Computer Systems Engineering (including placement year)
UCAS Code: HP50
Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Including Standard Level Mathematics or Maths Studies grade 4 or above (if not taken at Higher Level). Maths in the IB is not required if you have already achieved GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above or 4 in IB Middle Years Maths. We are happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programmes at both Higher and Standard Level. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standard level, and the course applied for. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.
Entry requirements for students studying BTEC qualifications are dependent on subjects studied. Advice can be provided on an individual basis. The standard required is generally at Distinction level.
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About this course
Ranked among the top Computer Science (and Information Systems) departments on the planet according to the QS World University Rankings (2017), our BEng Computer Systems Engineering examines the field of computer hardware, software and communication networks. You study a wide range of modules, such as computer security, embedded systems and robotics, as well as developing core skills and knowledge required by industry. We emphasise the importance of practical learning, and you also have the opportunity to undertake a major project or product development specified either by a member of academic staff or a partner company. This degree is accredited by both the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the British Computer Society (BCS). These accreditations are increasingly sought by employers, and provide the first stage towards eventual professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). On this four year version of this course you can spend your third year on a placement with an external organisation, focusing on using the specialist technical skills acquired in the first two years of the course.
Modules
Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Colchester Campus
Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Electrical and electronic engineering
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
There are a lot of computing courses out there, and they vary a lot in content, modules and the way they work with employers, so individual courses can have very different outcomes. This is a course where you really need to get a good grade — employers really pay attention to the class of your degree and a low grade will serious hit your prospects. But you can get a job on pretty much any industry in the country with a computing degree - and organisation with an IT system and a web site needs graduates in this discipline - and many employers report difficulty in finding graduates. So most students do get jobs, and starting salaries are good, particularly in London. If you want to find out more about the prospects for a computer science course at a particular institution, it's a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates went on to do.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computing
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£28k
£33k
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.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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).
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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