| Type of Study | Fee |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £6,000 |
Computer Science Foundation Year
Foundation Year
School - School of Computing, Science & Engineering
Subject area - Computer Science
UCAS Code: Computer Science with Foundation Year: G407; Computer Science with Cyber Security with Foundation Year: G4G5; Compter Science with Web Development with Foundation Year: G4W3; Computer Science with Data Analytics with Foundation Year: G4G6; Software Engineering with Foundation Year: G601.
Start Dates(s): September
Duration:
Year one of a four year degree
Fees:
UK - £6,000
In Brief:
- Learn computer and web-based programming
- Understand how computer technology works, as well as getting to play with some interesting gadgets
- Refresh your maths skills and increase your confidence so that you are ready progress onto several computer science related courses
Course Summary
This foundation year provides the basis for further study on a range of our accredited computing courses. You will cover the basics of programming, as well as looking at the detailed operation of computer systems. Furthermore, you will cover essential mathematics and gain the correct skill set for success on several of our undergraduate computer science courses.
Overall, the aim of any computer science course is to put you in charge of the computer – so it does what you want it to do rather than being limited by what off-the-shelf packages will let you do. This foundation year will ensure that you are looking at computers in a sufficiently detailed way, and that you can thrive once you move onto an honours degree course.
A particular benefit of this foundation year is that it is specifically designed for computer related degree programmes, so everything you do during this year will be relevant to what you will do later in your studies. When you meet these topics later on an honours degree course, you will already have studied them in a university context and so you’ll be able to focus on increasing depth and breadth of understanding. We believe that the extra year invested in studying the foundation year has the potential to pay off in the long term by giving you a better degree based on stronger foundations.
Course Details
This course will help you to see the inner workings of computer systems, so you see a complex computer system in terms of how it is put together and how it works, rather than having a “user” perspective that is limited to “what it does”. You’ll cover programming, both for standalone applications and web sites. You’ll learn to research and present detailed descriptions of how things work, and you will have the opportunity to use some gadgets (such as beacons and robot arms) that will let you explicitly construct interesting operations out of simple building blocks. Additionally, you will learn how to apply mathematical methods accurately and reliably.
On successful completion of the foundation year, you will have the automatic right to proceed onto the first year of the following undergraduate courses:
BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Cyber Security
BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Web Development
BSc (Hons) Software Engineering
These four courses all share a common first year, so you don’t have to make a final choice until you’ve had a thorough look at the principles of the subject and understand what each involves, considering your own interest and strengths.
Additionally, if you do well in the mathematics module (scoring 70 or above) you can also opt to proceed onto the BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Data Analytics degree course. This course shares some modules with BSc (Hons) Computer Science and some with BSc (Hons) Mathematics.
Modules may include:
This module will cover object-oriented programming in C# and Javascript using Visual Studio, covering desktop applications and web-based programming.
This module will look at low-level details of some key computer components. It will teach you how to decompose some real-world systems into smaller subsystems, and how to make complex operations out of simple operations.
This module will cover some core mathematics in order to get you up to something between GCSE and A2 level. The maths included is targeted at what will be useful later in the course, such as algebra, trigonometry, calculus, coordinate geometry, probability and statistics.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.