Computer Science (Software Engineering) with a Year-in-Industry

Our technological world has created a tremendous demand for professionals who can design, build and maintain computer programmes, databases. This four-year, year in industry programme with a specialism in software engineering will give you a strong foundation of knowledge, skills and practical experience to kickstart your career in software. Your extended work placement will give you skills and awareness that can only be acquired in a real work environment, and will help to set you apart when you apply for jobs. Our software engineering teaching has been hailed as a‘best practice’ example of computer science education by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Developed in consultation with industry, our progressive curriculum will give you a solid grounding in the fundamentals of computing and application development. You will learn from software professionals and leading academics to apply engineering principles to the design, development, implementation and maintenance of all kinds of software. We cover the whole process of software development, from initial client briefs through to costing, scheduling and efficient delivery. 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. You will develop team working, time management and communication skills, and a strong professional ethos.

Your year in industry will start at the end of year 2. We are located in the famous M4 corridor, known as 'England's Silicon Valley', and we enjoy close links with many of its leading technology companies. If you are unable to go ahead with your placement you will have the option of transferring onto our equivalent three-year BSc programme. In your final year you will also have the flexibility to choose between a range of optional courses.

We are a highly respected, research-focused department with a friendly approach and award-winning teaching. We offer a 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 our commitment to increasing female participation in computer science.

The BCS has distinguished our teaching of Software Engineering as 'Best Practice'.

You will be taught by staff with extensive industrial experience, three of whom are certified Scrum Masters.

You will learn to master the process of software engineering, from initial client meetings through to delivery.

Course Modules

Core Modules

Year 1

• Object Oriented Programming I

• Object Oriented Programming II

• Programming laboratory

• Internet Services

• Mathematical Structures

• Machine Fundamentals

• Mathematical Methods for Computer Science

• Software Design

• Academic Integrity

Year 2

• Software Engineering

• Small Enterprise Team Project

• Operating Systems

• Databases

• Algorithms and Complexity

• Introduction to Information Security

• Computer and Network Security

Year 3

• Year in Industry

Year 4

• Individual Project

• User-Centred Design

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

Year 4

• 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

• Smart Cards, RFIDs and Embedded Systems Security

• 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-software-engineering-with-a-year-in-industry/

We are an award-winning department for software engineering 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. We firmly believe that how we teach you is at least as important as what we teach, and 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 software engineering and programming teaching is very hands on, allowing you to learn at your own pace, whatever your previous level of experience. You will also attend laboratory classes on games and robotics in year 1, giving you the chance to develop real applications with imagination and creativity from the outset. During your year in industry, our careers tutor will visit you twice and keep in touch with your host to monitor your progression.

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 your full unit project), essays, oral presentations and software submissions. Your Year in Industry forms an integral part of the degree course and you will be asked to complete assessed work that will count towards your final degree.