5 leading UK Computer Science Schools

This is a digital age in which computers and computer programmes have infiltrated almost every aspect of our daily lives. The STEM subjects have never been more important, with subjects like science, technology, computer science, and engineering dominating league tables for graduate prospects and salaries in professional employment.

Computer scientists are the individuals who theorise, design, develop and apply software and hardware for the programmes that we use on a day-to-day basis. Recently, computer science has seen a growth in the number of students starting degrees in this field by 40 percent in just three years.

Today’s computer graduates are highly sought-after, with employment opportunities coming to light all over the world. Some of the main employment areas include computing and communications companies, software houses, government departments and research laboratories through to games software, virtual reality, computer animation and applications from film and video.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the technology sector; from the role of artificial intelligence, to cyber security, or even creating the world’s next popular game. Readily-equipped with a degree in computer science, graduates are using computing to solve tomorrow’s greatest issues.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY 

Situated in the historic market town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, Edge Hill University is just a short distance from both Liverpool and Manchester. The university recently achieved Gold in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), awarded for the delivery of ‘consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students’.

The Department of Computer Science is ranked third for Student Satisfaction by the Guardian University Guide 2017. Further to this ,the department moved to a new £13 million Tech Hub building in Autumn 2016, complete with expanded facilities for computing students. The department now has a Harvard-style lecture theatre and thirteen specialist teaching laboratories, including an open access laboratory and a CAVE (Computer Augmented Virtual Environment) – believed to be the first of its kind in a UK academic department. All of it Computing courses are accredited by the British Computer Society.

For prospective students there are a total of nine undergraduate courses on offer, ranging from a BSc (Hons) Computer Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Computing (Games Programming), Computing (Networking, Security and Forensics), Software Engineering, Web Design & Development, and Data Science. Additionally, the department hosts a number of integrated masters degrees and full-time master programmes for graduate students.

Edge Hill’s Department of Computer Science focuses on teaching both academic and real-life transferable skills that are essential for finding employment. The department also has strong links with industry and students have the opportunity to pursue paid work in industry placements, or within the department’s Enterprise team alongside their degree.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF BATH

The University of Bath is a public university located in Bath, Somerset, with an academic heritage dating back to 1595. Today, the university continues this strong academic reputation having been awarded Gold status in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), as well as being ranked fifth-best university in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2018.

The Department of Computer Science offers three undergraduate courses: Computer Science, Computer Science and Mathematics and Computer Science with Business. In all these available courses, the first year is designed to provide students with a grounding in the theory and practice of Computer Science, and by the time students reach their final year there is also more autonomy, with students being able to develop their own research projects.

As a student at the University of Bath, there are lots of opportunities to get involved in events such as hackathons, coding competitions and conferences. The department also boasts an active student group, Bath Computer Science Society (BCSS), which regularly organises lunchtime lectures and workshops from influential computing professionals.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

The University of Bristol is a redbrick university with a rich academic history. Set in one of the main cities of the UK’s Southwest, the university consistently ranks well in national and international league tables. Most recently, the university was ranked within the Top 50 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2018.

The Department of Computer Science offers undergraduates a choice of nine degree programmes, varying between three and four years in length. Courses include the BSc Computer Science, BEng Computer Science and Electronics and BSc Mathematics and Computer Science, with a number of programmes offering international travel as part of the degree. For returning or graduate students there are also a number of masters and doctoral programmes of study.

Students at the University of Bristol benefit from the concentration of high-technology industries in Bristol and the Southwest; all of which provide the department with industrial staff, opportunities for student projects, internships (both summer and year in industry placements) and a host of employment ooptions post-graduation. The city is home to a number of technical companies, including Hewlett- Packard, STMicroelectronics, Infineon and Toshiba, alongside start-ups such as Xmos, Clementine, and Netsight, promising fantastic industry opportunities for students and graduates alike.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

Founded in 1922, the University of Huddersfield is a public university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. In recent years, the university has won the inaugural Higher Education Academy Global Teaching Excellence Award, and achieved a Gold Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in 2017.

The Department of Computer Science is structured into two areas; computing and games, and web, covering a vast range of subjects and delivered by staff with real industry experience. Undergraduate courses on offer include Computing Science BSc(Hons) and Computing Science with Games Programming BSc (Hons). Further to this a number of the courses with this department are accredited by the BCS and the Chartered Institute for IT.

The department houses a full- operational, multi-award-winning games production studio, Canalside Studios and Live:Lab – an interactive learning environment. As well as this, full-time, undergraduate courses offer the option of a year in industry supported by the university’s award-winning Placement Unit, enabling students to experience the real-world application of their studies.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER STUDIES, SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

Established in 1920, the University of Swansea was the first campus university in the UK, situated in the picturesque Swansea Bay. Nationally, the university has ranked in the Top 50 universities with the Guardian’s 2018 University League Table.

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Swansea has a number of research programmes in data-centric computing, semantics of specification and programming languages, as well as formal methods for designing software and hardware, visual and interactive computing, future interaction technologies, and the social impact of science and technology.

Undergraduate students can embark on a number of three-year or four-year courses including the BSc Software Engineering, which concentrates on the skills needed for a career in the software industry by focussing on the process of building software to a specification. An example four-year course is the MEng Computing, a comprehensive programme that leads to a Masters and is aimed at those who are committed to a career in the software development industry.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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