Black humour tell no spoon-feeding
Three black humour have long told the differences between a first degree and a graduate degree.
The first humour is:
Bachelor degree: the teacher gives you the questions and the answers.
Master degree: the teacher gives you the questions and you look for possible answers.
Ph.D: no one gives you questions and you do not know what you are doing.
The second one is:
Bachelor degree: you understand what the teacher is saying; then you get a bachelor’s degree.
Master degree: you basically set a test for yourself and the teacher understands what you are doing; then you get a master’s degree.
Ph.D degree: although you don’t know exactly whether or not what you’re doing is correct, but you’re pretty sure that your supervisor doesn’t know what you’re doing; then you’ll get a Ph.D.
The third one is:
Bachelor degree: When you discover that you know everything, you get a bachelor degree.
Master degree: When you discover that you know nothing, you get a master degree.
Ph.D degree: When you discover everyone is as ignorance as you, you get a Ph.D degree.
The differences have a common theme. Postgraduate degrees are not spoon-feeding.
MSc degrees in Cyber Security and/or Digital Forensics
The United Kingdom authorities recognise those institutions which have been granted degree-awarding powers by either a Royal Charter, Act of Parliament or the Privy Council. These are known as ‘recognised bodies’. All UK universities and some higher education colleges are recognised bodies. They are listed in the Schedule to The Education (Recognised Bodies) (England) (Order) 2013.
Other institutions, which do not have the power to award their own degrees, may provide full courses which lead to a degree awarded by a recognised body. These are known as ‘listed bodies’. They are listed in the Schedule to The Education (Listed Bodies) (England) Order 2013.
Some of those degrees related to Information Technology are further accredited by the British Computer Society, also known as the Chartered Institute for Information Technology. In its Guidelines on course accreditation: Information for universities and colleges (June 2015), the society listed 5 requirements for a MSc final year project. Three of them are:
originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline.
dealing with complex issues both systematically and creatively, making sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
demonstrating self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and acting autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level.
Some of those degrees related to Information Technology Security are further accredited by the United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre, a part of GCHQ. The NCSC-certified degrees, as of 8 May 2018, are listed here.
UK is implementing the EU directive on the security of Networks and Information Systems (known as the NIS Directive). The NIS Guidance Collection now includes the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF).
Regarding what research is in a university sense, Stanley Hall explained in 1902:
“. . . the first thing expected of a student investigator is that he shall read and otherwise post himself on all that immediately bears upon his subject. He must know what has been done, neglect no important author; try to stand on the shoulders of others and not do over again what they have done. He must criticise, evaluate, relate. and perhaps first of all make a concise digest of all the important work that precedes, whether or not it be later printed. The specialization, while not too narrow, must be acute enough to permit more or less mastery of the resources concerning it.”
“Perhaps we might divide the stages of university investigation into three. First, the method must be either invented or adapted to the problem.”
“Second, there must be data collected; experiments made and noted; facts gathered; protocol books filled; instances and experiments multiplied; and the basis of induction made broad and deep.”
“The third and main stage is to think it all out; to apply a rigorous, philosophic method; to reason logically on the objective facts; to find their unity; to determine what is central and what is unimportant; to relate and determine the place and bearings of all; and find whether the accumulations are mere agglomerations or have a meaning and a value for science.”
Suggestions for MSc final year project
I have prepared a slide deck on carrying out a MSc Final Year Research Project. Click in the middle of the slides and navigate by right and left arrows on the keyboard.
Reference
G. Stanley Hall. (1902) What is Research in a University Sense, and How May it Best be Promoted? The Pedagogical Seminary, 9:1, 74-80, DOI: 10.1080/08919402.1902.10534169