Five reasons to study computer science at Surrey
What makes our computer science degrees different and what’s the secret behind our graduates’ success? Here we reveal five reasons why you should choose the University of Surrey for your computer science degree.
Students working in one of Surrey's well-equipped computer labs.
1. Fantastic work placement opportunities
Over half of our computer science students take advantage of our renowned Professional Training placement programme which enables them to get a year’s valuable work experience with a company like:
- BAE Systems
- Cisco Systems Ltd
- IBM
- Microsoft
- Nintendo
- Pfizer
- Sky TV
- Sony Europe Ltd.
Read more about our students’ placement experiences.
2. Teaching informed by research
Surrey is at the forefront of research in areas such as:
- Cyber security – we’re home to the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security, an Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Education and Research, recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ)
- Distributed systems
- Machine learning and AI
- Computational neuroscience.
Our research directly informs our teaching, and you’ll learn about it at first hand from the internationally-recognised academics who are leading the way in these fields. We were also named Cyber University of the Year at the National Cyber Awards 2023.
3. Get involved outside your course
We encourage you to go the extra mile and explore areas you find particularly fascinating. Many of our computer science students decide to do a summer internship at the University, which enables them to get involved in a research project, sometimes funded by industry or government.
There are also opportunities to take part in industry-sponsored hackathons and get involved in entrepreneurial activities. Read about how a group of our computer science undergraduates developed SafeKnight, an innovative app designed to improve student safety.
4. Great job opportunities
On our computer science degrees students gain a combination of technical and professional skills that means they’re in high demand across numerous sectors including technology, business, finance, transport, health and the games industry. Recent graduates are now in roles such as:
- Cyber Security Engineer at Visa and Ericsson
- Software Engineer at Amazon, Barclays, CGI, Expedia, IBM, Microsoft and Siemens
- Data Analyst at Bloomberg and Sony
- IT/Solutions Architect at Accenture, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Roke.
Some of our students become successful entrepreneurs - sometimes setting up their own start-up companies straight after graduation. Companies co-founded by our computer science graduates include:
- Cinebur
- Combine AI
- Fivium.
Others develop a strong interest in research and go on to a PhD at Surrey or another university in the UK or abroad, helping to shape the future of computer science and related disciplines.
94% of our computer science graduates are in employment or further study, with an average starting salary of £39K (Graduate Outcomes 2024, HESA).
5. Be part of the community
The Computer Science society run academic and social events every month for coders and non-coders alike, as well as bigger events throughout the year. You can learn to code or participate in beginner, intermediate or advanced game jams (game building competitions), hackathons and more.
Discover our courses in computer science.
