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University of Portsmouth

UCAS Code: G403 | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc

Entry requirements

A level

D,E,E-E,E,E

48-56 points to include 1 A level.

48-56 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.

Cambridge Pre-U score of 32-36.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

6 GCSEs at grade C or above, to include English and Mathematics at grade B/5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, to include English and Mathematics at grade 5

48-56 UCAS Tariff points to include 1 Higher Level subject

48-56 tariff points to include a Higher Level subject.

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

MM-MP

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

D*-D

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

MPP-PPP

48-56 Tariff points.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

T Level

P

Pass (D or E in the core)

UCAS Tariff

48-56

48-56 points to include 1 A level, or equivalent.

48-56 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

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About this course

Course option

2years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Computer science

**Overview**
Set yourself up for a career in the computing industries with this foundation degree. You'll pick up the foundations of web development, network and database design, and programming for apps. You'll then dig into the advanced skills and knowledge in subjects that interest you, such as cyber security, business connectivity or social media.

You'll turn your curiosity about computers into the skills employers in the IT sector are looking for, and learn how to apply your skills to meeting society's needs through technological solutions.

When you finish the course, you'll be two thirds of the way to a full Honours degree, and you'll have the opportunity to do some further study with us and convert your degree into our BSc (Hons) Computing.

**Careers and opportunities**
This course is shaped around current information technology practice, meaning it can improve your computing career prospects. You'll also have the option to top up to a Bachelor's degree after you graduate.

You'll undertake work-related learning as part of your study, and learn the theory and practice used in web and mobile development, system design and analysis, or commercial system development.

**What can you do with a Computing FdSc?**
You'll develop the skills and knowledge for a role such as:

- Web or mobile developer

- Computer programmer

- Software engineer

- Network engineer

- System analyst

- Service desk engineer

- Solutions architect

After you finish the course, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

Modules

Year 1:
Computer Hardware and Software Concepts - 20 credits
Database Design and Management - 20 credits
Network and Cyber Security - 20 credits
Networking Fundamentals - 20 credits
Problem Solving Through Programming Concepts - 20 credits
Web Design and Development - 20 credits

Year 2:
Client / Server Based Operating Systems - 20 credits
Managing Research Project - 20 credits
Server and Web Based Infrastructure Configuration - 20 credits
Software Design and Development - 20 credits
Web Based Applications - 20 credits
Work Experience - 20 credits

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed through:

- coursework
- examination
- practical skills assessments
- oral presentation

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.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£6,355
per year
England
£6,355
per year
EU
£6,355
per year
International
£19,200
per year
Northern Ireland
£6,355
per year
Republic of Ireland
£6,355
per year
Scotland
£6,355
per year
Wales
£6,355
per year

The Uni

Course location:

City of Portsmouth College

Department:

Faculty of Technology

Read full university profile

What students say

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

83%
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

66%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
65%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
70%
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

82%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
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?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
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.

£30,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
high
Employed or in further education
82%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
16%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
7%
Information technology technicians

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.

£23k

£23k

£29k

£29k

£31k

£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.

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 the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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:

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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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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