Computer Science BSc | University of Leicester
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It’s about studying the core foundations of computing, managing real-world projects and preparing yourself to enter a field that’s constantly shaping the future. Course description Course description Do you enjoy programming, or are you convinced you would? Do you want to know how to talk to customers and clients, understand their needs, and be able to specify, design, build and test the software they need? How to work by yourself and also in teams? And do you want to know more about the scientific and theoretical foundations of the subject? If you want to do all these things, and also learn about the principles of coding, underpinning mathematics, mathematical models of computation, operating systems and networks, and professional skills, Leicester’s Computer Science programme is for you! Programming is fun! You no doubt have a phone, laptop, tablet and so on; your car may have a navigation system, park itself, and have surround-space scanners; and you may be able to control your heating from a mobile. All of these cool devices work using program code. At the heart of coding such systems are state-of-the-art technologies including Android, C++, Haskell, Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Prolog and R, and programme development environments such as Eclipse. At Leicester you will be taught to program in a selection of these languages, and have opportunities to learn others in project work. Programming will not only include mobile and web applications and technologies, but also new styles of programming such as functional and logic-based languages. The course covers the methods for developing software, following rigorous engineering practices. You will learn how to plan and manage software architectures for practical large-scale development projects, while adopting an academic and rigorous approach which will support you throughout your career. We cover: how to understand customer requirements; specify, design and code a solution; and test and release your solution to your customer. You will learn about mathematical models of computation such as automata and register machines, and formal language theory. Modules in computer architecture, operating systems and networking cover essential knowledge of modern computing systems (mobile computers to world-distributed computation). And, of course, we cover databases and information systems. In optional modules you can learn about a range of advanced topics including user interfaces, web technologies, mobile applications, security, distributed systems and applications, and concurrency theory. Project work is highly desired by employers. In your second year group project you will learn the demands of working in a professional environment as you endeavour to deliver software that is often commissioned by a real client. In your final year, you undertake an individual problem-based project, exercising your creativity and innovation to design and implement a software solution to the problem; you can also apply the scientific principles you learnt. Previous projects have included 3-D games, mobile phone/tablet apps, security software, internet telephony, programming robots, a sheet music editor, theorem provers, processor emulators, and more. Download a prospectus (PDF, 11MB) Entry requirements Entry requirements A/AS-levels: ABB. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level. General Studies accepted. EPQ with A-levels: BBB + EPQ at grade B. GCSE: Grade B/5 in Maths. Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant diploma with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction. International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30. Minimum of 4 in HL Maths, or 5 in SL Maths, or 6 in Maths Studies required if grade B/5 not held at GCSE. BTEC Nationals: Extended Diploma with D*D*D*. BTEC must be in IT, Science or Engineering. Other national and international qualifications considered. If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you can apply for: International Foundation Year – Engineering and Technology run by the Global Study Centre. This course is for international students whose academic and/or English results fall just below those required for direct entry to year one of the degree. Computer Science with Foundation Year BSc run by the School of Informatics. This course is for all students whose academic and/or English results fall just below those required for direct entry to year one of the degree. Second year entry may be possible with suitable qualifications. Selection Process When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results. Applicants are not normally interviewed, but an additional assessment test may be required. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the Department of Informatics. English Language Requirements IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard. International Qualifications Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements. Countries list Fees and funding Fees and funding UK and EU Students Starting in 2021 The University of Leicester has made the decision to keep fees for EU students at the same level as UK student fees for this year, despite this no longer being a UK Government requirement. £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,250 for that year Year in Industry: your fee will be 15% of the full-time tuition fee that applies in that year Find out more about scholarships and funding. International Students Starting in 2021 £21,515 per year Year Abroad: £5,378.75, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee Year in Industry: £3,227.25, which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee Scholarship Department of Informatics Scholarships are available to international students. The scholarship is a reduction in your tuition fee and is based solely on your academic achievements and any exam results you get before starting your degree. All international applicants will be automatically considered for these scholarships; there is no application form to fill in. However, you must have applied by 31 August in the year you plan to start at Leicester. Find out more about scholarships and funding. Accreditation Accreditation This degree is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS). Careers and employability Careers and employability Many of our modules feature external speakers who are able to give first-hand accounts of how the latest computing innovations are used in industry. You will work on a project commissioned by a real client and gain an insight into the practices of design, implementation and professional project management. You will be taught how to specify, design and develop software systems, gaining the technical skills and insights that employers value very highly. Graduate destinations Graduates from the Department of Informatics have gone on to many different careers, whether working for large companies, such as Accenture, BAE systems, Bloomberg and LogicaCMG, or for small, innovative start-ups. You may go on to apply your knowledge directly as a software engineer or systems analyst – or you may apply your IT skills and problem-solving abilities in a related field such as finance, marketing or general business. Career Development Service Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Career Development Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals. Related courses Related courses Computer Science with Foundation Year BSc, 4-5 years Computer Science MComp, 4-5 years Software Engineering BSc, 3-4 years Creative Computing BA/BSc, 3-4 years Browse all courses View list Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Goal 10: Reduced inequalities Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals Find out more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals Apply now Flexible learning Receive email updates Course structure Year 1 Year 1 The first year provides a solid grounding in the theories and technologies that underpin software engineering. We will cover Python and Java programming and program development environments (such as Eclipse) along with basic discrete mathematics for applications. You will also learn about the architecture of modern processors and the foundations and history of computer science. Modules Algorithms, Data Structures and Advanced Programming Computer Architecture Computing Fundamentals Foundations of Computation Introduction to Object Oriented Programming Mathematics Fundamentals Programming Fundamentals Requirements Engineering and Professional Practice After the first semester you may be able to transfer to the BSc in Software Engineering. This is the same as the first year of the MComp. Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Year 2 Year 2 During your second year you will become an expert in all aspects of the software engineering process and apply your skills in a software engineering group project. In addition, you will learn about operating systems, networks, user interfaces, human-computer interactions, and artificial intelligence or functional programming or data analytics. You will be part of a team project, working together to develop software, typically commissioned by a real client. You will learn to manage a team. Each team works within a teaching framework, broad enough to allow you to work flexibly and innovatively, but moderated to ensure that teams are performing and progressing. You will learn to prepare written reports, and give a group presentation (these are skills that employers rate very highly). Core modules Databases and Domain Modelling Operating Systems and Networks Software Architecture and System Development (double module) Software Engineering Project (double module) User Interfaces and HCI Option modules Choose one option module from: Data Analytics Functional Programming Foundations of Artificial Intelligence This is the same as Year 2 of the MComp. Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Year in Industry or Abroad (optional) Year in Industry or Abroad (optional) If you want to, you can spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement (eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2). Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years. NB. A year spent abroad or on an industrial placement still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See our Fees and Funding section for details. Year Abroad Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to work in the private sector, the state sector, a non-governmental organisation or become self-employed you will find the experience invaluable. Find out more from our Global Opportunities team. The School of Informatics at Leicester has links with several European universities, administered through the Erasmus+ scheme. If you are eligible for a loan from Student Finance you can apply for a travel grant from them. Languages courses, at both beginners and advanced level, are available through the University’s Languages at Leicester scheme. For the latest information on the future of the Erasmus+ scheme at UK universities please see our Brexit microsite. We have links with the following universities: Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Italy Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands The School of Informatics also has links with some universities outside Europe. We have links with the following universities: Waseda University, Japan The University of Hong Kong, China Seoul National University, South Korea George Mason University, Virginia, USA If you are receiving financial assistance from Student Finance your support will continue and you may also be eligible to apply for additional travel grants or scholarships. Year in Industry You take an industrial placement: this is normally a paid company position, more than offsetting the additional cost of the extra year. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of a working environment. You must apply for your placement yourself, but we will help you with the process. During your placement you will be visited by a member of staff; when you return to the University you may give a presentation of your work experience. You will be provided with a log book to document your placement and will write a final report detailing your work, which will be assessed as part of your degree. We provide excellent careers support, and our Industrial Advisory Board assists us in keeping our degrees fit for industrial needs. A year in industry is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the type of profession that you can choose after you graduate, and can also point you towards postgraduate studies that may help you strengthen the profile that you have identified for your career. Your placement effectively begins in year two when you will be briefed in writing a CV, interview techniques and the procedures that you need to follow to obtain a placement. In addition, a list of potential industrial partners who have taken students in past years will normally be provided. Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Final Year Final Year Your final year is an opportunity to specialise in the areas of computing that interest you. The third year project is a chance to follow your own interests in depth, with one-to-one supervision. Core modules Computer Science Project (double module) Computers, Society and Professionalism Option modules Choose two option modules from: Communication and Concurrency Internet and Cloud Computing C++ Programming Software Measurement and Quality Assurance Mobile and Web Applications Computational Intelligence and Software Engineering Then choose two option modules from: Analysis of Algorithms Compression Methods for Multimedia Foundations of Cybersecurity Big Data and Predictive Analytics Technology Management This is the same as Year 3/4 of the MComp. Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Why Leicester? Job prospects are excellent: 97% of our informatics students are employed (or studying for a Masters degree) six months after graduating. (DLHE) This degree is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS). In your second-year group project you will get the experience of working in a software development team and delivering a solution to a real client. You will have 24-hour access to general-purpose labs, containing fully-networked Windows/Linux dual-boot PCs, and wireless access for laptops. Computer Science at Leicester Hawwa particularly liked that her course was hands-on and practical rather than just theory-based. Teaching and learning Teaching includes lectures and lab classes together with tutorials and small group student support hours. Lectures include innovative software demonstrations and videos as well as more traditional slide presentations alongside worked examples. State-of-the-art web-based materials, automated feedback and marking systems, on-line tests and electronic coursework submission all provide an excellent modern learning environment. Apart from project work, which is assessed by coursework only, most modules are assessed partly by coursework and partly by exam. You will be assigned your own personal tutor who can provide advice about not just academic matters but also welfare concerns and careers development. You can see your personal tutor at any time by appointment or during office hours. Independent learning When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence. Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages. Academic support Our Student Learning Development Team provides help in the following areas: study and exam skills academic writing presentations dissertations numerical data skills referencing sources Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment. Teaching staff You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles. Apply now Course Qualification Duration UCAS Code Availability Course Computer Science Qualification BSc Duration 3 years full-time UCAS Code G400 Availability Apply Now Course Computer Science with Year Abroad Qualification BSc Duration 4 years full-time UCAS Code G401 Availability Apply Now Course Computer Science with Year in Industry Qualification BSc Duration 4 years full-time UCAS Code G402 Availability Apply Now Close Applying for Where are you studying? When would you like to start? How would you like to study? Continue Oops there was an error. You are now being forwarded to our online application system! If you are not forwarded in 5 seconds, please click here or copy the link below in to your browser. Apply via agent Apply directly Show More Data about this course Are you ready to apply? "Through my placement year at Nissan, I have been able to see how well Leicester prepares us for all aspects of work." 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