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Equipping you with a breadth and depth in knowledge as well as practical work experience gained from an industrial placement, this accredited Computer Science degree prepares you for a professional career in this fast-moving sector.

Course overview

This computer science course meets the evolving needs of industry, and introduces you to key research areas such as cyber security and data science.

You'll be based in the truly inspiring Urban Sciences Building, and study at a world-leading centre in computing innovation and industry collaboration.

By studying a broad computer science curriculum in your first two years, you'll develop knowledge in different aspects of the subject, and gain highly desirable skills in problem solving, program design and implementation. In your third year, you'll move onto specialist topics in game engineering.

Your paid year in industry is a great opportunity to further develop your employability and gain first-hand experience in the sector.

In your final year you can specialise in a particular area of computer science or build your own broad based degree. You can choose topics that are taught by renowned experts in areas such as security and resilience, software engineering, bioinformatics and game engineering.

Professional accreditation

Following a curriculum review, we are seeking British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation for our degrees so you can be assured that you will graduate with a degree that meets the standard set by the IT industry.

BCS is the Chartered Institute for IT. Studying a BCS-accredited degree provides the foundation for a chartered IT professional, engineer or scientist.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include:

• lectures – including guest lectures by visiting IT professionals
• tutorials – from our expert staff
• supervised practical work – which accounts for a significant amount of your time
• project work – to help you develop real-world business skills such as teamworking and project management

Project work includes a team project in Stage 2 to develop a substantial software product and a major individual project in Stage 4.

Industrial placement year

Your paid placement year takes place in Stage 3 and provides you with the experience of seeking and securing a job. You'll also gain practical experience, key business skills and industry contacts that will benefit your academic study and longer-term career.

We assess your placement by a short report and presentation, though the assessment will not count towards your final mark.

Preparing you for career success

In the present job market, computing science graduates are better placed than many others to obtain employment in a challenging and fulfilling career, and the employability of Newcastle graduates is particularly high.

An increasing number of employers require digital skills, meaning our graduates are highly sought after. They move into bespoke software development roles in software houses and computer manufacturers and also into corporate organisations that use computers on a larger scale, such as banking, insurance and manufacturing companies and public sector institutions.