Regional attack exposure is high
Energy, finance and government targets across the Gulf have made security capability a board-level concern.
Level 5 Extended Diploma · Diploma
Level 5 Extended Diploma in Cyber Security
Qualifi calls this a semi-technical award about cyber security as a workplace management discipline. Threat and risk, forensics and cryptography sit beside business continuity, incident communications and strategic leadership. Built for whoever has to answer when something goes wrong.
Quick Highlights
Qualifi Ltd
Ofqual, on the RQF
240 at Level 5
11
Cyber security as a management discipline
UK and international
Programme at a Glance
Official titleQualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Cyber Security
Qualification number610/3296/7 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework
Size240 credits at Level 5
Subjects publishedThreat & Risk · Network Security & Comms · Database Security & Programming · Incident Response & Forensics · Security Strategy & Policy · Banking Cyber Risks · Cyber Wars · Cryptography · Digital Forensics · Incident Mgmt · Strategic Leadership
Who Qualifi says it is forExisting or aspiring organisational executives and leaders responsible for business resilience, information security, safe technological innovation, secure change management, HR planning and physical risk management
Ways in, as publishedEntry: Level 3; or tech/risk experience with clear career goals; or Level 4 in another field with cyber security intent. Note: Level 4 units must be completed before Level 5.
Note: Duration will be based on your experience and it can be advanced bachelors too which differs from prospects to prospects
Programme Overview
About this Programme
When an organisation is attacked, two kinds of people are needed. One group works the keyboards. The other decides what to tell customers, whether to pay, when to involve lawyers, how to keep the business running and who answers to the board on Monday. The second group is who this award is written for.
Qualifi describes it as semi-technical, examining technical cyber security measures alongside the management, project management and leadership skills needed to organise internal and external responses to major incidents. It promises business continuity and disaster management content set inside the digital threat environment, and says the programme is designed and delivered by a mix of academics from business schools and security management teaching roles.
Eleven subjects deliver it. The technical core runs from threat and risk through network and database security to cryptography, incident response and two separate treatments of forensic investigation. Around that sit the managerial subjects: security strategy as laws and policy, sector threats in banking and finance, cyber wars, incident communications, and strategic leadership. Altogether 240 credits, catalogued as 610/3296/7.
Qualifi
Why Choose
Why Choose This Programme?
01
Management, not just tooling
Qualifi frames the whole award around cyber security as a workplace discipline, with leadership and continuity alongside the technical content.
02
Incident communications
Communications and incident management is a full subject, covering what gets said and to whom when something breaks.
03
A banking and finance subject
Sector-specific threat and risk for banking and finance, which is unusual at this level.
04
Forensics twice over
Incident response with forensics, and digital investigations and forensics, both appear as separate subjects.
05
Cryptography included
Taught as its own subject rather than folded into a general network security topic.
06
A published study order
Qualifi states that Level 4 units must be completed before Level 5 units, so the sequence is set out in advance.
An internationally recognised pathway awarded by Qualifi.
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
Build the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for employment in cyber security and information security
Carry out specialist study relevant to your own occupation and working environment
Contribute to good practice in business technology and risk management settings
Combine practical and theoretical knowledge when responding to real situations
Develop the personal qualities and techniques that working life demands
Make an immediate and positive contribution to your employer
Contribute to ethical practice in technology and risk management
Prepare for progression to a university-approved Level 6 degree award
Career Opportunities
Where This Degree Can Take You
A Level 6 university degree top-up course, pending a successful application to Qualifi's partner institution
Directly into employment in an associated profession
Programme Structure
Your Journey, Year by Year
A structured curriculum that builds from foundations through to advanced study.
Part 1 — Understanding the threat
What the risks are, where they live and how they reach a business.
- Cyber Security Threat and Risk
- Network Security and Data Communications
- Database Security and Computer Programming
- Cyber Wars
Part 2 — Protecting and investigating
Defence, encryption and what happens after an incident.
- Cryptography
- Incident Response, Investigations and Forensics
- Digital Investigations and Forensics
- Cyber Security Threats and Risk: Banking and Finance
Part 3 — Leading the response
Policy, communication and accountability.
- Security Strategy: Laws, Policies and Implementation
- Communications and Incident Management
- Strategic Leadership
- 240 credits at Level 5
- Certificated by Qualifi
Q
The University
Qualifi
Your Learning Partner
Why Study Through Maverick?
Students receive:
Three published ways in, including an experience route
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Published study order, Level 4 before Level 5
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Teaching from an approved centre
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Case-study based material
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Qualifi certification
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Centre-set schedule
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Why Gulf Organisations Need This Capability
Finance sector content
The banking and finance threat subject maps onto one of the region's largest employers.
Written for decision makers
Qualifi aims it at executives responsible for resilience and information security, not only technical staff.
Regulatory pressure is growing
Data protection and reporting rules across GCC states place accountability on named individuals.
Suits people already in work
Qualifi says the programme particularly suits those already employed, building structured competency around the job.
Certification is separate
Industry certifications are not part of this. Plan for them alongside if your role needs them.
Our Network
Diverse Alumni
Join professionals across leading organizations worldwide
Graduates placing at world-class organisations across aviation, energy, finance and government
Join our growing global network of industry leaders
Faculty Voice
Insights From Industry Experts
Real-world perspectives from the minds shaping global business education
Germany
Faculty Insight • 01
Prof. Alexander Schmidt
Alexander is a leader in AI and cloud integration, specializing in ethical AI strategy and financial services. He develops courses on Machine Learning, NLP, and AI ethics, driving tech business growth.
British
Faculty Insight • 02
Prof. Dr. David Mark Holliman
Dr. David Holliman, an educator with 15+ years of experience, is Chairman of Holliman Holdings, managing business operations in tourism, trading, asset management, and education
Jordan
Faculty Insight • 03
Prof. Dr. Othman Abu Khurma
Dr. Othman Abu Khurma, a passionate science educator with 18 years' experience in Jordan and the GCC, excels in designing engaging teaching materials, fostering dynamic discussions, enhancing learning for educators and students.
Switzerland
Faculty Insight • 04
Prof. Steve Alban Tineo
Prof. Steve, a global leader and entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience, delivers corporate training and academic courses on negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation, and cross-cultural communication.
slovakia
Faculty Insight • 05
Prof. Veronika Knight
Veronika Knight delivers practical, human-centered learning experiences for corporate teams across the UAE and GCC. Her approach focuses on developing soft skills and encouraging meaningful behavioural change, helping learners apply their knowledge with confidence in the workplace.
Canada
Faculty Insight • 06
Shyma Mohaisen
Shyma brings over 10 years of teaching experience and a background at Microsoft, combining academic expertise with practical industry insights to support learners’ professional growth.
India
Faculty Insight • 07
Prof. Dr. Shanmugan Joghee
Dr. Shanmugan brings over 26 years of experience in management education and research across India and the UAE, with expertise in marketing, international business, research methods, and digital transformation.
Ukrainian
Faculty Insight • 08
Prof. Yana Nikitina
Prof. Yana Nikitina is an accomplished economist, lecturer, and researcher with a PhD in Economics and a Master’s in Education Leadership. She brings extensive experience in teaching Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Business, with a strong commitment to student-centred learning, research excellence, and professional development.
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Fees & Scholarships
Fees & Scholarships
Fee structure varies by intake and study mode. Select any option to receive the full details.
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Admissions
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a technical course or a management course?
Both, and Qualifi uses the word semi-technical for exactly that reason. You will meet cryptography, database security, network security and forensics, which are technical subjects. You will also meet strategic leadership, incident communications and security strategy covering laws and policies. The design assumes you need enough technical grounding to follow what your specialists tell you, plus the management capability to act on it.
Qualifi says the course is flexible and online. Is it?
That is how Qualifi describes the programme's design, and it adds that the format blends easily. Worth remembering, though, that Qualifi awards and regulates the qualification while an approved centre actually delivers it. Whether your centre runs it online, in person or as a mixture is the centre's decision, as are intake dates and pace. Confirm the format with the centre before you assume it.
Does it prepare me for CISSP, CompTIA or similar?
Qualifi publishes no alignment with any industry or vendor certification, so we will not suggest one exists. These are different kinds of credential: this is a regulated academic qualification assessed by a centre, while industry certifications are vendor or body examinations with their own syllabuses. Many people hold both. If a specific certification matters to your role, treat it as a separate piece of work.
What is the Level 4 before Level 5 rule?
Qualifi states in its entry requirements that Level 4 units must be completed before Level 5 units. This extended award combines both halves, and the rule prevents you from attempting advanced material before the groundwork is done. It is published on no other Qualifi award we have examined, and it is genuinely useful — it tells you the shape of your study before you begin.
Which partner institution offers the degree top-up?
Qualifi does not say. The progression route is published as "pending a successful application to our Partner institution", and no institution is named anywhere on its website. We are not prepared to guess at one. If a degree is your goal, research universities offering top-up degrees in cyber security or risk management yourself and ask them directly what they make of this qualification.
How does it differ from the networking and cyber security diploma?
Clearly, once you compare the subjects. Seven appear on both. What differs is the final four. Here they are managerial: conflict between states, sector-specific threats in finance, how an incident gets communicated, and leadership strategy. On the networking variant those four give way to equipment work — cabling and hardware, server administration, traffic routing, and designing an estate end to end. Pick this one if accountability for the response will land on you; pick the other if you would rather be the person fixing it.
Enquire
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Personal eligibility review
Guidance on fees & instalments
Application & study-mode support
Flexible study
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