Computer Science BSc (Hons)

You study a variety of algorithmic techniques and learn about the use and importance of data structures. Consider their properties to understand which representations are appropriate under different circumstances. You are introduced to the basic mathematical skills required in algorithmic design and its interaction with data structure.

Computer networks and cyber security are essential aspects of every business, and key knowledge areas for computing professionals. You are introduced to computing technologies and associated operating systems, along with underpinning concepts. Study network design principles, techniques and technologies to gain an insight into common business configurations.

You also explore cybercrime and cyber security issues, assessing and managing security risks and considering key legal, ethical and professional issues.

You are introduced to the fundamental concepts of software development using a modern programming language. Consider key aspects of the process such as designing solutions, writing application code, developing documentation and formal approaches to testing. Gain the essential skills needed for software application, including best practices used by industry and the wider programming community.

Producing a successful, robust, user-friendly system or application begins with analysing stakeholder requirements and a detailed design. Learn about the concepts and techniques of systems analysis and design. In industry, you use visual models to communicate designs to developers and stakeholders before implementation. Using data modelling techniques, you can define how the system will store and interact with data.

We place a strong emphasis on professional practice and transferrable practical skills, such as communicating design, structuring workflows with process models and gathering requirements. This provides you with the essential skills you need in industry.

You develop a product or service as part of an enterprise project for a real client – they set the brief based on their organisation’s strategic needs. Working in small teams, you determine the project aims, objectives, roles, tasks, deliverables, schedules and documentation. You then pitch your project to the client.

Develop your ability to design and implement server databases to support business functions. You work with both relational and non-relational (NoSQL) database development technologies from industry sources and datasets.

Investigate the technologies used to implement and support databases and the services needed to maintain and access them. The focus on relational databases is specifically with using transactional structured query language (TSQL) and how it supports the development of server databases. The focus on the NoSQL Databases is an investigation into data analytics and visualisation using big data.

Familiarise yourself with principles, methodologies and tools of user centric experience design. Subjects include principles of UX, formalisation of UX, user scenarios, prototyping, and user testing and evaluation.

Develop your knowledge and skills through design and testing exercises, and paper and digital prototyping. Examine the concepts of UX design for different platforms and explore prototyping tools, developing solutions to different user needs and expectations.

Design and construct web applications and services, understanding their role in building enterprise-style software systems. Web applications serve dynamic content or fully asynchronous single-page applications, bringing the web alive in comparison to traditional static sites. Web services use industry-standardised interfaces to make their capabilities reusable by third parties, especially apps running on mobile devices. Together, these technologies are the cornerstone of the modern web.

Explore the technologies of how the web works, using professional tools to construct web apps and services. Study the principles, patterns, libraries, frameworks and techniques used to engineer good-quality software components, ready to participate in enterprise-style software system architectures. Build on your previous programming experience, knowledge and understanding of data modelling and persistence.

Internet of things (IoT) devices are growing rapidly and almost everything is connected to a cloud. Learn the concepts of IoT and cloud computing, with an overview of core technologies and platforms.

Develop a critical understanding of the underlying principles of architectures and design of cloud-based IoT systems, so you can implement them and use cloud services to store and analyse data.

Design, research and complete your own project to develop the current practice, products or service of a client or your own organisation.

Carry out research to validate your hypotheses, test solutions, build prototypes, and make conclusions. Your area of research and practice is defined by the client or organisation. You must ensure that what you’re doing adds value and delivers against the brief. You work independently with support from a supervisor.

Cognitive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are increasingly being used to solve business problems. AI could transform businesses and industries, so they can develop new ways to interact with customers, offer smarter products and experiences, automate processes and boost business success. As a subfield of AI, machine learning enables us to make predictions on unseen data, business forecasts, or decisions by analysing existing data rather than explicitly programming the calculations.