Computer Science with Integrated Foundation Year

Our Integrated Foundation Year will take you through a carefully-designed programme to help you to progress confidently onto your undergraduate degree.

Engineering, Physical, Computational and Mathematical sciences underpin modern technological society and can help us provide answers to fundamental questions. Graduates with these degrees are highly sought after by employers. The (Physics/Electronic Engineering/Computer Science/Mathematics) Foundation Year provides progressive structures in which you are able to gain knowledge and understanding of approaches to scientific study and your chosen degree subject.

All Foundation Year students take ‘Global Perspectives’, then four subject-based courses provide familiarity with Mathematics and computation – the language of modern science and technology, and key for success in science, technology and engineering.

Once you have completed your Foundation year, you progress onto the full degree programme, BSc Computer Science.

Want to work at the cutting-edge of computing technology and help in shaping the future of our global society? Computers, intelligent devices and the internet are central to so many aspects of 21st century life, from business and industry to governance and our personal lives. Their potential for transforming economies, driving efficiencies and enhancing the well-being of societies is almost limitless. Our progressive curriculum will give you the knowledge and technical skills that employers need, and introduce you to pioneering ideas and technologies to help you to realise your ambitions.

We cover all the essentials of application development, from programming to software engineering, databases to web development, computer graphics to robotics, and information security. You will also explore the fundamentals of computing – what computers do, and how efficiently they do it – and learn about a host of advanced technologies, from computer games, digital sound and music, to concurrent and parallel programming, machine learning, bioinformatics, the internet of things, computational finance and more. From the outset you will be experimenting with programming games, robots, Gadgeteer kits, Subversion, JUnit testing, Scrum-based Agile software and more, in our well-equipped laboratories.

We are a highly respected, research-focused department with a friendly approach and award-winning teaching. We offer a short-term summer work placement programme and a dedicated personal adviser to guide you through your studies. You will also be welcome to join our thriving Computing Society. We are one of only seven departments in the UK to hold the Athena SWAN bronze award for increasing female participation in computer science.

The programme’s modular structure gives you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests. We also offer you the opportunity to follow a specialist pathway that matches your career ambitions. At the end of year 1 you will have the option of transferring onto one of these pathways (Artificial Intelligence, Information Security or Distributed & Networked Computing), as well as onto a year-in-industry programme, or onto our longer and more advanced integrated masters programme. Transferring onto our Software Engineering pathway requires previous programming experience and early permission to take the Software Development course in year 1, rather than Object-oriented Programming.

Course Modules

Foundation Year

Term 1:

• Global perspectives and academic practice 1

• Foundation Mathematics 1

• Foundation Programming

• Global perspectives and academic practice 2

• Foundation Mathematics 2

• Foundation Physical Sciences

• Department specific skills

• Individual project

Year 1

• Programming laboratory

• Internet Services

• Machine Fundamentals

• Mathematical Structures

• Object-oriented Programming

• Software Design

• Academic Integrity

Year 2

• Algorithms and Complexity

• Databases

• Introduction to Information Security

• Operating Systems

• Software Engineering

• Team Project

Year 3

• Individual Project

Optional Modules

Below is a taster of some of the exciting optional modules that students on the course could choose from during this academic year. Please be aware these do change over time, and optional modules may be withdrawn or new ones added.

Year 1

• All modules are core

Year 2

• Symbolic Artificial Intelligence

• Mathematical Methods for Computer Science

• Computer and Network Security

• Human-computer Interaction

Year 3

• Computational Finance

• Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Systems

• Machine Learning

• Semantic Web

• Data Visualisation and Exploratory Analysis

• Advanced Data Communications

• Concurrent and Parallel Programming

• Interconnected Devices

• Applications of Cryptography

• Critical Infrastructure Security

• Digital Forensics

• Malicious Software

• Smart Cards, RFIDs and Embedded Systems Security

• Human-computer Interaction

• IT Project Management

• Software Language Engineering

• Bioinformatics

• Compilers and Code Generation

• Computational Optimisation

• Digital Audio and Applications

• Functional Programming and Applications

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/undergraduate/computer-science/computer-science-with-integrated-foundation-year/

In your Foundation Year, teaching methods include a mixture of lectures, practical classes and workshops, laboratory classes, individual tutorials, and supervisory sessions. Outside of the classroom you’ll undertake guided and independent practice. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor in the Department of Computer Science and will have regular scheduled sessions. In the Foundation Year, you’ll also be assigned a Personal Tutor in the Centre for the Development of Academic Skills (CeDAS).  Assessments are varied; practical exercises, weekly problem sheets, set exercises, written examinations, laboratory reports, scientific poster preparation and presentation. In addition the Foundation Year offers a full range of skills-based training and also the opportunity to take a micro-placement to enhance your employability.

Once you progress onto your full degree course, we know the importance of giving you the time and space to experiment and put theory into practice. We encourage you to use your creativity, both in project teams and independently, and to have fun while you learn. We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, small-group tutorials, supervised computer lab classes and problem-solving sessions. You will also be expected to complete guided independent study and group work. Our programming and software engineering teaching is very hands on, allowing you to learn at your own pace, whatever your previous level of experience. All students attend laboratory classes on games and robotics, giving you the chance to develop real applications with imagination and creativity.

We are proud of our award-winning teaching. Professor Dave Cohen won a College Excellence Teaching Prize for the re-design of our second-year software engineering courses, and he was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year. The British Computer Society (BCS) has distinguished our software engineering teaching as an exemplar of 'best practice' in computer science education.

Assessment is through a mixture of examinations and coursework. Most course units have a two or three-hour written examination taken at the end of the year in which they are taught, but around half of your final award will come from assessed coursework, which could include project reports (including the full unit project in year 3), essays, oral presentations and software submissions.