Programme Specifications

This Programme Specification has been designed to conform to the QAA Benchmark statement for Computing.

September 2023

• Subject knowledge

To give students a good grounding in the major fields of Computing through a wide range of experiences;

To give students an understanding of the political, economic, legal and social issues surrounding software.

​To enable students to learn about an organization and its area of work, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate future career paths

• Subject specific skills

To equip students with the skills necessary to design software and to program in high-level computing languages;

To enable students to understand and apply the range of principles and tools available to the software engineer;

To instil the professional skills and ethical responsibilities required of computer practitioners.

• Generic and graduate skills

To reason logically and creatively; to communicate clearly both orally and in writing; and to be able to obtain and interpret information from a wide range of sources.

To develop highly valued transferable and professional skills during a work placement, providing a competitive edge in the graduate job market.

Overall aim of the scheme

To produce graduates who are highly sought after by industry, and who have the potential to succeed in a rapidly changing computing workplace.

Year abroad

• To apply Computer Science approaches, concepts, skills, methods and/or theories learnt in an international academic environment.

• To develop highly valued transferable and professional skills during a year of study abroad, providing a competitive edge in the graduate job market.

• To enable students to learn about alternative educational practice, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate further career paths.

On completion of the degree, students will have gained invaluable experience of living and studying aboard, gaining personal skills and international experience which is widely valued by employers in a global job market.

Due to integrated year abroad, on completion of the degree, students will have gained valuable experience of studying and living in an international environment developing associated skills. The scheme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, kills, qualities and attributes in the following areas.

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

• Knowledge of a range of programming languages and software design techniques;

• Knowledge of algorithm design and use of efficient data structures;

• An understanding of mathematical underpinning of Computer Science;

• An understanding of computer hardware, architecture and construction;

• Knowledge of software engineering, the management of software projects, and their legal, social, ethical and professional aspects;

• Knowledge of a range of specialist topics giving a broad experience of computing (some of Robotics, Vision and Graphics, Systems Administration, Artificial Intelligence, Enterprise Web development).

Learning and Teaching

• ​​​Lectures (A1-A6)

• ​Problem classes (A2,A3)

• ​Seminars (A5, A6)

• ​Laboratory work (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6)

• ​Group and individual projects (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6)

• ​Visiting lecturer series (A5, A6)​​

Assessment Strategies and Methods

• ​​​Time-constrained examinations (A1-A6)

• ​Problem sheets (A1, A2, A3)

• ​Project diaries (A1,A5, A6)

• ​Project reports (A1, A2, A5, A6)

• ​Oral presentations (A5, A6)

• ​Computer programs and assignments (A1, A2, A5, A6)

• ​Capstone project (A1, A2, A5, A6)​​

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

• Apply of a range of concepts and principles in well-defined software development contexts, showing judgement in the selection and application of tools and techniques.

• Implement computer programs in a modern object-oriented language.

• Develop and evaluate logical arguments

• Abstract the essential elements of problems, model them and obtain solutions by appropriate methods

• Apply engineering principles and knowledge to develop complex software systems

• Evaluate systems in terms of general quality attributes, possible trade-offs and risk within the given problem

• Demonstrate a range of transferable skills including autonomy in learning and the ability to live and learn in a different country.

Learning and Teaching

• ​​​Lectures (B1-B6)

• ​Problem classes (B3, B4, B5)

• ​Seminars (B1, B4, B5, B6)

• ​Laboratory work (B2, B4, B5)

• ​Group and individual projects (B1-B6)

• ​Visiting lecturer series (B3, B5, B6)

• ​Year abroad (B7)​​

Assessment Strategies and Methods

• ​​​Time-constrained examinations (B1-B6)

• ​Problem sheets (B1, B2, B3)

• ​Project diaries (B1, B3, B6)

• ​Project reports (B1-B6)

• ​Oral presentations (B1, B3, B6)

• ​Computer programs and assignments (B1, B2, B4, B5)

• ​Capstone project (B1, B2, B4, B5)​​

10.2.2 Professional practical skills / Discipline Specific Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

• Present arguments and conclusions effectively and accurately;

• Use computer software to support presentations, produce reports and work as part of a software team;

• Understand the different ways in which project teams operate in the computing industry;

• Use appropriate theory, practices and tools for the specification, design, implementation and evaluation of computer-based systems;

• Recognise any risks, safety or security aspects that may be involved with a computer system within a given context;

• Deploy effectively the tools used for the construction and documentation of computer applications, with particular emphasis on understanding the whole process involved in the effective deployment of computers to solve practical problems;

• Use a range of transferable skills including communication across cultural boundaries, self-management, independence, confidence, adaptability, as well as linguistic skills.

Learning and Teaching

• ​​​Lectures (C1-C6)

• ​Problem classes (C1)

• ​Seminars (C1-C6)

• ​Laboratory work (C4, C6)

• ​Group and individual projects (C1-C6)

• ​Visiting lecturer series (C1, C3, C5)

• ​Integrated year in industry (C1-C7)​​

Assessment Strategies and Methods

• ​​​Time-constrained examinations (C1, C4, C5)

• ​Problem sheets (C1)

• ​Project diaries (C2, C3, C5)

• ​Project reports (C1, C2, C4, C5, C6)​​

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to

• D1 Apply general mathematical skills to a range of problems;

• D2 Work independently;

• D3 Use information technology confidently;

• D4 Manage time and resources effectively;

• D5 Develop effective learning skills;

• D6 Be aware of the need to plan for employment and to develop various skills for such employment;

• D7 Work cooperatively as a member of a software development team, recognising the different roles within a team and different ways of organising teams;

Learning and Teaching

• ​​Lectures (D1-D7)

• ​Problem classes (D1,D5)

• ​Seminars (D4, D5, D7)

• ​Laboratory work (D3, D4, D7)

• ​Group and individual projects (D2, D3, D4, D5, D7)

• ​Visiting lecturer series (D6, D7)​

Assessment Strategies and Methods

• ​​​Time-constrained examinations (D1)

• ​Problem sheets (D1,D5)

• ​Project diaries (D3, D4, D7)

• ​Project reports (D5,D6, D7)

• ​Oral presentations (D7)

• ​Computer programs and assignments (D2, D3, D4, D5, D7)

• ​Capstone project (D2, D3, D4, D5)

• ​Integrated year in industry (D2-D7)​​