Computer Science and Cyber Security BSc (Hons) — 2027 entry

To introduce the fundamental principles of digital logic, circuits and systems starting with symbolic logic through to the concept of logic gates to the structure and operation of digital logic circuits and systems. This module provides an understanding of the underlying computer architecture and internal operation of computer systems.  

This module aims to introduce students to some of the key concepts of set theory, relations, functions, automata, logic, graphs, trees, proof methods, probability and statistics in order to highlight the importance and power of abstraction within computer science. These concepts are useful throughout the programme.

This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts of data storage with a focus on relational database systems. Students will learn database design and development to solve real-world problems. The module uses a problem-based approach to provide students with the necessary support to develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.

The course builds upon COM1026, Foundations of Computing, and introduces the key concepts of linear algebra and multivariate calculus.

Appropriate choices of data structures can expedite algorithm efficiency and also aid clear thinking when designing algorithms. It is thus natural for data structures to be studied with algorithms. An algorithm is a sequence of steps for performing some process.  A computer program is not an algorithm but a representation of an algorithm. There is a need to be able to create effective algorithms, quantify their efficiency and classify them independently of any computing system or language.

The module covers the main concepts of modern operating systems (OS), including process, memory, file, and input/output management, as well as fundamental security principles that ensure the protection and reliability of system resources.The first part of the course provides a short history of operating systems and their purposes. It also introduces the student to multiprocessing and multithreading, i.e. how an OS manages multiple tasks that execute at the same time (concurrently) and share resources.The second part of the course addresses the problem of memory management.The final part of the course introduces file systems, input/output handling, and core OS security principles, including the models and design approaches used to safeguard data and processes in modern systems.Throughout the module, case studies of various operating systems are presented with high-level concepts that students explore as exercises or deploy during labs. All taught material is compatible with existing operating systems and is suitable to run on a platform such as Linux.

This module will introduce software engineering principles with a technical focus on Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Students will explore software development through the lens of the systems development lifecycle. In doing so, experience will be gained in requirements engineering, software design, implementation, testing and how to tackle real-world collaboration. Throughout, software engineering methods will be put into practice, and Java programming skills will be taught. Starting with understanding the basic data types and programming structures, students will progress to more advanced datatypes, programming structuring techniques and key principles of object-oriented programming. The module culminates with a capstone project utilising the software engineering and programming skills taught in the first year. 

This module supports students develop essentials skills and thinking approaches needed to succeed at university and in the computer science discipline. Students will actively engage in problem-solving tasks, collaborative activities, and real-world challenges. Students will explore career pathways, work with industry-led case studies, and develop communication skills through a poster and presentation project.

Computers have become commonplace in many areas of our lives and are able to accomplish many things that humans would find difficult, if not impossible, to do by their own unaided efforts. Whilst computers can perform many calculations in a very short time they generally do not possess the ability to learn or to reason about novel situations or to process incomplete or uncertain data. They will need knowledge of the environment in which they operate so that they can understand what their sensors are monitoring and so that they can behave rationally. This module demonstrates the basic principles and methods of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and provides the basis for understanding and later choosing the correct tools for building such systems. Applications that motivate the development of Artificial Intelligence technology include intelligent robots, automated navigation for autonomous vehicles, object recognition and tracking, medical diagnosis, language communications and many others. Any application that requires human-like intelligence is an application for Artificial Intelligence.  

The digital world critically relies on cyber security to prevent harm and misuse. This module provides a foundational introduction to computer security, focusing on how to protect information, systems and networks from attackers. Students explore foundational cryptography and security protocols, covering core principles such as confidentiality, integrity and availability across various domains. Students will also study business orientated security practice through threat modelling concepts to reason systematically about security risks in simple systems.

This module will introduce fundamental concepts of Theory of Programming Languages using two programming paradigms: Object-Oriented Paradigm and the Functional Paradigm. The module will provide a foundation for the theoretical and practical aspects of building programs using these paradigms. Object Orientated Paradigm is first introduced as a popular methodology for large application development. The module will then cover an alternative programming paradigm, Functional Programming, with a focus on both their theoretical underpinnings and computation models. The module will cover practical aspects of implementing algorithms and larger applications in these paradigms. 

The module introduces algorithmic techniques for various sets of problems and teaches how to analyse algorithms in terms of their complexity. The techniques build upon the data structures and algorithms module provided in level 4 (COM1029) so that students can further develop their use of methods for solving complex problems.  Examples will be used throughout to demonstrate the relevance of each approach.

This course introduces the core concepts of parallel computing by examining the algorithms and architectures that support it. Students will implement parallel solutions during our labs and evaluate their performance, gaining hands-on experience and insight into the challenges and potential tradeoffs involved. The course places particular emphasis on making algorithmic decisions that are informed by hardware characteristics, providing a strong foundation for designing high¿performance computing systems.

Computer networks are an essential part of almost all corporate computing facilities and even most domestic ones.  Interoperability is the key ¿ all components must conform to the same hardware and packet specifications in order that they can be interconnected successfully. This module introduces essential concepts about all the computer networking layering levels with some emphasis on the routing algorithms and implementation of network sensing. This module also provides a introduction to network security.

Software engineering projects are run in teams that must fulfil a variety of roles including project management, background research, design, implementation, quality control and training, whilst also providing sufficient evidence of robust processes to demonstrate compliance with the relevant government and industry standards. This module introduces students to best practices in software engineering, development and security, as well as technologies for building modern web applications. Students will gain first-hand experience of teamwork through the application of software development and engineering practices by collaboratively designing and delivering a software system using web technologies.In Semester 1, students will develop interactive web applications and learn about the best practices in their design and development. This provides students with an understanding of the core concepts underpinning web applications and their secure design and provides students with the necessary skills to improve their broader development and problem-solving skills. A practical project-based lab work assessment allows students to demonstrate their proficiency in using and applying frameworks to client- and server-side development as well as use of hosted version control platforms.In Semester 2, teams take ownership of a pre-defined high-level specification and must refine it into a software system which they then implement and test, whilst demonstrating adherence to best software engineering practices. Through this group project, students gain an understanding of how to successfully design a secure software system that meets the specification, independently research and choose technologies, and implement and evaluate their system before delivering it to clients. Throughout the project, the team is expected to plan and document their activities, hold regular project meetings, and will be evaluated on how they approach the different tasks and adhere to industry standards.

Security is probably the greatest challenge for computer and information system in the near future. Many users have lost data due to viruses, both on home and business computers. Most of us have seen a range of emails massages attempting different kinds of fraud. Vulnerabilities are everywhere. Some are obvious or well-known; others are obscure and harder to spot. Security is not limited to secrecy and confidentiality, but also involves problems like integrity, availability, and effectiveness of information. Moreover, security issues can potentially affect all of us, from innocent home users to companies and even governments.Security is not just a technical problem but needs to be embedded throughout an organisation to be effective. As such good security solutions build on a complete understanding of the values at stake, and the supporting business processes and requirements. This includes people as well as information systems and physical resources. Consequently, raising security awareness and embedding security within roles and policies is as important, if not more, as secure software. In short, secure solutions can only be implemented with both good technical skills and a good understanding of cultures and people skills.

This module introduces general concepts of privacy enhancing technologies and aligns with key concepts recommended by the CyBoK. It will motivate the need for privacy in the modern world and touch on legal considerations, introduce concepts of transparency, control and confidentiality for privacy, and look at privacy preserving and democratic values. This module will also explore how these are realised in a range of applications.

This module introduces students to the techniques and tools to discover known vulnerabilities in systems and applications, and use appropriate techniques to carry out attacks. A practical project-based assessment allows students to demonstrate their ability to successfully exploit vulnerable systems to exfiltrate data and circumvent access controls. The module will introduce students to the legal and ethical considerations of ethical hacking, as well as the processes by which vulnerabilities are reported, classified, documented, and mitigated by security practitioners.

The project consists of a substantial written report and accompanying video presentation and software submission, completed by the student towards the end of their programme of studies. These are based on a major piece of work with a significant computer security element that involves applying material encountered in the taught component of the degree, and extending that knowledge with the student's contribution, under the guidance of a supervisor. The project lasts over both semesters, and usually involves software development, experimental or theoretical research, or a substantial analysis on a specific topic. Students are also expected to consider the legal, social, ethical and professional aspects of the project.

To introduce the fundamental principles of digital logic, circuits and systems starting with symbolic logic through to the concept of logic gates to the structure and operation of digital logic circuits and systems. This module provides an understanding of the underlying computer architecture and internal operation of computer systems.  

This module aims to introduce students to some of the key concepts of set theory, relations, functions, automata, logic, graphs, trees, proof methods, probability and statistics in order to highlight the importance and power of abstraction within computer science. These concepts are useful throughout the programme.

This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts of data storage with a focus on relational database systems. Students will learn database design and development to solve real-world problems. The module uses a problem-based approach to provide students with the necessary support to develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.

The course builds upon COM1026, Foundations of Computing, and introduces the key concepts of linear algebra and multivariate calculus.

Appropriate choices of data structures can expedite algorithm efficiency and also aid clear thinking when designing algorithms. It is thus natural for data structures to be studied with algorithms. An algorithm is a sequence of steps for performing some process.  A computer program is not an algorithm but a representation of an algorithm. There is a need to be able to create effective algorithms, quantify their efficiency and classify them independently of any computing system or language.

The module covers the main concepts of modern operating systems (OS), including process, memory, file, and input/output management, as well as fundamental security principles that ensure the protection and reliability of system resources.The first part of the course provides a short history of operating systems and their purposes. It also introduces the student to multiprocessing and multithreading, i.e. how an OS manages multiple tasks that execute at the same time (concurrently) and share resources.The second part of the course addresses the problem of memory management.The final part of the course introduces file systems, input/output handling, and core OS security principles, including the models and design approaches used to safeguard data and processes in modern systems.Throughout the module, case studies of various operating systems are presented with high-level concepts that students explore as exercises or deploy during labs. All taught material is compatible with existing operating systems and is suitable to run on a platform such as Linux.

This module will introduce software engineering principles with a technical focus on Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Students will explore software development through the lens of the systems development lifecycle. In doing so, experience will be gained in requirements engineering, software design, implementation, testing and how to tackle real-world collaboration. Throughout, software engineering methods will be put into practice, and Java programming skills will be taught. Starting with understanding the basic data types and programming structures, students will progress to more advanced datatypes, programming structuring techniques and key principles of object-oriented programming. The module culminates with a capstone project utilising the software engineering and programming skills taught in the first year. 

This module supports students develop essentials skills and thinking approaches needed to succeed at university and in the computer science discipline. Students will actively engage in problem-solving tasks, collaborative activities, and real-world challenges. Students will explore career pathways, work with industry-led case studies, and develop communication skills through a poster and presentation project.

Computers have become commonplace in many areas of our lives and are able to accomplish many things that humans would find difficult, if not impossible, to do by their own unaided efforts. Whilst computers can perform many calculations in a very short time they generally do not possess the ability to learn or to reason about novel situations or to process incomplete or uncertain data. They will need knowledge of the environment in which they operate so that they can understand what their sensors are monitoring and so that they can behave rationally. This module demonstrates the basic principles and methods of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and provides the basis for understanding and later choosing the correct tools for building such systems. Applications that motivate the development of Artificial Intelligence technology include intelligent robots, automated navigation for autonomous vehicles, object recognition and tracking, medical diagnosis, language communications and many others. Any application that requires human-like intelligence is an application for Artificial Intelligence.  

The digital world critically relies on cyber security to prevent harm and misuse. This module provides a foundational introduction to computer security, focusing on how to protect information, systems and networks from attackers. Students explore foundational cryptography and security protocols, covering core principles such as confidentiality, integrity and availability across various domains. Students will also study business orientated security practice through threat modelling concepts to reason systematically about security risks in simple systems.

This module will introduce fundamental concepts of Theory of Programming Languages using two programming paradigms: Object-Oriented Paradigm and the Functional Paradigm. The module will provide a foundation for the theoretical and practical aspects of building programs using these paradigms. Object Orientated Paradigm is first introduced as a popular methodology for large application development. The module will then cover an alternative programming paradigm, Functional Programming, with a focus on both their theoretical underpinnings and computation models. The module will cover practical aspects of implementing algorithms and larger applications in these paradigms. 

The module introduces algorithmic techniques for various sets of problems and teaches how to analyse algorithms in terms of their complexity. The techniques build upon the data structures and algorithms module provided in level 4 (COM1029) so that students can further develop their use of methods for solving complex problems.  Examples will be used throughout to demonstrate the relevance of each approach.

This course introduces the core concepts of parallel computing by examining the algorithms and architectures that support it. Students will implement parallel solutions during our labs and evaluate their performance, gaining hands-on experience and insight into the challenges and potential tradeoffs involved. The course places particular emphasis on making algorithmic decisions that are informed by hardware characteristics, providing a strong foundation for designing high¿performance computing systems.

Computer networks are an essential part of almost all corporate computing facilities and even most domestic ones.  Interoperability is the key ¿ all components must conform to the same hardware and packet specifications in order that they can be interconnected successfully. This module introduces essential concepts about all the computer networking layering levels with some emphasis on the routing algorithms and implementation of network sensing. This module also provides a introduction to network security.

Software engineering projects are run in teams that must fulfil a variety of roles including project management, background research, design, implementation, quality control and training, whilst also providing sufficient evidence of robust processes to demonstrate compliance with the relevant government and industry standards. This module introduces students to best practices in software engineering, development and security, as well as technologies for building modern web applications. Students will gain first-hand experience of teamwork through the application of software development and engineering practices by collaboratively designing and delivering a software system using web technologies.In Semester 1, students will develop interactive web applications and learn about the best practices in their design and development. This provides students with an understanding of the core concepts underpinning web applications and their secure design and provides students with the necessary skills to improve their broader development and problem-solving skills. A practical project-based lab work assessment allows students to demonstrate their proficiency in using and applying frameworks to client- and server-side development as well as use of hosted version control platforms.In Semester 2, teams take ownership of a pre-defined high-level specification and must refine it into a software system which they then implement and test, whilst demonstrating adherence to best software engineering practices. Through this group project, students gain an understanding of how to successfully design a secure software system that meets the specification, independently research and choose technologies, and implement and evaluate their system before delivering it to clients. Throughout the project, the team is expected to plan and document their activities, hold regular project meetings, and will be evaluated on how they approach the different tasks and adhere to industry standards.

Security is probably the greatest challenge for computer and information system in the near future. Many users have lost data due to viruses, both on home and business computers. Most of us have seen a range of emails massages attempting different kinds of fraud. Vulnerabilities are everywhere. Some are obvious or well-known; others are obscure and harder to spot. Security is not limited to secrecy and confidentiality, but also involves problems like integrity, availability, and effectiveness of information. Moreover, security issues can potentially affect all of us, from innocent home users to companies and even governments.Security is not just a technical problem but needs to be embedded throughout an organisation to be effective. As such good security solutions build on a complete understanding of the values at stake, and the supporting business processes and requirements. This includes people as well as information systems and physical resources. Consequently, raising security awareness and embedding security within roles and policies is as important, if not more, as secure software. In short, secure solutions can only be implemented with both good technical skills and a good understanding of cultures and people skills.

This module introduces general concepts of privacy enhancing technologies and aligns with key concepts recommended by the CyBoK. It will motivate the need for privacy in the modern world and touch on legal considerations, introduce concepts of transparency, control and confidentiality for privacy, and look at privacy preserving and democratic values. This module will also explore how these are realised in a range of applications.

This module introduces students to the techniques and tools to discover known vulnerabilities in systems and applications, and use appropriate techniques to carry out attacks. A practical project-based assessment allows students to demonstrate their ability to successfully exploit vulnerable systems to exfiltrate data and circumvent access controls. The module will introduce students to the legal and ethical considerations of ethical hacking, as well as the processes by which vulnerabilities are reported, classified, documented, and mitigated by security practitioners.

The project consists of a substantial written report and accompanying video presentation and software submission, completed by the student towards the end of their programme of studies. These are based on a major piece of work with a significant computer security element that involves applying material encountered in the taught component of the degree, and extending that knowledge with the student's contribution, under the guidance of a supervisor. The project lasts over both semesters, and usually involves software development, experimental or theoretical research, or a substantial analysis on a specific topic. Students are also expected to consider the legal, social, ethical and professional aspects of the project.

Students have the option to undertake a work placement, study exchange abroad, or work/study exchange combination. This module supports students' development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment in diverse global contexts. The module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement/study exchange, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement/study exchange experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written and presentation skills.