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Computer Science (with Integrated Foundation Year)

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C

Computer Science or Maths or other science preferred

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Grade 5 Mathematics GCSE English Language Grade 4

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

27

4 in HL maths and a science OR 6 in SL maths and 4 in HL science and minimum of grade 5 in Standard Level English.

T Level

Pass (C and above)


C in the core and Merit in the project, as well as Grade 5 in GCSE Maths.

UCAS Tariff

96

Computer Science or Maths or other science preferred

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Computer science

This computer science foundation year is a perfect gateway to studying on one of City’s Computer Science degrees and will suit you if you have an interest in how software technologies are built and work.

The Foundation route will allow you to improve your computing skills and acclimatise to University teaching and assessment styles, with a view to joining one of our Computer Science, Games Technology, Cyber Security and Data Science degrees the following year.

Although the computer science foundation year does not confer an official award, successful completion will enable entry onto one of City's Computer Science courses, including:

- BSc Computer Science

- BSc Computer Science with Games Technology

- MSci Computer Science

- MSci Computer Science with Games Technology

- MSci Computer Science with Cyber Security

- MSci Data Science.

A range of Computer Science modules will develop your understanding of the fundamentals, your programming skills and building web applications. Mathematics modules will ensure you have the logical and analytic skills for more advanced theoretical Computer Science topics.

Finally, you will receive training on basic employability and transferable skills.

Modules

In your foundation year you will develop your understanding for the fundamentals of Computer Science with six core modules introducing you to the basics.

- Introduction to Programming with Python

The aim of this module is to provide you with familiarity of the principles of procedural computer programming. You will learn programming concepts, structures, and methods and be able to design and code simple programs and debug (error correct) them using Python; a high-level computer programming language.

- Web Development

The aim of this module is to teach you the basic principles that underlie internet applications, as well as techniques and technology used in the design and construction of web sites. You will learn how to construct interactive websites using industry standard technologies such as HTML and CSS, and be able to design and build websites that provide a good user experience.

- Computer Fundamentals

The aim of this module is to provide you with an introduction to the principles and technologies that underlie computers and computer systems. You will learn how computer hardware and software operates, how information is represented digitally, how to use operating systems and how to use computer systems safely and securely.

- Discrete Mathematics

The aim of this module is to consolidate your knowledge of the mathematics of objects that are not continuous but can be counted. Topics include the integers (whole numbers), set theory, graph theory and the study and proof of logical statements.

- Introduction to Probability and Statistics

The aim of this module is to provide you with familiarity of fundamental statistical techniques and an understanding of their application in practice, along with the theory of probability which underlies them.

- Employability and Transferable Skills

The aim of this module is to help you gain a better understanding of your future career options as a Computer Science student, and to provide you with a toolbox of useful transferable kills, both for choosing and entering a suitable future career and for succeeding in your University studies.

Assessment methods

The Foundation Programme employs continuous assessment based around frequent class tests and group work.

Students can also expect a higher number of contact hours per week (around 14 hours) in the form of teaching and tutorials, than in the subsequent years of our Computer Science degrees where self-study plays a larger part.

The approximate percentage of the course assessment, based on 2018/19 entry is as follows:

Foundation year
50% written, 50% coursework.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£20,080
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£20,080
per year
International
£20,080
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£20,080
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

City, University of London

Department:

Department of Computer Science

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

68%
Computer science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

62%
Staff make the subject interesting
69%
Staff are good at explaining things
71%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

74%
Library resources
67%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
55%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

85%
UK students
15%
International students
83%
Male students
17%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,300
med
Average annual salary
75%
low
Employed or in further education
68%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

62%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
12%
Information technology technicians
8%
Engineering professionals

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Computer science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£29k

£29k

£35k

£35k

£42k

£42k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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