 2027-28 figure, and the deposit range was removed because we could not confirm it.
What we could not confirm
We did not read Cranfield’s deposit amount, module list or graduate outcomes, and we found no independent figures, so this guide gives none.
Sources and checks
- Cranfield University, Cyber Defence and Information Assurance MSc (Defence) (2027-28 fees), read on 5 November 2026
- Cranfield University, Tuition fees for taught courses 2026-2027, read on 5 November 2026
- Postgrad listing site, Cyber Defence and Information Assurance (the clearance wording), read on 5 November 2026
- GOV.UK, Student visa: money you need and Richmond Chambers, commentary on HC 584
Figures checked: November 2026. This is general information, not admissions or immigration advice, so confirm fees, clearance and entry with Cranfield.