UCAS code:
I103
|
Institution code:
S82
|
Location:
Ipswich
|
Duration:
Three years full-time. |
Typical Offer:
2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 112 UCAS tariff points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level) |
A flexible computing course that gives you a choice of pathways or the freedom to create your own to meet your career ambitions and interests.
Choose a selection of modules in cyber security, software engineering, web design, mobile app development, networking, artificial intelligence and data science. Or, choose a specialist pathway towards the end of your first year:
- BSc (Hons) Computing (Cyber Security)
- BSc (Hons) Computing (Web and Mobile Development)
- BSc (Hons) Computing (Artificial Intelligence)
Introduction
There has never been a better time to begin a career as a computing professional. In the UK alone, the demand for roles within the digital technology sector has increased by over 150% and it is estimated that annually over 600,000 ICT jobs remain unfilled. Our flexible BSc (Hons) Computing degree has been designed to equip you with the hands-on experience and knowledge relevant to industry allowing you to take advantage of this demand for highly-skilled computing professionals.
All students begin their journey on our BSc (Hons) Computing degree learning the fundamentals of computing. They will then begin to customise their degree based on their individual career ambitions and interests. For students that opt for a package of specialist modules, a specialist degree will be awarded in cyber security, web and mobile development or artificial intelligence. For students that opt for a range of optional modules or combine modules from multiple specialist areas, a BSc (Hons) Computing degree will be awarded upon completion of the course. This flexibility gives students control not only over their curriculum, but the degree they receive.
Course Highlights:
- A flexible computing course that gives you a choice of pathways or the freedom to create your own. You can choose from modules in cyber security, web and mobile development, artificial intelligence, data science, software development, networking, cloud computing, big data and more.
- Access to resources from some of the largest tech companies including Amazon Web Services, Juniper, Oracle and our new Google Student Club.
- Access to world-class specialist laboratories at our new state-of-the-art DigiTech Centre located at Adastral Park, home to over 150 high-tech ICT companies and BT’s innovation labs.
- Opportunities to work on real-world projects in collaboration with industry leaders and experts using the latest technologies.
- An annual schedule of industry events and hackathons allowing you to apply the knowledge and skills you learn from the course.
- An opportunity to start your own business with the University of Suffolk’s Innovation Centre (IWIC) and gain guidance from business leaders and academics.
Course Pathways
Cyber security has never been more important. Our society is entirely dependent on information technology. Computers dominate our working lives, personal lives, homes, vehicles, schools and hospitals. These are at constant risk of attack by hackers and cyber criminals.
Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Cyber Security) pathway provides you with expertise in all aspects of cyber security, covering software, networks, systems, people and organisations. We develop your understanding of the motivations and techniques of attackers, and teach you how to successfully defend against them.
By the completion of this pathway, we prepare you to take the certification exams for (ISC)2’s Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) qualifications – should you wish.
Learn more about our cyber security pathway
Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Web and Mobile Development) pathway combines a solid grounding in software design and computer science with the expertise required for a successful career in the field of web and mobile development. Throughout the pathway, you will have many opportunities to grow your professional portfolio allowing you to stand out from the crowd and forge a rewarding career in the web and mobile development industry.
As part of this pathway, you will learn how to develop interactive and accessible web applications using languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. You will also learn how to develop cutting edge mobile applications for both Android and iOS.
Learn more about our web and mobile development pathway
It is estimated that we currently produce over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every single day. This includes over 94 million photos and videos shared on Instagram, over 306 billion emails and over 5 million Tweets. In the last two years alone, an astonishing 90% of the world’s data has been created.
Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Artificial Intelligence) pathway has been designed to provide you with everything you need to be able to find meaning in this data as a successful data scientist. You will also learn how cutting edge artificial intelligence techniques are successfully solving complex and critical problems from self-driving cars and medicine to information retrieval and smart systems.
Learn more about our artificial intelligence pathway
Not sure which pathway to choose or do you want the flexibility to create your own? Simply choose modules based on your career ambitions and interests. Combine a selection of modules in cyber security, web and mobile development, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, networking and more to create a custom curriculum to meet your needs. Our degree has been designed specifically to allow for this flexibility while ensuring that you reach the advanced knowledge necessary for roles in industry. At the start of your course, you will be allocated a Personal Academic Coach who can explain to you the options and pathways available so you will always be supported in the decisions you make and can be sure they align with your career ambitions. Students that choose to create their own pathway will be awarded a BSc (Hons) Computing degree upon completion of the course.
How will you be taught?
You will be taught by experienced lecturers who use their years of industry and research knowledge to demonstrate best practices, industry standards and innovative technologies. You will experience a variety of teaching methods including lectures and seminar sessions, totalling at least 12 hours of contact time per week. You will also have access to our virtual learning environment, Brightspace allowing you 24/7 access to lecture material and activities, both on and off campus.
Students also have access to our computing Slack channel allowing them to collaborate and chat with each other. New computing students joining the university will receive access to our ‘New Student’ Slack channel in the weeks before the course commences. This allows new students to get to know each other and make friends before they arrive on campus.
How will you be assessed?
Throughout the course, the emphasis is placed on students completing hands-on projects that they can later present in their professional portfolio to employers. A variety of assessment methods are used, including individual and group-based practical projects, quizzes, technical reports and presentations. There are opportunities for feedback on your work throughout and you will receive the support you need through your lecturers and our academic support and library services teams.
How do you ask a question?
You can click here at any time to contact a lecturer or student studying on our computing degree. Do feel free to ask any questions about the computing course, our pathways, the university, student life and services or anything else.
How do you apply?
To join our computing degree (including pathways in cyber security, web and mobile development or artificial intelligence), please apply for our BSc (Hons) Computing degree (UCAS code I103). If you wish to choose modules leading to a specialist award, you will have this opportunity towards the end of your first year of study. For our computing course, we do not require a portfolio of work to be submitted as part of your application.
Course modules
Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.
All students will take the following six modules in their first year. This provides students with an understanding of a range of fundamental computing topics essential to any role in the technology sector.
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Computing Fundamentals
This module covers the principles of computer systems, hardware components, the essence of operating systems, and relevant computing-related mathematics. This module will provide the foundational underpinning to enable students to progress deeper into different computing specialisms, and a grasp of the history of computing, recent developments and its possible future. -
Introduction to Networking
This module introduces the concepts of communications and networking. It explores the Open Systems Interconnectivity (OSI) 7-layer reference model and TCP/IP Routing Suite (the 5-layer Internet reference model). TCP/IP is the model which is most commonly deployed in the majority of modern-day networks. -
Introduction to Web Design
The module introduces the concepts of web design, with a focus on designing responsive websites that are targeted at mobile platforms. Students are introduced to HTML, CSS and JavaScript to provide them with an understanding of what goes into the front-end of modern websites. Using a series of case studies, students will analyse the design and layout of a range of existing sites using a number of common analysis techniques. -
Introduction to Programming
This module introduces students to the concepts and practice of computer programming. It is aimed at providing students with an understanding of the fundamentals of computer programming by having them work through a range of tasks focused upon layout, structure and functionality. - Introduction to Cyber Security
This module provides an understanding of why cyber security matters to businesses, to society and to individuals, coupled with knowledge of basic concepts, attack techniques, attacker types, and the core elements of cyber assurance.
- Introduction to AI and Data Science
This module provides an introduction to the artificial intelligence and data science fields, covering the history of the discipline, and exploring a variety of “classical AI” topics.
Upon completion of the above modules, students will be able to align themselves with a pathway in Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence or Web and Mobile Development. Alternatively, students can opt for a bespoke selection of modules to create their own computing pathway.
All students will take the following four required modules in their second year:
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Software Design, Development and Engineering
This module focuses on all phases of the modern software engineering lifecycle and advanced software engineering topics, including critical software, secure software, formal methods and project management from the practitioner’s perspective. This will be put into practice through the requirements gathering, design, implementation and testing of an extensive project that meets the needs of a particular enterprise. -
Relational Databases
This module provides essential knowledge and appreciation of the role of relational database systems, including basic principles and practice of design, implementation and development for both system designers and software engineers. It will include practical exercises in Structured Query Language. -
Computing Research Skills, Professional Practice and Ethics
Research skills are an essential set of capabilities in the toolkit of a professional software engineer. In this module, students will develop knowledge and understanding of the purpose, processes, methods (surveys, experiments, interviews, case studies, etc.), analysis (qualitative and quantitative), and outputs of research and will be able to apply them. This module also delves into the professional, legal and ethical standards and guidelines that inform and guide best practice in business and computing. -
Data Structures, Algorithms and Advanced Programming
This module focuses on data structures (e.g. linked lists, trees, heaps, hash tables, etc), algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, greedy, graph, geometric, cryptographic, string matching and compression algorithms, etc), and advanced programming techniques and other language paradigms.
In addition to the above modules, students are required to choose two of the below optional modules:
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Advanced Web Design
The module builds upon the content delivered to the students in Introduction to Web Design, providing students with an advanced understanding of front-end web development and design technologies. Essential for any career in the web industry, students will utilise advanced frameworks, pre-processors and design patterns to create interactive, accessible and mobile-friendly web interfaces. Through interactive hands-on sessions, students will develop their own online portfolio of work and become familiar with the prototyping and agile development methodologies common to the web industry. -
Advanced Web Application Development
The module will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop scalable server-side applications utilising a range of influential web technologies. Throughout the module, there is an emphasis on preparing students for the web industry by ensuring best practices are followed and industry-standard software and tools are used. Additional topics such as security, ethical hacking, APIs and encryption will also be taught to ensure students have the skills required to design and develop large-scale web infrastructures. -
Human and System Cyber Security
Software, networks and databases do not exist in isolation, but form part of systems. Few systems are purely technical, but are socio-technical and info-socio-technical in nature, where human beings may be central or peripheral to the system, yet be the weakest link in their security. This module introduces, in the context of cyber security, system thinking and human behaviour, and how social engineering and open-source intelligence may be used in both attack and defence of systems and individuals. -
Data Mining and Statistics
Data science includes many techniques for classification, analysis and prediction. This module focuses on those techniques relating to data mining and statistically driven approaches. These techniques also have the advantage of being “explainable AI”, more so than deep learning approaches, and some are long established techniques of “business intelligence”. -
Security for Computer Networks
This module covers basic and advanced security concepts related to wired and wireless networks, and builds upon the network knowledge previously covered in Level 4 study. Students will learn about the main challenges faced by a variety of wired and wireless environments. Further, the module presents common defence techniques and tools used to counter different security threats, and also explores some of the latest network security challenges posed by recent technology developments. -
NoSQL Databases
Industry, commerce and research are being transformed by the potential to capture, store, manipulate, analyse and visualise data and information on a massive scale. The advent of Big Data with its variety, velocity and volume disrupted the way we store and manage data. During this module you will learn NoSQL approaches to data modelling, database design and manipulation.
Students that wish to meet the requirements for a specialist pathway award need to choose the following options:
Pathway | Options Required |
Cyber Security |
Human and System Cyber Security Security for Computer Networks |
Web and Mobile Development |
Advanced Web Design Advanced Web Application Development |
Artificial Intelligence |
Data Mining and Statistics NoSQL Databases |
All students will take the following required module in their third year:
-
Project and Dissertation
The module provides the opportunity for students to apply and develop some of the knowledge and skills acquired in their degree by engaging in a significant project in a specialist area of computing, typically software or networks. It will enable and require students to utilise practical, intellectual and decision-making skills in novel situations and develop their autonomy and self-direction.
In addition to the above module, students are required to choose four of the below optional modules:
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Strategic Cyber Security
Cyber security is now an executive-level concern in most organisations. Cyber security specialists will be required to deliver strategic value to their organisations by ensuring security is intrinsic to system architectures by design and by default, by applying appropriate standards in risk analysis, systems modelling and policy design, and scanning the horizon of emergent threat landscapes to discern new issues. -
Information Engineering
This covers the full range of skills and knowledge required for “Big Data” including parallel and NoSQL databases, statistical modelling and programming, machine learning, data analytics and visualisation. These skills are essential for making sense of security-related Big Data. -
Neural Networks and Deep Learning
A sufficiency of inexpensive computing power, sufficiently large datasets and a number of key theoretical advances created deep learning techniques which have facilitated a wave of accuracy increases across many computational tasks (computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, autonomous driving, etc.), making many applications practical. Deep learning is central to modern artificial intelligence. This module explains the underlying mathematics and techniques and how to use them to achieve similar feats of computational accuracy. -
AI and Data Science Applications
This module provides an opportunity to explore in greater depth several areas of artificial intelligence and data science. This will include an understanding of the domain theory, typical problems faced in the domain and how these might be solved. -
Mobile Application Development
The module is intended to provide students with an understanding of development for mobile devices with a focus on the constraints of mobile hardware, including interface and networking. Students will learn to integrate input from hardware sensors and work with networked data and services. -
Distributed Systems
This module provides a systematic understanding of distributed operating systems, software services and applications in terms of their architectures, functionality and behaviour. It includes case studies on the “Internet of Things” and cloud computing as well as topics on parallel programming. -
Cyber-Physical Security
There has been a triple convergence of computing, communications and the physical world, leading to the creation of complex cyber-physical systems, a reliance on strong cryptography, and the need to instil security into software and cyber-physical systems in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape. -
Cyber Forensics and Intrusion Management
Cyber attacks are increasing in frequency and diversity with hostile actors probing for vulnerabilities, cooperating to develop exploits, and deploying these on an industrial scale. Many organisations are essentially under continuous attack from multiple actors. Eternal vigilance through monitoring and logging is essential for reactive and proactive responses. Inevitably some attacks will be successful and effective actions are required to handle these incidents, limit breaches, and collect evidence for investigation. -
Cyber Security: Attack and Defence
On one hand, this provides insights into the mindset of cyber attackers, a secure understanding of the ethics and legal issues in this area, and knowledge and skills in attack technologies and techniques. On the other hand, this module provides a detailed knowledge and understanding of the techniques and tools available to a security professional, and the practical skills in selecting, evaluating, designing, implementing and deploying defences to protect vulnerable software, networks and systems.
Students that wish to meet the requirements for a specialist pathway award need to choose the following options:
Pathway | Options Required |
Cyber Security |
Cyber-Physical Security Strategic Cyber Security Cyber Forensics and Intrusion Management + One module from above list |
Web and Mobile Development |
Mobile Application Development + Three modules from above list |
Artificial Intelligence |
Neural Networks and Deep Learning AI and Data Science Applications + Two modules from above list |
Career opportunities
Upon graduation from this degree, students can progress into a range of roles, including:
- Cyber Security Expert
- Web Developer
- Data Scientist
- Artificial Intelligence Expert
- Mobile App Developer
- QA Engineer
- Network Engineer
- Software Developer
- Data Analyst
All graduates will also have the opportunity to start their own business within the University of Suffolk Innovation Centre (IWIC). Here, students will have access to hot desk space, networking and collaborative opportunities.
Student profiles
Fees and finance
2023-24
- UK full-time tuition fee: £9,250 p.a
- UK part-time tuition fee: £1,454 per 20 credits (please contact the Student Centre for further information)
- International full-time tuition fee: £14,598 p.a (inclusive of lab-based fee)
Further Information
At University of Suffolk, your tuition fees provide access to all the usual teaching and learning facilities that you would expect. However, there may be additional costs associated with you course that you will need to budget for.
Entry requirements
2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 112 UCAS tariff points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level).
Applicants are also required to have GCSE English and Maths grade 4/C or above, or equivalent Level 2 qualifications. Applicants who do not hold these qualifications may be considered on an individual basis based upon their overall application and the course applied for.
IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) where English is not the students' first language.
If you have previously studied at higher education level before you may be able to transfer credits to a related course at the University of Suffolk and reduce the period of study time necessary to achieve your degree.
Staff
Facilities and Resources
The majority of teaching on this degree will take place on our main Ipswich Waterfront campus. This location was opened in 2016 and received a £5.5 million-pound investment in both the building and the facilities on offer. The top floor of the Atrium houses four high-end computer laboratories complete with industry-standard software and tools.
Specialist modules in data science, artificial intelligence and cyber security may also take place in our state-of-the-art DigiTech Centre at Adastral Park, which was unveiled by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal in November 2019 and launched in the summer of 2021. A collaboration between the University of Suffolk and BT, with funding from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the centre has been established to provide training in cutting-edge digital skills for people looking to pursue careers in the nationally-important information and communications technology (ICT) sector, as well as fuelling high tech businesses who increasingly require access to a talented technology workforce.