Kingston University

Computer Science BSc (Hons) with Foundation Year

Our programme structure is centred on student learning and development to encourage them to become a more effective, independent and confident self-directed learner which appeals to employers. Supported by a set of guided learning journeys, you will learn theoretical and practical aspects of system design and development, and gradually develop a portfolio of 'products' and 'artefacts' of different levels of complexity as the outputs of assignments in dedicated modules.

They will be integrated into an online portfolio of applications and design solutions that reflect your professional readiness. The first year of the course consists entirely of core modules to provide the fundamental computer science knowledge; you will examine computer architectures, and the tools and techniques used to build systems.

You will learn principles, techniques and tools common to the analysis and design of software development, and study the impact of technologies on the workplace, economy and society. In second and third year you will focus more on the chosen specialist area, and using a combination of core and optional modules you will be exposed to the latest software innovations, design patterns, algorithms, programming languages, data structures and tools. For example you will learn the latest agile project management approaches, data modelling using UML, relational and object-oriented database systems, data processing platforms used for big data applications, processing of data sets with adaptive algorithms driven by machine learning, visualisation of data for business insight.

The guided route you select will enable you to gain expertise of the chosen area and explore the latest innovations associated with a specific domain in-depth, building on the foundation set by the core modules. If you do not wish to follow a guided route you can choose any of the available options where the pre-requisites are met and are always guaranteed a broad grounding in computer science. You can use the individual project module in the third year to showcase the knowledge and skills you have gained.

You will study 4 modules in each year for example:

Students wishing to pursue the software engineering and database guided option routes will take in Year 2 Computing Systems and Professional Environments 2 as core modules and option modules Programming 2 - Software Development and Database-Driven Application Development, and in Year 3 the core module is Individual Project, the guided option is Programming 3 - Patterns and Algorithms plus recommended option modules Advanced Data Modelling and Software Development Practice.

Are you considering a career in computer science? Whether you have knowledge of the subject or not, Kingston guarantees this course can make you an expert.

You can study specialist areas of computer science that are relevant to the career you want. Modules reflect the most in-demand sectors in the industry, such as software engineering, project management, user experience design, web and mobile app development, networking and network security.

You'll graduate with specialist technical knowledge, skills and a scientific mindset. You'll have gained experience of applying your expertise to real-world problems. With a portfolio of products and artefacts to showcase your work, you'll be ready to begin a professional career.