Infrastructure is being built now
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Level 5 Extended Diploma · Diploma
Level 5 Extended Diploma in Networking and Cyber Security
A deliberate merge of two Qualifi routes. Seven security subjects meet four networking subjects, with no general IT padding and no leadership content. Qualifi publishes exactly which existing qualifications the units came from, which is rare candour.
Quick Highlights
Qualifi Ltd
Ofqual, on the RQF
240 at Level 5
11
Seven subjects on security, four on infrastructure
18
Programme at a Glance
Official titleQualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Networking and Cyber Security
Qualification number610/3042/9 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 · Physical Networking · Cryptography · Digital Forensics · System Admin · Routing & Switching · Network Design
How it was builtQualifi states the units come from four existing qualifications: Level 4 & 5 Diplomas in Cyber Security and IT Networking. It publishes all qualification numbers—a rare practice.
Entry18 or over, with no prior qualification published and no experience clause. IELTS 6 or equivalent where English is not your first language, plus normally two references, one preferably academic
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
Securing a network and building one are usually taught apart, which is odd, because the people who do either job well tend to understand both. You cannot defend infrastructure you do not understand, and you cannot design infrastructure sensibly without knowing how it gets attacked. This award puts the two together on purpose.
Qualifi is unusually open about how it was assembled. The page names the four existing qualifications its units were drawn from — the Level 4 and Level 5 diplomas in cyber security, and the Level 4 and Level 5 diplomas in IT networking — each with its own number. The result is a combination rather than a new invention, and knowing that tells you precisely what you are signing up for.
Eleven subjects make it up. On the defensive side: threat and risk, network security with data communications, database security and programming, incident response with forensic investigation, cryptography, digital forensics, and security strategy as laws and policy. On the infrastructure side: physical networking, system administration, routing and switching, and network design. Together they come to 240 credits, catalogued as 610/3042/9.
Qualifi
Why Choose
Why Choose This Programme?
01
Two disciplines in one award
Security and networking are studied together rather than one being a footnote to the other.
02
Published provenance
Qualifi names the four source qualifications with their numbers, so you can see exactly what has been combined.
03
Real networking depth
Physical networking, routing and switching, and network design and administration go well beyond an introductory treatment.
04
Forensics from two angles
Incident response with forensics, and digital investigations and forensics, both feature as distinct subjects.
05
No general IT filler
Unlike the IT family awards, there is no maths, graphics or PC maintenance content taking up space.
06
Straightforward entry
No prior qualification and no experience requirement are published — only age, English and references.
An internationally recognised pathway awarded by Qualifi.
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
Understand how cyber security threat and risk apply to an organisation
Understand network security alongside the data communications it protects
Work with database security and the programming concepts behind it
Follow an incident through response, investigation and forensic examination
Understand security strategy as laws, policies and their implementation
Build knowledge of physical networking, routing and switching
Understand cryptography and the role of system administration in a secure estate
Approach network design and administration with security in mind
Career Opportunities
Where This Degree Can Take You
A Qualifi Level 7 Diploma
University, to complete a degree, where the institution accepts the application
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 — Security foundations
What threatens an organisation and how the damage is traced.
- Cyber Security Threat and Risk
- Network Security and Data Communications
- Database Security and Computer Programming
- Cryptography
Part 2 — Investigation and policy
After an incident, and the rules that govern the response.
- Incident Response, Investigations and Forensics
- Digital Investigations and Forensics
- Security Strategy: Laws, Policies and Implementation
Part 3 — Building the network
The infrastructure half of the award.
- Physical IT Networking
- System Administration
- Network Routing and Switching
- Network Design and Administration
- 240 credits at Level 5
- Certificated by Qualifi
Q
The University
Qualifi
Your Learning Partner
Why Study Through Maverick?
Students receive:
Centre reviews readiness and support needs
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Teaching from an approved centre
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
A dedicated Centre Specification for this award
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Qualifi certification
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Centre-set timetable
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Two references at application
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Why This Combination Works in the Gulf
Smaller teams wear both hats
In many regional organisations the same team runs the network and defends it, which is exactly this skill mix.
Hands-on rather than strategic
Suited to people who want to do the work rather than chair the response.
No qualification barrier published
Entry asks for age, English and references only, making it reachable for self-taught practitioners.
A published route to Level 7
Qualifi lists its Level 7 diplomas as the onward step, skipping Level 6 entirely.
Vendor certificates are separate
Cisco and CompTIA routes are not part of this. Budget for them separately if your employer expects 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
What is the difference between this and the cyber security diploma?
Think of it as the same security core with a different second half bolted on. Both awards teach the seven defensive subjects. Where the standalone cyber security diploma then turns towards the boardroom, this one turns towards the server room: you study hardware and cabling, run systems, move traffic between networks and design the estate rather than preparing statements and leading a response. The honest test is whether you would rather be in the meeting or at the console.
Why does Qualifi list other qualification numbers on the page?
Because it is telling you where the content came from. The overview names four existing Qualifi awards — cyber security at Levels 4 and 5, IT networking at Levels 4 and 5 — and gives each number. This is a merged qualification rather than a newly written one. Most awarding bodies do not disclose that, and it means you can see precisely what the combination contains before enrolling.
There are no learning outcomes on the official page. Why?
We noticed, and we are telling you rather than filling the gap. Qualifi's page carries a link to an outcomes section but no outcomes are printed. Since inventing them would mean putting words in the awarding body's mouth, the coverage shown on this page is described from Qualifi's stated aim and its published subject list, and is labelled as such. The Centre Specification should carry the formal outcomes.
Does it match any Cisco or CompTIA certification?
Nothing published says so. The content clearly overlaps with what vendor certifications cover — routing, switching, network design, security fundamentals — but overlap is not alignment, and Qualifi makes no claim of mapping, exemption or recognition. If your employer or your target role expects a specific certification, plan to take it separately rather than expecting this to count towards it.
What does the entry requirement actually ask for?
Less than you might expect. You need to be 18 or over, meet IELTS 6 or equivalent if English is not your first language, and normally provide two references with one preferably academic. No prior qualification is listed and no experience clause appears. That makes it more open on paper than the cyber security award, which asks for Level 3 qualifications, relevant experience or a Level 4 in another field.
How much of it is actually networking?
Four subjects out of eleven sit on the infrastructure side; the remaining seven are security. So the weighting favours security, with enough hardware, administration and design content to keep it grounded in real equipment rather than diagrams. Anyone wanting networking as the main event, with general IT underneath it, will find Qualifi's IT-Networking award the better match.
Enquire
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Flexible study
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