Computing
Entry requirements
A level
112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, including an A level in a relevant subject.
112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 54-56, to include a Principal Subject in a relevant subject.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29 points from the IB Diploma. 655/754 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level - 29 points from the IB Diploma. 664 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3
To include a Higher Level in a relevant subject.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Must be in a relevant subject.
112-120 Tariff points, including an Advanced Higher in a relevant subject.
T Level
Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development, T Level in Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning, T Level in Digital Business Services, T Level in Digital Support and Services, T Level in Science, T Level in Engineering and Manufacturing Design and Development, T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing, T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
UCAS Tariff
112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including an A level in a relevant subject.
112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels one of which must be a relevant subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.
**Overview**
Millions of people rely on sophisticated technology every day – measuring our health goals, tracking our spending, or using networks like the internet and cloud computing to connect with our families, friends and workplaces. Be part of creating future transformative technology as you harness computing, embrace the world of AI, and make your mark on the lives of millions.
On this BSc (Hons) Computing degree, you’ll learn how to turn your interest in computing into a career. You’ll develop skills across topics such as software engineering, programming, interface design and evaluation, databases, and network management and security.
You'll be able to use these skills, and those you choose to specialise in, to build a career as a computing professional in any number of fast-paced industries, including finance, construction, transport, technology, health and government.
**Course highlights**
- Tailor your degree to match your career ambitions and interests, with optional modules such as 3D animation, ethical hacking, the Internet of Things and cryptography
- Get the chance to attend workplace trips, pop-up lectures and hack days where you'll collaborate on projects with other students and solve challenging problems
- Benefit from our Student Union clubs and societies, such as the IT Society, AI and Robotics Club and Gaming Society
- Apply your skills to real issues through our work with charities and organisations such as Code Club, which places students in afterschool clubs to help 9-13-year-olds with their Scratch, HTML/CSS, and Python projects
**Accreditation**
This course is accredited by the British Computer Society, partially meeting the educational requirement for CITP.
**Careers and opportunities**
With 95% of our course graduates in work or further study after they graduate, it's clear that the skills you learn on this course are in line with what employers are looking for. What's more, you're likely to graduate into a market where your computing skills are highly sought after – in April 2021, more than 40,000 'open' job roles asked for related computer science skills and qualifications.
If you want to push the limits of where computing can go, you could continue your studies to MSc or PhD level, specialising in areas such as health informatics, forensic IT and networking.
Graduate destinations
Our graduates have worked for companies such as:
- BAE Systems
- Fujitsu
- Barclays
- Metricell
- Macquarie
What jobs you can do with a computing degree?
Our graduates now work in roles including:
- cognitive global market developer
- field application engineer
- IT business analyst
- network performance developer
- software developer
Interested in becoming a Computer Science teacher?
You can combine your computing studies with teacher training and school teaching placements by taking the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) pathway. If successful, you'll save an extra year of study, get a £9,000 bursary in your final year of study and get Qualified Teacher Status with your BSc Computing degree.
"My degree has helped me immensely with a job opportunity, new skills, interests and knowledge, and also much needed experience in a real-world IT environment." Daniel Evans, Computing Student
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Architecture and Operating Systems – 20 credits
- Core Computing Concepts – 20 credits
- Database Systems Development – 20 credits
- Networks – 20 credits
- Programming – 40 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Business Information Systems Security – 20 credits
- Database Principles – 20 credits
- Operating Systems and Internetworking – 20 credits
- Software Engineering Theory and Practice – 20 credits
- User Experience Design and Implementation – 20 credits
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- 3D Computer Graphics and Animation – 20 credits
- Big Data – 20 credits
- Computing Undergraduate Ambassador – 20 credits
- Data Analytics and Visualisation – 20 credits
- Ethical Hacking – 20 credits
- Modern Foreign Language (Institution-wide Language Programme) – 20 credits
- Web Programming – 20 credits
Exchange study abroad or placement year (optional)
On this course, you can do an optional study abroad or work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry.
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Advanced Networks – 20 credits
- Individual Project (Engineering) – 40 credits
- Usability Testing – 20 credits
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Advanced Database Concepts – 20 credits
- Advanced Systems Analysis – 20 credits
- Artificial Intelligence – 20 credits
- Business Analytics – 20 credits
- Computer Science Teaching Placement – 40 credits
- Graphics and Computer Vision – 20 credits
- Information Systems Management – 20 credits
- Internet of Things – 20 credits
- IT and Internetworking Security – 20 credits
- Practical Data Analytics and Mining – 20 credits
- Project Management – 20 credits
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed through:
- multiple choice tests
- essays and portfolio work
- written exams
- mini projects
- presentations
- case studies
- blogs
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 33% by written exams and 67% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 35% by written exams, 3% by practical exams and 62% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 22% by written exams and 78% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Technology
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)
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
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.
£22k
£27k
£31k
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 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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