BSc Computing Science

3 years full-time / 4 years full-time with integrated placement year

UCAS Code: G400

Typical offer level
A Level: BBB-ABB
BTEC National Diploma: DDD in relevant National Diploma
IB: 32 points

Specific subject requirements
A Level: Maths or Computing preferred but not essential
General Studies accepted
GCSE: Maths Grade B and English Grade C
A suitable combination of two A Level and two AS Level subjects may be accepted

Tuition fees: £9,000 (£1,000 during placement year) for UK/EU students. (2013).  More on fees

Applicants receiving offers are invited to an open day.

See also: BSc Computing for Business, which is endorsed as an ITMB programme

Information on visas for international students

The wider the work place applications of computers, the greater the challenge for IT professionals. The BSc in Computer Science aims to produce Graduate Software Engineers who specialise in object-oriented software design and implementation.

The practical orientation of our programmes will enable you to gain the range of professional and technical skills you will need to design and deliver the next generation of high-quality software systems.

Subject Guide & Modules:

You will develop expertise in software development and the key applications of computing science in each year of the programme. Particular emphasis is placed on applications in industry and commerce.

Your final-year project and options will enable you to follow specialisms of particular interest or career relevance. Your project could be based on a topic from an extensive list or you can suggest your own, perhaps based on your professional placement.

Aston University's Computing Science degrees are accredited for Chartered IT Professional (CITP), the British Computer Society's Chartered qualification.  This gives students the right to join the BCS, the principal organisation for IT professionals in the UK, when they graduate.  Accreditation shows that the BCS consider the courses are up to date, are based on benchmarks, and assessed appropriately.

Year 1

• CS1050 - Information Systems and Databases
• CS1150 - Communication and Information Skills for Computing Professionals
• CS1170 - Introduction to Computer Systems
• CS1310 - Java Programming Foundations (CS)
• CS1320 - Problem Solving
• CS1240 - Internet Computing
• CS1260 - Mathematics for Computing Professionals
• CS1410 - Java Program Development
• CS1420 - Computer Systems Organisation

Year 2

• CS2010 - Group Project (CS)
• CS2020 - Software Engineering
• CS2150 - Computer Graphics
• CS2160 - Professional and Social Aspects of Computing
• CS2310 - Data Structures and Algorithms with Java
• CS2130 - Programming Language Concepts
• CS2230 - Operating Systems
• CS2260 - Human-Computer Interaction
• CS2320 - Introduction to Computational Intelligence
• CS2410 - Internet Applications and Techniques

Year 3 - Optional placement year

• Professional Placement

See placement year section below or find out more about the Aston placement year.

Final Year

• CS3010 - Individual Project
• CS3360 - Software Project Management
• CS3270 - Testing and Reliable Software Engineering

Optional modules:

• CS3040 - Mobile Design and Development
  
• CS3160 - Enterprise Application Technology
  
• CS3190 - Information Security
  
• CS3250 - Distributed Systems
  
• CS3330 - Image and Video Processing
  
• CS3410 - Interaction Design
  
• CS3460 - Enterprise Computing Strategies
  
• CS2420 - Computer Animation
  
• CS3180 - Natural Language Processing and Applications
• CS3210 - Geographic Information Systems
• CS3320 - Multimedia Information Retrieval
• CS3340 - Multi Agent Systems
• CS3440 - Data Mining
• CS3450 - Game Development

Choose our 4-year sandwich programme and you will spend your third year in a paid professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

 Our staff will help you find a suitable placement and support you during your year.

 Students typically find work with major organisations such as IBM, 3M, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Intel, BT, Corus, TNT.

 Find out more about placement years at Aston.

You will benefit from our range of teaching methods and learning styles including: lectures, seminars and small group discussions, lab exercises and practical classes, computer-aided learning, individual and group projects.

Assessment is by a combination of written exams, projects and coursework. The proportion of each varies according to the modules chosen but examinations typically comprise around 75% and continuous assessment around 25%.

For further information, see the programme specification (PDF).

Career prospects continue to be strong for our computing scientists with their sound understanding of the principles and practical applications of computing. The majority of our graduates find stimulating and rewarding positions in computing related activities with suppliers and users or within a wide range of careers for which a university degree is a prerequisite e.g. programmer, systems analyst, systems engineer or teacher.

The destination statistics for graduation year 2006 (the most recent study) state that 79% of Aston Computing Science graduates entered graduate-level employment within six months of graduation. The UK average for the subject area last year was around 65%.
www.aston.ac.uk/careers

Recent graduate roles include:

Cap Gemini - Graduate Programmer
Microsoft - Software Developer
Toyota - Graduate Trainee
Unisys - Consultant
KPMG - New Media Programmer
Nortel Networks - Software Developer
Secondary Teaching
Coca-Cola - Network Analyst
IBM UK - Software Engineer
Ford - Systems Analyst
Hewlett Packard - Graduate IT Trainee
Logica CMG - IT Consultant
Intergra-Net UK - Software Engineer
Oxford University - Programmer
EDS - Graduate Trainee
Point 4 Consulting Ltd - Internet Applications Developer
HSBC - Systems Analysts
Goldman Sachs & Co - Programmer
Oxford University - PhD in Computer Science

Course Director: Dr Anthony Beaumont
My research interests are Computer communications, Networks, andParallel and distributed systems. I am currently involved in research projects on Research on languages on the Internet (in response to one of UNESCO's objectives regarding Multilingualism for Cultural Diversity and Participation of All in Cyberspace) and Electronic Coursework Assessment and Feedback (e-CAF).

EAS Undergraduate Admissions Office
+44 (0)121 204 3400
engineering@aston.ac.uk