Overview
This integrated programme is designed to prepare and support UK students for a strong and rewarding experience in their selected discipline, Computer Science, immediately aligning students to the fundamentals of computing from the moment they enrol.
In addition to providing all necessary science, technology, engineering and mathematics background to allow students to confidently enter year one of the BSc (Hons) Computer Science programme, the first year of study will also develop transferable skills such as communication, professionalism, teamwork and creativity, and provide an excellent transition period in preparation for learning and teaching methodologies used in the UK to support high engagement and achievement in the discipline.
The foundation year is taken in common with four complementary engineering disciplines (Biomedical, Chemical, Civil & Structural, Mechanical) and the following year in common with Computer Science for Cyber Security, and Software Engineering, allowing students to transfer after this common year if they feel an alternative programme better suits their emerging interests and career aspirations. Therefore, prior to being immersed in the technical depth of your selected area in the final two years of study, your education includes developing an understanding of the relation and importance of other technological areas to your own discipline, thereby broadening career options and employability on graduation.
Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (CDIO) forms a core element of programme delivery, based around developing innovative and sustainable solutions to real-world problems and closely linked to our well-developed industrial collaborations.
Professional accreditation
The BSc (Hons) in Computer Science is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
What I like is building software because it's more creative and it's more about the user experience. I like that because there’s an interaction with the client. We do quite a lot of individual and team projects. In the second year, we did a real-life project with a client called Triple-A who work with Jaguar Land Rover.
Learning and assessment
At Foundation level, cognitive and personal skills are developed in more open-ended problem solving and design exercises, often tackled by working in small groups supported by members of academic, technical, and library staff. Project work is used to bring various aspects of the programme together.
Typically, each module will involve students in 72 hours of scheduled contact except Mathematics, for which students will have 96 hours of scheduled contact for each module. An expected weekly attendance commitment will be around 21 hours.
Students will experience a wide range of teaching and learning environments and a consistent balance between direct academic delivery, and individual and group study. Concepts, principles and theories are generally explored in formal lectures, practiced in associated tutorials and seminars, and demonstrated and experimented in laboratory classes. Practical skills are developed in laboratory sessions.
The programme includes a number of innovative and active learning methods. For example, Team Based Learning (TBL) strategies are integrated within a number of modules. In addition, we endeavour to use team teaching methods where lecturing staff are able to contribute their highly specialised research and knowledge into the curriculum.
Throughout the programme, we make use of case studies so that students can apply their theoretical understanding to real-world issues. In this way, abstract concepts are brought to life through practical activities.
In addition to the standard technology enhanced learning approaches, we embed technologies to deliver key concepts in an interactive environment that strongly links theory with practical skills. For example: in programming lectures, a remote desktop application allows lecturers to demonstrate coding in an environment identical to that in our cutting-edge labs; our stage 2 Enterprise-Pro module requires and supports students to develop their projects using an industry standard tool for collaborative team-based software development. This allows them to develop industry standard skills based on real working practice.
In the Enterprise Pro module, the students work on a project for external clients or our collaborators in industry and academia. The projects are specifically tailored to be aligned with the studies and the topics that the students have studied.
Through these projects, the students gain crucial industry knowledge and experience to improve their employability prospects and professional skills as well as knowledge of industry developments and their needs, which helps enhance their skills. The clients end up with software products that could be potentially used by their organisations.
The students working in small groups are closely supervised and supported through laboratory practical sessions to ensure they have the right technical input to support the project and are delivering on time and keeping on track. Their interactions within the teams and with the external clients are continuously monitored by a group tutor.
Computer Science at the University of Bradford
We believe that technology should benefit everyone, and that everyone should have the opportunity to work within an exciting and future-defining discipline.
Our courses have been carefully designed to promote openness and inclusivity for all – we do not require students to have previously studied IT or Computer Science A-Levels or BTECs. Our curriculum begins from first principles, both practical and theoretical, to bring everyone up to a high standard of knowledge and expertise while still challenging and motivating those with previous subject knowledge through open-ended and extensible practical tasks.
We strongly believe that employability and practical skills, built on solid theoretical foundations, are critical for student success after graduating from our University. We embed the development of employer-focussed skills and experience into our programmes in many ways. Our module contents and curricula are built around input and feedback from our Industry Advisory Board, providing a direct line for industry experts to shape our taught content. We also embed opportunities to work on live industry projects directly into our modules, with projects available to students from both internal and external group to the University that have real problems to be solved, requiring students to produce real solutions and gain real experience.
All of our computer science students are automatically enrolled as student members of the British Computer Society (BCS).
Study support
We have a commitment to strong pastoral care for all of our students, which includes a Personal Tutor for all students, regular contact hours for tutor groups and our supportive student service teams who are always ready to help with any questions and provide the advice that you need. In addition to standard study support through taught sessions, our Virtual Learning Environment allows students to access resources, participate in group work and submit work from anywhere in the world 24/7. Our Personal Tutor system provides students with a specific academic staff member to support them through regular meetings and interactive activities, acting as an independent source of advice and guidance on making the transition to Higher Education and assisting them with any questions or problems they encounter. University central services are rich with support teams to assist students with every aspect of their journey through our degree courses. From our Career and Employability Service, through our strong Students' Union, to our professional and efficient Student Finance team, there are always friendly faces ready to support you and provide you with the answers that you need.
Research
Most of our staff are research active, and contribute to the cutting edge of their disciplines.
Bradford has a strong pedigree of world leading research, and our aim is to ensure that students benefit from our staff’s insight into the future of their subject.
The integration of new and innovative research findings into our curriculum, known as research informed teaching, is a core value and one of the key principles driving the design of our courses and our modules. Particularly in the final year, but throughout their course from the very first day, students are given insight into the future of Computing and Business, and the opportunities presented when they come together.