MSc Cyber Security at Lancaster: On Campus or Online, Fees and NCSC

Lancaster offers its cybersecurity master’s in two quite different forms: a one-year on-campus course and a part-time online course. Both are called MSc Cyber Security, but their fees, entry and certification are not the same. This guide sets out what Lancaster and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) publish.

Table

The two versions side by side

On campusOnline
Length and start1 year full time; 2027 entryPart time, 28 months; starts in September and January
International fee£30,900 for the 2027 entry listing, with no application feeLancaster says the online tuition fee applies to both home and international students, for 2026/27
EnglishIELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each element; other tests consideredOther English qualifications are considered; see Lancaster’s page
What Lancaster saysNCSC certified and BCS accredited, with an option to take a placement with an industry partnerOpen to graduates from any subject, or people with relevant experience; no prior cybersecurity experience required

What the NCSC position means

The NCSC list, reviewed by the NCSC on 7 September 2026, includes Lancaster’s on-campus MSc Cyber Security as fully certified, with an expiry date in 2027. Lancaster’s page for the online course cites the NCSC’s Gold award for the department as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education. That is a recognition of the department, not the same thing as certification of a specific degree. We could not confirm that the online degree is NCSC-certified, so ask Lancaster before you rely on it.

Entry requirements

Lancaster’s older pages and a graduate-course directory list a 2:1 or a 2:2 in computer science, computer security or a similar degree, and recommend previous study of operating systems, networking and programming, preferably Python. The directory also says relevant professional experience can be considered. The 2027 page text we read did not include the degree line, so confirm the current grade with Lancaster.

Visa funds

Lancaster is outside London, so the outside-London living-cost figure applies to the on-campus course: £1,171 a month for up to nine months 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. The online part-time course is a different situation, because a Student visa generally requires full-time study in the UK, so ask Lancaster and read GOV.UK before assuming it can support a visa.

Which one, in our reading

The on-campus course suits applicants who want the certified, full-time route and the visa that goes with it. The online course suits people who can study from home alongside work and do not need UK residence. If you hold a UK Bachelor’s with a lower grade, the on-campus course still asks you to check the entry grade first.

Correction, November 2026

An earlier version of this guide said graduates gain automatic recognition from GCHQ and named employers, that 92% of graduates secure cybersecurity roles within six months with starting salaries of £33,000 to £47,000, that the online route carries the same NCSC certification, and that IELTS 7.0 is required. We could not support those statements from Lancaster or the NCSC, so they were removed. The English requirement and the international fee were updated to Lancaster’s 2027 listing.

What we could not confirm

We have not read the module list in full, and we found no independent graduate outcome figures, so this guide gives none.

Sources and checks

Figures checked: November 2026. This is general information, not admissions or immigration advice, so confirm fees, entry and certification with Lancaster.

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