Computing Degrees 2013
Do you want to be involved in working on exciting web development, phone applications or large-scale systems, or in identifying innovative business solutions? For anyone who wants to be at the cutting edge of technological science, a computing degree is a natural first step. Computers are integral to numerous spheres, from business and government to the media, medicine and research. With sophisticated computing skills, you can be at the forefront of innovation and opportunity.
Degree programmes
Entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements
- A level grades AAB
We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers.
Conditional offers from Surrey will be made in grades or marks, and not listed in points from the UCAS tariff.
Required subjects
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
Computer Science: A-level Mathematics, Computing or Physics required.
Computing and Information Technology: Scientific or technical subject at A-level preferred.
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Other suitable qualifications
Cambridge Pre-U
M1, M1, M1
European Baccalaureate
75%
International Baccalaureate
35 points
BTEC (QCF Level 3) Extended Diploma
DDD (in an appropriate science subject)
Other qualifications, such as Greek and Cypriot Apolyterion, will be considered on an individual basis.
In addition, we accept a wide range of qualifications, including other Level 3 QCF Level 3 qualifications, Scottish qualifications, the Irish Leaving Certificate, Access Diplomas and foundation courses. Other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis.
It is important to check whether the qualifications you are taking are suitable for your chosen degree. If you are uncertain whether your qualification meets our entry requirements, please contact us.
If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements to this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year.
Selection process
Offers are made in terms of grades. We invite suitable candidates to visit the University to find out more about the programme and meet staff and current students.
Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Tuition fees are currently set at £9,000 per year for UK/EU undergraduates starting in 2012.
The tuition charge will be accompanied by a generous financial support package, underlining our continued commitment to widening access for those students who come from low income households.
Overseas students
The fee for students classed as overseas for fees purposes is £15,160.
The University will assess your fee status. If you are unsure whether you are likely to be considered a home, EU or overseas student for fees purposes, the UKCISA website offers more information.
Professional Training Year Fees
Programmes marked with an asterisk (*) in the table above include a professional training year.
Currently fees of £1,050 (based on an inflation assumption of 2.5%) are charged for the Professional Training Year. Fees will not have to be paid up front for those students who decide to take up the Government’s loan for higher education fees. The Professional Training year is a key factor in the high employability rates achieved by students with Surrey degrees.
Our degrees
Our programmes offer you technical hands-on skills all the way through the degree, with a strong foundation in all aspects of computer science, and combine this with an optional year in industry to make you stand out as a graduate. Our strong industrial links provide you with the right balance of technical and professional content for a career or further study. We ensure that our degrees address current commercial needs and hot topics.
Computers are essential in almost every walk of life, from aviation to medical diagnosis. In the era of the internet and increasing globalisation, the applications of computing continue to expand. To cater for this expansion, we offer two programmes, each with a different focus, delivered around a core syllabus of key computing skills.
We offer a Computer Science degree programme which balances technical expertise and professionalism. In addition, we provide a Computing and Information Technology programme which combines technical expertise with business and management. A key focus of both programmes is to develop your applied knowledge and experience. This ensures that you gain skills applicable to leading-edge developments in the real world.
The optional Professional Training year allows you to develop your technical and people skills and to gain experience that will greatly improve your employability. Indeed, a number of our students are offered full-time employment at their placement company after graduation.
The best computing specialists understand the capabilities of the most powerful computers and how to harness them effectively to meet an enormously varied range of real-world situations. Our graduates, with their unique combination of computing, business and technical knowledge, are equipped to enjoy significant rewards in the world’s most exciting industry. Our Department has an excellent network of contacts within industry to ensure a smooth transition from the university environment into the real world.
Programme content
Programme overview
Both of our programmes are available as four-year BSc degrees including a Professional Training year, or as three-year BSc degrees without a professional placement.
Our programmes provide multidisciplinary content that allows you to cover both the core elements of computing and the fundamental themes appropriate to the individual programme pathways. In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop a range of personal and professional skills that will provide you with an edge upon entering the job market.
During year 1 and year 2 you will study core content that focuses on skills and knowledge for research and development and large-scale systems integration.
Year 1 offers a broad base with much of the content common across the two programmes. By the end of year 1, our aim is that you will have developed good practical skills and be proficient in the programming language Java, using industry-standard tools for example Eclipse. You will have a broad base from which to build during subsequent years. We will also develop your understanding of the foundations of computing and the design and analysis of computational systems. Developing professional awareness is incorporated from the beginning of your studies with the inclusion of lecturers from industry. You will also be introduced to topics specific to your specialist pathway. During year 1 you will also participate in CV workshops and receive support in order to prepare for internships and placements.
Year 2 develops and deepens your understanding of the core areas and focuses in more detail on developing your specialist skills and knowledge, for example, in intelligent systems and web technologies. Many year 2 modules will equip you with strong teamworking, communication and presentation skills. Employers see these personal development skills as giving you an added value in addition to your technical competence, and they will help give you a head start in the job market. These skills will be particularly useful should you choose to undertake a Professional Training year.
During year 3, you will undertake an individual project that contributes approximately one third of the marks for the year, together with a range of optional modules. The project gives you the freedom, and is your opportunity, to explore a topic of your choice in greater depth. It may build on an interest that was awakened during your Professional Training year or during another part of your degree programme. It is also your chance to get involved in some of the leading-edge research we do in the Department.
Modules in year 3 reflect recent advances in computer science and are influenced by the Department’s research interests. These are particularly intellectually stimulating for our students. Modules are continually kept up to date to meet the emerging industrial challenges. During year 3 students also have the opportunity to get involved in career preparation workshops.
Programme structure
Computer Science (CS)
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
- Computer Logic (CS-specific)
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Foundations of Computing
- Mobile Computing (CS-specific)
- Professional Studies
- Programming Fundamentals
- Software Engineering
- Web Publishing and Databases
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
- 3D Computer Graphics(CS-specific)
- Advanced Algorithms (CS-specific)
- Advanced Object-oriented Programming
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Networking
- Information Retrieval
- Software Engineering Project
- Web Application Development
Professional Training year
- Optional Professional Training Year
Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)
Compulsory module:
- Professional Project (counts for approximately one third of the marks for the year)
Optional modules (choose five of the following):
- Advanced Challenges in Web Technologies
- Business Strategy
- Computational Intelligence
- Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CS-specific)
- Computer Security
- Data and Internet Networking
- Enterprise System Development
- Information Asset Management
- Managing Information Systems
- Object-oriented Design and C++
- Parallel Architectures
- Project Management
- Technical Entrepreneurship
Computing and Information Technology (CIT)
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Financial Accounting (CIT-specific)
- Foundations of Computing
- Organisational Behaviour and Analysis (CIT-specific)
- Professional Studies
- Programming Fundamentals
- Software Engineering
- Web Publishing and Databases
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
- Advanced Object-Oriented Programming
- Artificial Intelligence
- Business Finance (CIT-specific)
- Business Law (CIT-specific)
- Computer Networking
- Information Retrieval
- Software Engineering Project
- Web Application Development
Professional Training year
- Optional Professional Training Year
Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)
Compulsory module:
- Professional Project (counts for approximately one third of the marks for the year)
Optional modules (choose five of the following):
- Advanced Challenges in Web Technologies
- Business Strategy
- Computational Intelligence
- Computer Security
- Data and Internet Networking
- Enterprise System Development
- Financial Management (CIT-specific)
- Information Asset Management
- Managing Information Systems
- Object-Oriented Design and C++
- Parallel Architectures
- Project Management
- Technical Entrepreneurship
Professional training
A Professional Training year with an employer is available as an integral part of our programmes and is organised and supported by the Department. We have placements at a wide range of companies, with roles covering a broad spectrum of computer-related activities. Companies that have participated in the scheme include IBM, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, Accenture, Nokia, BAE Systems Detica and Research In Motion.
At the end of the Professional Training placement, many students receive offers of employment from their placement employers for when they graduate.
The experience and skills gained on placement really do equip our students for success, and their enhanced job prospects can be seen in our outstanding employment record. Many students continue their collaboration with their placement employers by basing their final year project on work related to their placement. This results in a project with a strong industrial focus that can demonstrate their ability to apply their academic knowledge to real-world problems.
The Professional Training year counts towards the experience required for professional membership of the British Computer Society (BCS).
Career opportunities
Graduate prospects
Our combination of technology, industrial relevance and Professional Training means that our graduates are among the most employable of any university. Employers include:
- Accenture – Software Engineer
- Altius Consulting – Junior Consultant
- Credit Suisse – Technical Analyst
- Deloitte UK – IT Security Consultant
- GlaxoSmithKline – Global IT Strategy Analyst
- Microsoft – Consultant
- IBM – Foundation Business Consultant
- Oracle – Graduate Programmer
- Portcullis Computer Security – Penetration Tester
- Thomson Reuters – Project Manager
Career opportunities
Computing skills are the foundation of numerous professional careers in many dynamic sectors such as technology, business, finance, health and the games industry. Our programmes are designed to prepare you to work at the cutting edge of computing and its applications, and our graduates can take many routes into rewarding careers.
Employers are increasingly seeking people with a broad range of skills that encompass management and leadership, as well as technical ability. Our programmes produce graduates with this well-rounded skill set of strong academic knowledge and Professional Training.
Our students are highly regarded in many areas of business and industry. Information technology, the focus of one of our degrees, combines business and computation skills that are particularly in demand across the world. Computer Science and Computing and Information Technology graduates will be highly sought after for a wide range of roles, including within the software, consumer electronics, telecommunications and security industries.
Former Surrey students are now involved in all areas, from software development and building simulation systems to devising IT strategies and managing organisations. Recent employers include Eli Lilly, IBM, Microsoft, McLaren Cars, Accenture, BAE Systems Detica, The Foundry and Thomson Reuters.
Additional information
Teaching
Teaching styles vary from large group lectures to small group tutorials, computing laboratories and drop-in sessions for programming. You will benefit from an integrated range of learning methods which includes tutorials, case studies, projects, coursework, and practical and discussion classes, including the use of interactive voting handsets. Our modules incorporate lectures from industry, such as Accenture’s participation in year 1 Professional Studies, and involvement from EDF Energy and Allianz in Managing Information Systems in year 3, so that it is clear that what is being taught is also being used in industry and why it is relevant to industry and research.
In the early stages of the programmes, the methods of teaching and assessment aim to ensure the acquisition of techniques and relevant knowledge. This includes practice in finding information and deciding whether it is relevant or not. The methods adopted in year 3 are influenced by the need to broaden and deepen the knowledge you have gained in the earlier years and to develop the higher order skills that you will need as a professional.
Year co-ordinators are available to help with any problems or questions concerning your degree programme, or personal matters, throughout your period of study at the University. They provide support to discuss your exam results, your options and any other academic advice you require.
Assessment
You will be formally assessed through examinations and by coursework (which is about 40 per cent of the total mark). Examinations take place at the end of each semester on the modules studied during that semester. The assessments we use are tailored to what is being taught. For example, we strongly believe that practical examinations are more appropriate for Java programming. To ensure that students are fully prepared for their assessments, we provide plenty of practice with diagnostic tests throughout year 1. This helps students to check that they are on the right lines and that they understanding the material. This support is essential to develop our students’ ability to learn.
Marks from year 2 onwards count towards your final degree grade, forming the basis of your award. If you undertake a Professional Training placement, you will also be assessed on your performance during the professional stage of your degree. Your final-year project accounts for about one third of the marks for year 3.
Why Surrey?
Computing degrees 2013 at Surrey
- Ranked in the top twenty in the country by The Guardian University Guide 2013
- Excellent graduate prospects
- Comprehensive support for the Professional Training year, from finding placements to successfully completing them
- Industry-standard programming from year 1: Eclipse, Java and the object-oriented approach, moving to C++ in year 2
- Relevant and sought-after technical and people skills
- Strong industrial involvement in teaching and career support
- Excellent balance of hands-on technical skills and theory
- Prize-winning students – last year one of our students won a prestigious Google Anita Borg scholarship
- Teaching led by research-active staff
- Consistently high level of satisfaction in the National Student Survey
- 80% of our research was rated International Quality in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise
My time at Surrey has provided a wealth of opportunities all over the world and I’d recommend the course to anyone!
Angela Jones
BSc Computing and Information Technology
I studied Computing and Information Technology for four years, which included a placement year at Eli Lilly. During my placement I worked on key projects including rolling out Microsoft Project and Resource Planning to the project managers within the UK office, and a project management role for building an insulin plant in Italy. My Professional Training year gave me some excellent skill sets in project management and training, and developed my ability to present to senior management. At the end of my placement I won the Student of the Year award at Eli Lilly.
Following my degree, I entered the Technical Graduate scheme at Reuters where I undertook two roles, the first in project co-ordination based in London and the second in infrastructure service management based in New York. I continued in the infrastructure service management role in both London and Singapore before moving to Bangalore, India, to become a support manager for the 2nd Level Global Support Desk which manages the real time data networks in (what is now called) Thomson Reuters.
I am currently leading a team of 25 people located in both Bangalore and Singapore, which looks after production and disaster recovery systems globally. Many of the modules I studied while at Surrey directly relate to the work I do now and the experience I gained in my placement year stood me in good stead for gaining my position at Thomson Reuters. My time at Surrey has provided a wealth of opportunities all over the world and I’d recommend the course to anyone!
After graduating I successfully obtained a job at The Foundry, a leading developer of software for the film and TV visual effects (VFX) industry.
Martin Webb
BSc Computer Science
I chose the straight Computer Science course as I was keen to experience the widest range of technical subjects. I also opted to do a Professional Training year and don’t regret it. The skills you learn on a placement really do complement your studies.
After graduating I successfully obtained a job at The Foundry, a leading developer of software for the film and TV visual effects (VFX) industry. Their products include both stand-alone applications and plug-ins for other well-known VFX software packages including Avid’s DS, Autodesk’s Combustion and Eyeon’s Fusion.
I am working in a small team focused on the automated testing of The Foundry’s software, supporting the internal QA teams. In an internal development role, my time is not focused on the creation of one product and I usually have a variety of both short and longer term projects to work on at the same time. My day-to-day role involves a lot more than writing code (although this is a large part of it!) and I’ve also had the opportunity to help with internal training.
Throughout my degree I found that the modules dealing with graphics, image processing and vision (including Artificial Intelligence in my second year and Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in my final year) to be the most enjoyable, so the opportunity to work in a company whose activities are built on techniques learned during these parts of the course was very exciting – it’s great to see impressive real-life applications of some of the techniques you may be introduced to on the course.
Professional recognition
Our degrees are accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS) subject to revalidation. The BCS Professional Development Scheme is also an integral part of our Professional Training year. It counts towards the experience required for professional membership of the BCS.
Computing students on placement at Consult Hyperion
An example of University of Surrey students on their placement year.
