Computing
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: G402 | Higher National Diploma - HND
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: G402 | Higher National Diploma - HND
Entry requirements
An A level in a computing related subject
Pass the Access to HE Diploma (Computing based).
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.
A Higher Level in a computing related subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Must be in a computing discipline
An Advanced Higher in a computing related subject
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications
T Level
Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development, 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, T Level in Accounting (If mathematical components are passed), T Level in Finance (If mathematical components are passed)
UCAS Tariff
24 points from an A level in a computing related subject, or Level 3 vocational equivalent (diploma/ extended diploma), or equivalent industry experience in a relevant field.
Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 24 points from an A level in a computing related subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
**Overview**
From smartphone apps to the networks that connect communities and businesses across the world, computing is behind the systems millions of people rely on every day.
On this HND Computing course, you'll prepare yourself for further study or employment in the computing industry. You'll learn about topics such as programming, networking, business intelligence and IT security and get to apply what you learn on a work placement and on community projects.
When you complete the course, you'll have the skills, knowledge and experience to start a career in the computing industry. You could also top up your HND to a Bachelor's degree.
**What you'll experience**
On this course, you'll:
- Learn skills relevant to your future career from staff who have experience working in the industry
- Get an insight into how to use computing to develop community opportunities and enhance lives
- Tailor what you learn to your interests and career aspirations
- Access the latest learning resources, journals and publications
- Get experience of working in the computing industry on a work placement
- Have further opportunities to apply what you learn in the community, by running computing events, for example
The course takes place at Stanmore College, but you still have access to the University of Portsmouth's student support services and community including study support, the Students’ Union and the library's online resources.
**Careers and opportunities**
The computing expertise you develop on this course will set you up for employment in areas including systems design and analysis, commercial or scientific systems development and web development.
What jobs can you do with a Computing HND?
Roles you could go into could include:
- business continuity analyst
- software engineer
- web developer
- systems analyst
- computer programmer
- online course developer
If you want to continue your studies, you can top up your HND to a Bachelor's degree by joining the final year of the BSc (Hons) Computing course.
After you leave the University, 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
Core modules in this year include:
- Computer Systems Architecture – 15 credits
- Database Design and Development – 15 credits
- Managing a Successful Computing Project – 15 credits
- Networking – 15 credits
- Professional Practice – 15 credits
- Programming – 15 credits
- Security – 15 credits
- Website Design and Development – 15 credits
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Advanced Programming – 15 credits
- Business Intelligence – 15 credits
- Computing Research Project – 30 credits
- Database Management Systems – 15 credits
- Digital Technologies as a Catalyst for Change – 15 credits
- Operating Systems – 15 credits
- User Experience and Interface Design – 15 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
The way you're assessed on this course reflects the requirements of the computing industry. You'll be assessed through:
- Examinations
- Essays
- Reports
- Projects, portfolios and case studies
- Practical demonstrations
- Oral assessments through presentations or discussion groups
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:
The Uni
Isle of Wight College
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.
Explore these similar courses...
Higher entry requirementsLower entry requirements
Nearby UniversitySame UniversityThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
