Computer Science (Cyber Security) - BSc (Hons) - Undergraduate courses - University of Kent Jump to accessibility statement Jump to content The University of Kent Undergraduate courses Courses Student life Your future Apply Fees and funding Visit us Student profiles Mature students More Search Popular searches Visits and Open Days Jobs and vacancies Studying Undergraduate Postgraduate Accommodation Student Student email Library services Moodle Staff Staff email Term dates Timetabling Computer Science (Cyber Security) - BSc (Hons) circle with a Year in Industry Apply now Find out more Computer Science (Cyber Security) BSc (Hons) summary information pen UCAS code UCAS G490 calendar-full Start date September 2022 graduation-hat Study mode Full-time clock3 Duration 3 years map-marker Location Canterbury license2 Flexible entry requirements Choose a section Overview Entry requirements Course structure Fees and funding Teaching & assessment Careers Contact us November Open Day Our Open Days offer face-to-face and virtual options and they are a fantastic way to meet our staff and students. Book now for Saturday 20 November to find out why Kent is right for you. Book your place On this degree you will learn a broad base of computer science skills with a focus in your final year on cyber security. This is an excellent programme choice if you are looking for a career in information security management or cyber security risk within commercial or government organisations. Overview The University of Kent is recognised by the British Government as being an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, meaning you will be taught by staff who are top researchers in this area. The School of Computing is a welcoming and inclusive community, supporting our students to achieve their goals. Our excellent links with industry ensure that you develop the skills you need to be successful in your career. Our degree programme On this themed degree, the specific focus (here, Cyber Security) is decided at the time of enrolment and named in your degree title. You can also study our general Computer Science degree, where a subject focus is decided during the course of your study. Our programme focuses on the technical aspects of computer science. You learn to code in several languages, starting with the Java programming language, which is widely used in industry across a range of applications including mobile devices. Building on these programming skills, you learn the principles and techniques that underpin the algorithms and systems shaping our world today. These include artificial intelligence, computer security, network technology, software engineering, and human-computer interaction. You put these principles and techniques into practice to develop software in a variety of ways, from small-scale exercises to a major software project. You can also gain experience in teaching with our Computing in the Classroom module. This gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a school setting. Year in industry We support many of our students choose to take a year in industry after the second year of the programme. This gives you work experience, a salary and the possibility of a job with the same company after graduation. You don’t have to make a decision before you enrol at Kent but certain conditions apply: for details, see Computer Science (Cyber Security) with a Year in Industry. Study resources Facilities to support the study of Computer Science include The Shed, the School of Computing's Makerspace, which houses: 3D printers laser-cutting facilities development equipment, including Oculus Rift and Raspberry Pi. Students also have exclusive access to a computer room and a common room, and we run a peer-mentoring scheme. Extra activities Computer Science students often take part in TinkerSoc, a student-run 'tinkering' society which meets in 'The Shed', our collaborative workspace. TinkerSoc welcomes all students who like making things. Whether a member of TinkerSoc or not, you can spend time in The Shed, making, exploring and sharing. In this informal environment you can build physical devices for your coursework, as well as develop your own interests and hobbies. The School of Computing also hosts events that you are welcome to attend. These include our successful seminar programme where guest speakers from academia and industry discuss current developments in the field. We also host the BCS local branch events on campus. Professional network Our programmes are informed by a stakeholder panel of industry experts who give feedback on the skills that employers require from a modern workforce. Our successful year in industry programmes have allowed us to build up excellent relationships with leading companies such as BAE Systems, Citigroup and The Walt Disney Company. We also have a dedicated Employability Coordinator who is the first point of contact for students and employers. 87% Computer Science at Kent scored 87% overall in The Complete University Guide 2022. Find out more Get your prospectus Visit us Accommodation Student stories Contact us School of Computing Entry requirements You are more than your grades At Kent we look at your circumstances as a whole before deciding whether to make you an offer to study here. Find out more about how we offer flexibility and support before and during your degree. Find out more Entry requirements The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Some typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements. If you are an international student, visit our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country, including details of the International Foundation Programmes. Please note that international fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions. Please note that meeting the typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee that you will receive an offer. medal-empty A level AAB-BBB medal-empty GCSE Mathematics grade 4/C medal-empty Access to HE Diploma The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. medal-empty BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) Distinction, Distinction, Distinction - Distinction, Distinction, Merit medal-empty International Baccalaureate 30 points overall or 15 points at HL including Mathematics 5 at HL or SL, or Mathematics Studies 6 at SL International Foundation Programme N/A English Language Requirements Please see our English language entry requirements web page. Please note that if you do not meet our English language requirements, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme. Form Stay connected Sign up here to receive all the latest news and events from Kent. 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In the meantime, take a little time to explore our campuses and find out more about student life at Kent: Take a virtual tour Read our student stories View our Privacy Notice Course structure Duration: 3 years full-time The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Stage 1 Compulsory modules currently include COMP3200 - Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (15 credits) This module provides an introduction to object-oriented software development. Software pervades many aspects of most professional fields and sciences, and an understanding of the development of software applications is useful as a basis for many disciplines. This module covers the development of simple software systems. Students will gain an understanding of the software development process, and learn to design and implement applications in a popular object-oriented programming language. Fundamentals of classes and objects are introduced and key features of class descriptions: constructors, methods and fields. Method implementation through assignment, selection control structures, iterative control structures and other statements is introduced. Collection objects are also covered and the availability of library classes as building blocks. Throughout the course, the quality of class design and the need for a professional approach to software development is emphasised and forms part of the assessment criteria. COMP3220 - Foundations of Computing I (15 credits) Mathematical reasoning underpins many aspects of computer science and this module aims to provide the skills needed for other modules on the degree programme; we are not teaching mathematics for its own sake. Topics will include algebra, reasoning and proof, set theory, functions, statistics and computer arithmetic. COMP3230 - Databases and the Web (15 credits) An introduction to databases and SQL, focussing on their use as a source for content for websites. Creating static content for websites using HTML(5) and controlling their appearance using CSS. Using PHP to integrate static and dynamic content for web sites. Securing dynamic websites. Using Javascript to improve interactivity and maintainability in web content. COMP3250 - Foundations of Computing II (15 credits) This module follows from CO322 and aims to provide students with more understanding of the theory behind the formal underpinnings of computing. It will build upon the abstract reasoning skills introduced in CO322. Matrices, vectors, differential calculus, probability and logic will be introduced. COMP3280 - Human Computer Interaction (15 credits) This module provides an introduction to human-computer interaction. Fundamental aspects of human physiology and psychology are introduced and key features of interaction and common interaction styles delineated. A variety of analysis and design methods are introduced (e.g. GOMS. heuristic evaluation, user-centred and contextual design techniques). Throughout the course, the quality of design and the need for a professional, integrated and user-centred approach to interface development is emphasised. Rapid and low-fidelity prototyping feature as one aspect of this. COMP3370 - Computers and the Cloud (15 credits) This module equips students with an understanding of how modern cloud-based applications work. Topics covered may include: • A high-level view of cloud computing: the economies of scale, security issues, ethical concerns, the typical high-level architecture of a cloud-based application, types of available services (e.g., parallelization, data storage). • Cloud infrastructure: command line interface; containers and virtual machines; parallelization (e.g., MapReduce, distributed graph processing); data storage (e.g., distributed file systems, distributed databases, distributed shared in-memory data structures). • Cloud concepts: high-level races, transactions and sequential equivalence; classical distributed algorithms (e.g., election, global snapshot, consensus, distributed mutual exclusion); scheduling, fault-tolerance and reliability in the context of a particular parallelization technology (e.g., MapReduce). • Operating system support: network services (e.g., TCP/IP, routing, reliable communication), virtualization services (e.g., virtual memory, containers) COMP3590 - Programming for Artificial Intelligence (15 credits) Built on the foundation of object-oriented software development, this module provides an introduction software development for Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this module, students will gain an understanding of data analysis and statistics techniques, including summarising data, using measures of central tendency and dispersion, and effective graphical representations. Various probability models, including normal and binomial distributions, sampling and inference and predictive techniques are introduced. Throughout the module, students will learn to embed data analysis and statistics concepts into a programming language which offers good support for AI (e.g., Python). Students will learn to use important AI-purposed libraries and tools, and apply these techniques to data loading, processing, manipulation and visualisation. COMP5200 - Further Object-Oriented Programming (15 credits) This module builds on the foundation of object-oriented design and implementation found in CO320 to provide both a broader and a deeper understanding of and facility with object-oriented program design and implementation. Reinforcement of foundational material is through its use in both understanding and working with a range of fundamental data structures and algorithms. More advanced features of object-orientation, such as interface inheritance, abstract classes, nested classes, functional abstractions and exceptions are covered. These allow an application-level view of design and implementation to be explored. Throughout the course, the quality of application design and the need for a professional approach to software development is emphasised. Stage 2 Compulsory modules currently include COMP5180 - Correctness and Efficiency (15 credits) The curriculum covers topics in algorithms and data structures, such as hashing and graph algorithms. It addresses how to program such algorithms, as well as how to test them, reason about their correctness and analyse their efficiency. It includes a mathematical treatment of big-O notation. COMP5280 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (15 credits) This module covers the basic principles of machine learning and the kinds of problems that can be solved by such techniques. You learn about the philosophy of AI, how knowledge is represented and algorithms to search state spaces. The module also provides an introduction to both machine learning and biologically inspired computation. COMP5320 - Database Systems (15 credits) This module provides an introduction to the theory and practice of database systems. It extends the study of information systems in Stage 1 by focusing on the design, implementation and use of database systems. Topics include database management systems architecture, data modelling and database design, query languages, recent developments and future prospects. COMP5390 - Web Development (15 credits) Building scaleable web sites using client-side and and server-side frameworks (e.g. JQuery, CodeIgniter). Data transfer technologies, e.g. XML and JSON. Building highly interactive web sites using e.g. AJAX. Web services. Deploying applications and services to the web: servers, infrastructure services, and traffic and performance analysis. Web and application development for mobile devices. COMP5450 - Functional Programming (15 credits) This module introduces students to the functional programming paradigm, using at least one modern functional programming language to put the core concepts into practice. The module will develop both the foundation and theory of this paradigm, as well as the practice and application of the paradigm to solve problems and build systems. The module will core topics, including: • Functions as first-class language constructs and as a central organising principle; • Higher-order functions and compositional programming; • Basic semantics of functional languages; • The role of types in programming; • Algebraic data types and pattern matching; • Recursion and recursive data types; • Differences with imperative and object-oriented programming paradigms; • Properties of programs, (e.g., purity, side-effect freedom, totality, and partiality). • The lambda-calculus as a programming model and foundation. • BNF grammars for representing context-free syntax, and its relation to ADTs and language manipulation. • Testing and issues of building correct software. The module will develop practical skills in programming and problem solving using functional programming. There will also be a chance to apply functional programming to help understand better concepts in logic and mathematics. Later parts of the module will then consider concurrent programming in the context of functional programming, including concurrent programming models and primitives (e.g., message-passing concurrency), parallelism, synchronisation and communication, and properties of deadlock, communication-safety, and starvation. COMP5570 - Computer Systems (15 credits) This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental components (hardware and software) of a typical computer system, and how they collaborate to execute software programs. The module provides a compressive overview from the lowest level of abstractions in hardware to the highest level of abstractions of modern programming languages. For example, they will see logic circuits, machine language, programming language implementations, high-level languages, and applications. This material provides a general understanding of computers, and it will also prepare students to develop software considering the system perspective, e.g. cost of abstraction and performance implications COMP5580 - Introduction to Cyber Security (15 credits) Cyber security has always been an important aspect of computing systems but its importance has increased greatly in recent years. The curriculum covers areas where cyber security is of major importance, but have different security requirements and may be exposed to different threats and attacks. It also covers techniques and mechanisms used to secure computer systems and data to meet those requirements and protect them. The areas looked at include computer operating systems (and increasingly, distributed operating systems), distributed applications (such as electronic commerce over the Internet), embedded systems (ranging from smart cards to large industrial plant and telecommunications systems), and users. The techniques and mechanisms looked at include cryptography, authentication & authorisation, and access control. Furthermore, the curriculum integrates the legal, ethical, and professional perspectives, for instance, to address concerns about data security, privacy, and societal impact of computing systems. COMP5590 - Software Development (15 credits) The module studies team-based Agile software development in detail and places it in a wider software development context. Topics covered include • Concepts, principles, practice and philosophy of an Agile approach to software development, contrasting with more structured approaches. • Collaboration: programmer collaboration, team values, customer involvement, project management, standards and reporting. • Planning: release and sprint planning, risk assessment, user stories and resource estimating • Development practices: incremental requirements, test-driven development, refactoring, scrum, code review, quality assurance, continuous integration. • Tools: IDEs, version control, automated code quality evaluation, issue tracking. • Ethics, Intellectual property, codes of conduct and professional responsibility. Stage 3 Compulsory modules currently include COMP5190 - Theory of Computing (15 credits) Propositional & Predicate Logic, including proofs. Formal languages: finite automata, regular expressions, CFGs. Turing machines, decidability. COMP6330 - Computer Networks and Communications (15 credits) The module starts with a comprehensive and detailed study of current computer networks and communications technologies. It includes: a review of network techniques, switching and multiple access; high speed local area networks; network protocols, including data link, network, transport and application layers. A selection of key topics are looked at in greater depth to reveal the state-of-the-art and issues (problems) that remain to be solved. COMP6640 - Secure Programming (15 credits) More information to follow. COMP6650 - Cyber Security Project (30 credits) More information to follow. COMP6660 - Information Security Management (15 credits) More information to follow. Optional modules may include BUSN6120 - New Enterprise Development (15 credits) This module is designed to provide students across the university with access to knowledge, skill development and training in the field of entrepreneurship with a special emphasis on developing a business plan in order to exploit identified opportunities. Hence, the module will be of value for students who aspire to establishing their own business and/or introducing innovation through new product, service, process, project or business development in an established organisation. The module complements students' final year projects in Computing, Law, Biosciences, Electronics, Multimedia, and Drama etc. COMP6360 - Cognitive Neural Networks (15 credits) In this module you learn what is meant by neural networks and how to explain the mathematical equations that underlie them. You also build neural networks using state of the art simulation technology and apply these networks to the solution of problems. In addition, the module discusses examples of computation applied to neurobiology and cognitive psychology. COMP6370 - Natural Computation (15 credits) There is an increasing use of nature-inspired computational techniques in computer science. These include the use of biology as a source of inspiration for solving computational problems, such as developments in evolutionary algorithms and swarm intelligence. It is therefore proposed to allow students the opportunity to become exposed to these types of methods for use in their late careers. COMP6440 - Semantic Web (15 credits) "Indicative topics include: • Resource Description Framework (RDF) & RDF Schema: • Information representation and knowledge exchange on the web o Applications of RDF • RDF Query and Inference Languages (e.g. SPARQL etc.) • Web Ontology Language (OWL): o Publishing and sharing of ontologies • Knowledge management COMP6460 - Computing in the Classroom (15 credits) Students will spend one half-day per week for ten weeks in a school with a nominated teacher. They will observe sessions taught by their designated teacher and possibly other teachers. Later they will act somewhat in the role of a teaching assistant, by helping individual pupils who are having difficulties or by working with small groups. They may take 'hotspots': brief sessions with the whole class where they explain a technical topic or talk about aspects of university life. They must keep a weekly log of their activities. Each student must also devise a special project in consultation with the teacher and with the module convener. They must then implement and evaluate the project. COMP6560 - Computational Intelligence in Business, Economics & Finance (15 credits) The following is indicative of topics/themes this module will include: • An overview of basic concepts related to Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques, such as heuristic search and optimisation • Presentation of different CI algorithms, such as hill climbing, simulated annealing, genetic algorithms and genetic programming • An overview of basic concepts related to real-world problems related to business, economics and finance, such as financial forecasting, automated bargaining, portfolio optimisation, and timetabling • The use of Computational Intelligence techniques to solve real-world problems • Computational Intelligence decision support systems and software wind tunnels for testing new markets and strategies. COMP6570 - Internet of Things (15 credits) The module will cover a mixture of theoretical and practical topics in the area of the Internet of Things (IoT), that is, the use of Internet technologies to access and interact with objects in the physical world. This will include coverage of the range of sensor and actuator devices available, ways in which they communicate and compute, methods for getting information to and from IoT-enabled devices, and ways of visualising and processing data gained from the IoT. A practical component will consist of building the hardware and software for a sensor network and a system to collect, process and visualise data from that network. COMP6580 - Programming Language Implementation (15 credits) A study of techniques for interpreting and compiling programming languages, implementing them in a typed functional programming language (e.g., OCaml, Haskell). The module will outline a whole compiler from source to machine code, but will focus in depth on key algorithms and techniques. Possible in-depth topics include: • writing interpreters, • Hindley-Milner type inference, • register allocation, • garbage collection, • abstract interpretation, • static single assignment form. The implemented language will be based on a simple imperative (e.g., Pascal-like) language with some extensions to address advanced topics in data layout (e.g., closures, objects, pattern matching). The course will be organized around a simple, but complete, example compiler that the student will have to understand and modify. COMP6590 - Computational Creativity (15 credits) The module aim is to give students an overview and understanding of key theoretical, practical and philosophical research and issues around computational creativity, and to give them practical experience in writing and evaluating creative software. The following is an indicative list of topics that may be covered: • Introduction to computational creativity • Examples of computational creativity software e.g. musical systems, artistic systems, linguistic systems, proof generator systems, systems for 2D and 3D design. • Evaluation of computational creativity systems (both of the quality and the creativity of systems) • Philosophical issues concerning creativity in computers • Comparison of computer creativity to human creativity • Collaborative creativity between humans and computers • Overview of recent research directions/results in computational creativity • Practical experience in writing creative software. COMP6610 - Theory and Practice of Concurrency (15 credits) This module is aimed at introducing the principles of concurrency theory (1, 2, 3) and demonstrating how these can be applied to design and implement distributed applications (4). Advanced concepts of Web services will be studied and placed in the perspective of these principles (5, 6). The following is an indicative list of topics: • Message passing primitives for concurrency: synchronous versus asynchronous message passing, the actor model. • Reasoning on processes: temporal logic, safety and liveness properties, bisimulation. • Channel passing and mobility. • Design and implementation of application–level protocols. • Web services: from stateless services to distributed business processes (also known as service orchestrations). • Transaction protocols on the Web: two-phase commit, long running transactions. COMP6620 - Signal Analysis for Computing (15 credits) This module will provide the student with an understanding of basic principles of signals; introduce digitisation methods such as sampling, quantisation and coding; describe and apply signal analysis techniques, such as segmentation, noise reduction, filtering, spectral analysis, feature extraction and classification (including recognition and decision making) to solve practical signal analysis problems using Matlab. COMP8160 - eHealth (15 credits) An overview of basic concepts related to eHealth and a perspective on current HIT (Health Information Technology) and innovation. Review of current healthcare related IT systems. The use of information technology for handling clinical data, health systems. Data representation and knowledge management. Security and privacy. Ethics and legal requirements of eHealth systems. Clinical decision support systems. TeleHealth tools for remote diagnosis, monitoring, and disease management. Delivery and monitoring platforms for both hospitals and home environment. Innovation in eHealth systems leading to start-up companies. COMP8220 - Introduction to Quantum Computing & Quantum Cryptography (15 credits) This module will give students an overarching introduction to quantum information processing (QIP). At the end of the course the students will have a basic understanding of quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum cryptography; as well as the implications to other fields such as computation, physics, and cybersecurity. We will take a multi-disciplinary approach that will encourage and require students to engage in topics outside of their core discipline. The module will cover the most essential mathematical background required to understand QIP. This includes: linear algebra, basic elements of quantum theory (quantum states, evolution of closed quantum systems, Born's rule), and basic theory of computing. The module will introduce students to the following theoretical topics: quantum algorithms, quantum cryptography, quantum communication & information. The module will also address experimental quantum computation & cryptography. COMP8320 - Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery (15 credits) This module explores a range of different data mining and knowledge discovery techniques and algorithms. You learn about the strengths and weaknesses of different techniques and how to choose the most appropriate for any particular task. You use a data mining tool, and learn to evaluate the quality of discovered knowledge. DIGM6390 - Video Games Development (15 credits) This module is concerned with a range of topics in video game design and development, including game physics, AI, level design, player behaviour, game rules and mechanics, as well as user interfaces. This module introduces students to game development using industry-standard software tools. EENG5610 - Image Analysis & Applications (15 credits) The module introduces fundamental techniques employed in image processing and pattern recognition providing an understanding of how practical pattern recognition systems may be developed able to address the inherent difficulties present in real world situations. The material is augmented with a study of biometric and security applications looking at the specific techniques employed to recognise biometric samples. EENG6670 - Embedded Computer Systems (15 credits) This module introduces the theory and practice of employing computers as the control and organisational centre of an electronic or mechanical system, and examines issues related to time critical systems. It also provides exposure to practical embedded systems design through practical work, with one assignment exploring the ideas of real-time operating systems introduced in the lectures and a second using a microcomputer programmed in 'C' to control the ignition timing of a simulated petrol engine. Which one's right for you? Some other similar courses you may be interested in. Artificial Intelligence - BSc (Hons) This course offers alternative options. Full-time Canterbury Computer Science - BSc (Hons) This course offers alternative options. Full-time Canterbury Data Science - BSc (Hons) This course offers alternative options. Full-time Canterbury Fees The 2022/23 annual tuition fees for UK undergraduate courses have not yet been set by the UK Government. As a guide only the 2021/2022 fees for this course were £9,250. Home full-time TBC EU full-time £15900 International full-time £21200 For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide. For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* Your fee status The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying. Additional costs General additional costs Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. Funding University funding Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. Government funding You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website. Scholarships General scholarships Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website. The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages. Teaching and assessment Teaching Within the School of Computing are authors of widely used textbooks, a National Teaching Fellow and Association of Computer Machinery (ACM) Award-winning scientists. Programmes are taught by leading researchers who are experts in their fields. Teaching is based on lectures, with practical classes and seminars, but we are also introducing more innovative ways of teaching, such as virtual learning environments and work-based tuition. Work includes group projects, case studies and computer simulations, with a large-scale project of your own choice in the final year. Overall workload Each stage comprises eight modules. Most modules run for a single 12-week term. Each module has two lectures and one to two hours of classes, making approximately 14 formal contact hours per week and eight hours of 'homework club' drop-in sessions each term. Academic support We provide excellent support for you throughout your time at Kent. This includes access to web-based information systems, podcasts and web forums for students who can benefit from extra help. We use innovative teaching methodologies, including BlueJ and LEGO© Mindstorms for teaching Java programming. Teaching staff Our staff have written internationally acclaimed textbooks for learning programming, which have been translated into eight languages and are used worldwide. A member of staff has received the SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education. The award is made by ACM, the world's largest educational and scientific computing society. Assessment Assessment is by a combination of coursework and end-of-year examination and details are shown in the module outlines on the web. Project modules are assessed wholly by coursework. The marks from stage one do not go towards your final degree grade, but you must pass to continue to stage two. Most stage two modules are assessed by coursework and end-of-year examination. Marks from stage two count towards your degree result. Most stage three modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and end-of-year examination. Projects are assessed by your contribution to the final project, the final report, and oral presentation and viva examination. Marks from stage three count towards your degree result. Percentage of the course assessed by coursework In stage three your project counts for 25% of the year's marks. Contact hours For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure. Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure. Programme aims The programme aims to: provide a programme that will attract and meet the needs of both those contemplating a career in computing and those motivated primarily by an intellectual interest in computer science be compatible with widening participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of entry routes provide a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the principles of computer science provide computing skills that will be of lasting value in a field that is constantly changing offer a range of options to enable students to match their interests and study some selected areas of computing in more depth provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and which requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied in a wide range of different computing and non-computing settings. provide knowledge of key areas in cyber security. Learning outcomes Knowledge and understanding You gain knowledge and understanding of: hardware: the major functional components of a computer system software: programming languages and practice; tools and packages; computer applications; structuring of data and information communication and interaction: basic computer communication network concepts; communication between computers and people; the control and operation of computers practice: problem identification and analysis; design development, testing and evaluation theory: algorithm design and analysis; formal methods and description; modelling an understanding of the scientific method and its applications to problem solving in this area. holistic cyber security: core concepts and technology to enforce security, risks and countermeasures (including human aspects), and security architecture. secure development: programming best practices, analysis of potential vulnerabilities and malicious code, and security-by-design principles. Intellectual skills You gain intellectual skills in: modelling: knowledge and understanding in the modelling and design of computer-based systems in a way that demonstrates comprehension of the trade-off involved in design choices reflection and communication: presenting succinctly to a range of audiences rational and reasoned arguments requirements: identifying and analysing criteria and specifications appropriate to specific problems and planning strategies for their solution criteria evaluation and testing: analysing the extent to which a computer-based system meets the criteria defined for its current use and future development methods and tools: deploying appropriate theory, practices, and tools for the specification, design, implementation, and evaluation of computer-based systems professional responsibility: recognising and being guided by the professional, economic, social, environmental, moral and ethical issues involved in the sustainable exploitation of computer technology computational thinking: demonstrating a basic analytical ability and its relevance to everyday life. Subject-specific skills You gain subject-specific skills in: design and implementation: specifying, designing, and implementing computer-based systems evaluation: evaluating systems in terms of general quality attributes and possible trade-offs presented within the given problem information management: applying the principles of effective information management, information organisation, and information retrieval skills to information of various kinds, including text, images, sound, and video tools: deploying effectively the tools used for the construction and documentation of software, with particular emphasis on understanding the whole process involved in using computers to solve practical problems The ability to plan and manage projects to deliver computing systems within the constraints of requirements, timescale and budget. The ability to recognise any risks and safety aspects that may be involved in the deployment of computing systems within a given context. The ability to critically evaluate and analyse complex problems, argument and evidence, including those with incomplete information, and devise appropriate computing solutions, within the constraints of a budget. Recognise security needs, select and apply solutions (including social-technical solutions) to enforce and maintain systems secure. Transferable skills You gain transferable skills in: teamwork: being able to work effectively as a member of a development team communication: making succinct presentations to a range of audiences about technical problems and their solutions IT: effective use of general IT facilities; information retrieval skills Intellectual skills: critical thinking; making a case; numeracy and literacy; information literacy. The ability to construct well-argued documents. The ability to locate and retrieve relevant ideas, and ensure these are correctly and accurately referenced and attributed. Self-management: Managing one’s own learning and development, including time management and organisational skills. Professional Development: Appreciating the need for continuing professional development in recognition of the need for lifelong learning. Contextual awareness: the ability to understand and meet the needs of individuals, business and the community, and to understand how workplaces and organisations are governed. Sustainability: recognising factors in environmental and societal contexts relating to the opportunities and challenges created by computing systems across a range of human activities. Independent rankings Computer Science at Kent (which includes all programmes offered by the School of Computing) scored 87% overall in The Complete University Guide 2022. Computer Science at Kent was ranked 8th for research intensity in The Complete University Guide 2022. Careers Graduate destinations Graduates who have both IT knowledge and business skills can expect excellent career prospects. Our graduates have gone on to work in: software engineering mobile applications development systems analysis consultancy networking web design and e-commerce finance and insurance commerce engineering education government healthcare. Recent graduates have gone on to develop successful careers at leading companies such as: BAE Systems Cisco IBM The Walt Disney Company Citigroup BT. Help finding a job The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to: apply for jobs write a good CV perform well in interviews. The School has a dedicated Employability Coordinator who is a useful contact for all student employability queries. Career-enhancing skills You graduate with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of computer science and a range of professional skills, including: programming modelling design. To help you appeal to employers, you also learn key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to: think critically communicate your ideas and opinions analyse situations and troubleshoot problems work independently or as part of a team. You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering. Apply for this course If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can choose to apply through UCAS or directly on our website. Find out more about how to apply All applicants Apply through UCAS International applicants The University of Kent Apply now to Kent Contact us bubble-text United Kingdom/EU enquiries Enquire online for full-time study T: +44 (0)1227 768896 earth International student enquiries Enquire online T: +44 (0)1227 823254 E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk network School website School of Computing Discover Uni information Discover Uni is designed to support prospective students in deciding whether, where and what to study. The site replaces Unistats from September 2019. Discover Uni is jointly owned by the Office for Students, the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Scottish Funding Council. It includes: Information and guidance about higher education Information about courses Information about providers Find out more about the Unistats dataset on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website. The University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that the information contained in its publicity materials is fair and accurate and to provide educational services as described. However, the courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. Full details of our terms and conditions can be found at: www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions. *Where fees are regulated (such as by the Department for Education or Research Council UK) permitted increases are normally inflationary and the University therefore reserves the right to increase tuition fees by inflation (RPI excluding mortgage interest payments) as permitted by law or Government policy in the second and subsequent years of your course. If we intend to exercise this right to increase tuition fees, we will let you know by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right. If, in the future, the increases to regulated fees permitted by law or government policy exceed the rate of inflation, we reserve the right to increase fees to the maximum permitted level. If we intend to exercise this extended right to increase tuition fees, we will let you know by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right. 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