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Computing Science

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

AB required in Mathematics and Physics or a B in Design and Technology or a B in Engineering. If applicant presents with B in Physics, Design and Technology or Engineering, Mathematics must be A grade. GCSE English at C also required.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

34 Points including Mathematics and Physics at HL (6 or above) and English at Standard Level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2,H3

5 subjects at Higher, with 4 at H2 and 1 at H3 H2 or above in mathematics and H3 or above in Physics required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

DDD with Mathematics and Physics required. GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics or Dual Award Science. Note: BTEC in Applied Sciences is not normally sufficient on its own for entry into any of our Engineering programmes.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B

AB required in Mathematics and Physics/Engineering Science (previously known as Technological Studies). If applicant presents with H in Engineering Science instead of Physics, Mathematics must be A grade. English at Standard Grade 1, 2 or 3 or National 5 at grades A, B or C.

UCAS Tariff

120-128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Computer science

Computing Science at Aberdeen encompasses both the theory as well as the practice of computing, with special emphasis given to Distributed Information Systems and Knowledge Technologies. This 5 year MEng programme is an integrated Masters degree that emphasises additional academic rigour and depth on top of the already high standards of our BSc.

Helping doctors to treat a newborn baby, analysing the huge volume of data from the human genome, tracking jet engines in flight and ensuring that maintenance is planned accordingly, and making online shopping easier and more secure - these are just some of the challenges that computer scientists rise to every day by using their technical analysis, design and programming skills that they learn at university to create better and more intelligent tools.

The highly relevant curriculum, along with strong industry links, ensures that computing programme graduates have an advantage in a competitive market place. The employment record of our graduates is excellent with the vast majority entering occupations of their choice within three months of graduation, in sectors as diverse as banking, pharmaceuticals and computer game development.

The MEng is an integrated Masters degree that emphasises additional academic rigour and depth on top of the already high standards of our BSc. It adds an additional year of study to the traditional BSc, but there is also a greater focus on the academic and theoretical skills that high-end employers and academic institutions particularly value. The MEng provides the opportunity for students to acquire a distinctive edge. It does this through increased depth of study, but it also requires students to demonstrate their ability by having them take on the most challenging subjects.

**We are ranked 4th in the UK for Computer Science and Information Systems - The Guardian University Guide 2022.
Aberdeen is ranked 2nd in Scotland and 5th in the UK for Computing Science – The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.
Ranked 12th UK, 1st in Scotland for General Engineering (Complete University Guide 2022)
Ranked 12th UK, 2nd in Scotland for General Engineering (Guardian 2022)**

Modules

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

Assessment methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£24,800
per year
International
£24,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be able to apply for.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Aberdeen

Department:

School of Natural and Computing Sciences

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.

67%
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

50%
Staff make the subject interesting
68%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
89%
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

77%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
100%
Course specific equipment and facilities
59%
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?

54%
UK students
46%
International students
78%
Male students
22%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
A

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

87%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
3%
Teaching and educational professionals
3%
Food preparation and hospitality trades

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.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here