BSc (Hons) Computer Science

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Computer Science at USW is rated second in the UK for student satisfaction _{National Student Survey 2022}

Computer science is a wide field, from its theoretical and algorithmic foundations to cutting-edge development in robotics and intelligent systems.

This BCS-accredited and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) certified Computer Science degree has been designed in line with professional standards and is your first step towards a career in secure software development. Launched in October 2016, the NCSC has brought together expertise from CESG (the information assurance arm of GCHQ), the Centre for Cyber Assessment, CERT-UK, and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure. This degree is one of only a very few to be successfully certified by this prestigious organisation. You’ll work on real problems in readiness for employment, developing key skills that will help you keep pace with this rapidly changing field.

If your desire is to become a programmer, then a computer science course is perfect for you. You’ll learn about abstraction,complexity, evolutionary change, sharing of common resources, security and concurrency.

From system functionality to usability and performance, you’ll also be better placed to solve real-life problems with an understanding of how they affect people’s lives.

As a computer scientist, you’ll learn by doing, making use of high-performance computers, and working individually and in teams to produce solutions to tight deadlines, giving you first-hand experience of agile software development.

Accredited by

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2022
2023

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2022	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
G40C	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
I101	Sandwich	4 Years	September	Treforest	A

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2023	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
G40C	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
I101	Sandwich	4 Years	September	Treforest	A

What you will study

Year One: Computer Science Degree

C++ Programming
Computer Systems Concepts
Professionalism and Employability
Information Management, Assurance and Security
Mathematical Tools for Computation

Year Two: Computer Science Degree

Data Structures and Algorithms with Object Oriented Programming
Secure Software Development
Operating Systems Concepts
Event Driven and Graphical User Interface Programming
Professional Practice and Employability, Team Based Software Development Workshop
Supervised Work Experience (Computing) (optional)
Study Overseas (Computing) (optional)
Computational Mathematics or Database Development

Year Three: Computer Science Degree

Individual Project
Computer Networks
Robotics and Autonomous Systems (optional) or Mobile Systems and Applications (optional)
Parallel and Concurrent Programming
Intelligent Systems

Teaching

The BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree is delivered via approximately 16 hours of teaching in lectures, tutorials and practical sessions every week. You also need to spend four hours per week, per module on your coursework, general reading and other preparation.

Assessment

Types of assessment include examinations, coursework and exercises based on real-life problems.

Course details

Accreditations

The BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP) and partially meeting the requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng). Students who subsequently opt to extend their studies and complete the MComp would be accredited as meeting the requirements for Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP), CITP Further Learning and fully meeting the requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Placements

As part of your computer science degree, we strongly recommend you spend up to a year working in industry in the UK or abroad. As well as an opportunity to use your knowledge in the real world, work experience will boost your CV and can even lead directly to employment.

You could spend up to a year working in industry as part of your course, either in the UK or abroad. You can also take part in live projects and taster weeks, or choose a shorter three-month placement. Recent placements include E-Finity, IBM, Fujitsu, GCHQ, and the Welsh Government.

Facilities

Our facilities are at the cutting edge of computer development, meaning you’ll use the latest technologies in high-spec labs. You’ll also find dedicated spaces on campus for computing students, including Windows, Apple Mac, Linux and Networking suites, all with the latest software.

Lecturers

Information about your main teaching team and their research interests can be found on the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Paradigms (CSAIP) website.

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Entry requirements

This entry criteria details typical offers, however, USW has a Contextual Admissions Policy and considers eligible applicants on an individual basis.  Under the Policy we could make a personalised offer based on aspects of the UCAS application or have results considered individually when you receive them.  Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy Statement.

Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed may also be acceptable.

Typical A-Level Offer

BBC

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BB at A Level.

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit.

Typical IB Offer

Pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 29 overall including 5 or above in English at standard level

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

International Entry Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

English Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.

Fees and funding

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course

August 2022 - July 2023 Fees

Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14000

August 2023 - July 2024 Fees

Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: TBC

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Application tips

How to write a University personal statement

UK students

Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.

International and EU students

Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.

Admissions statement

Careers

Computers are fundamental to many different industries, so graduates with a Computer Science degree you can apply your skills to many fields. Computer programmers and engineers mainly work for large computer companies. Microsoft, IBM, Intel and Hewlett-Packard all rely on an army of computer scientists to produce and maintain their technology. Even within these companies, graduates with a Computer Science degree can work in a broad variety of areas and in a number of jobs. Product development entails designing, building and testing the latest products, so skills in software programming and design are vital.

Many of our graduates progress on to a computing PhD or research degree.

Our Careers and Employability Service

As a USW Computer Science student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.

This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.