Intro

Our accredited Computer Science BSc(Hons) is responsive to emerging technologies. Developed and delivered by industry experts it provides the skills you need for a rewarding career in a rapidly changing sector.

You’ll explore software development, software-hardware interface design, programming and artificial intelligence (AI), and learn the processes for making applications efficient, reliable and secure.

Exciting project work and placements put learning into practice and show potential employers what you are capable of.

You’ll be based in one of the most important cities in the UK for digital technology businesses with plenty of opportunities to network and exchange ideas. Professionals will come and share their expertise, giving you the benefit of their experience.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code G400

Full-time 3 years
With placement year 4 years

Accredited by the British Computer Society

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Apply now with UCAS for 2022

Course content

Course structure

This course is part of the computing undergraduate programme which offers a variety of specialist degrees. If you develop a particular specialism during year 1, you will be able to switch to a degree which accurately reflects your interests.

You will learn independently through guided activities such as reading, practical skills development, assessed coursework, and project work supported by a supervisor.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Student sitting along in the computer lab

Year 1 

Beginning with a broad introduction to computer science and software engineering, you will study topics that cover programming, databases, web development, artificial intelligence, maths and professional skills. 

Modules

  • Introduction to Programming

    This module is the entry-level programming module and will introduce you to the fundamental concepts and skills required to write simple programs in a high-level language.

  • Introduction to Cyber Security

    This module will provide you with an understanding of cyber security and privacy. It will also provide you with the skills and mechanisms required to build and maintain secure information systems that can protect people, business, and data from malicious attacks.

  • Computing Technologies

    This module will enable you to gain an understanding of the basic principles underlying the architecture and operation of a computer system, including the storage and retrieval of data.

  • Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

    This module introduces you to the basic concepts of artificial intelligence (AI). You'll explore AI principles, techniques and technologies using real-world examples.

  • Introduction to Web Development

    This module will introduce a range of current web technologies, equipping you to build basic standards-compliant static and interactive web pages.

  • Working in the Computing Industry

    This module introduces you to the professional roles and working practices in computing and business information technology (IT). The module integrates an introduction to the university learning environment and a foundation in academic study skills.

Computing students

Year 2 

In your second year, you will study software hardware design in more depth. You will apply your foundation knowledge to more specialised areas of computer science, including intelligent systems, object-oriented software design, operating systems and data structures.

Modules

  • Intelligent Systems 1
  • Integrated Group Project
  • Object-oriented Development and Testing
  • Data Structure and Operating Systems

Options*

  • Introduction to Functional Programming
  • Embedded Systems
  • Web Application Development
  • Mobile Application Development

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Solo Female student on computers

Placement year

You have the option of a year’s paid placement after your second year. Going on a placement builds confidence, can help you decide what how you want to specialise in your final year, and strengthens your CV.

Our students have been on placement with companies including Lighthouse Systems, IBM, AstraZeneca, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, EDF Energy and 15below.

Business school students on placement in office

Final year

In your final year, you consolidate what you have learnt in a major computing project, and will specialise in the subjects that interest you most by choosing option modules.

Modules

  • Computing Project
  • Object-oriented Design and Architecture
  • Programming Languages, Concurrency and Client-server Computing

Options*

  • Marketing for Software Products
  • Data Mining
  • Usability Evaluation
  • Virtual Reality Systems
  • Intellectual Property Law and IT
  • New Horizons in Computing
  • Advanced Mobile Application Development

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Students talking on computers

Student view 

Umair Khalil

I chose to study at Brighton because the curriculum taught here reflects what is being used and practiced within the current industry.

My experience here has been exceptional, challenging and rewarding. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone with a technical background who is not afraid to challenge themselves and who aspire to be involved in a hugely prosperous industry.

The course remains up-to-date with the current technologies and theoretical approaches. The guest lectures have been crucial in understanding how some of the content taught at the university can be instrumental to some of the tasks undertaken by large companies.

The staff have been extremely supportive since the minute I arrived. They have all helped to push me out of my comfort zone and have always provided me with the advice and tools to help me succeed in a very demanding industry and shown me how I can maximise the opportunities open to me in and out of the university.

Umair Khalil profile picture

How this course is delivered

How will my course be taught?
For the academic year that starts in September 2022 we’re planning for all students to be taught face-to-face on campus, enhanced by some online learning.

Students who started their course with us in 2021 are on campus for some face-to-face learning including tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes and studio sessions. They are also taking part in off-campus learning activities such as placements, field trips and study visits. And all of our campus facilities – libraries, learning spaces, restaurants, gyms and more are open.

Like all universities we are following government guidance and we are monitoring the pandemic very closely. Should Public Health advise it we have robust plans in place for additional safety measures to be introduced to enable everyone to continue learning on campus, and, as a last resort, for students to continue their learning remotely.

We will update you regularly on our teaching plans for the next academic year as you progress your application with us.

When does my course start?
The 2022 academic year begins on Monday 26 September 2022. Teaching for most courses starts the following week.

Many education courses, some health science courses including Medicine, and some postgraduate business courses have an earlier start date. Check your offer letter for the start date of your course.

Our latest news

My first year so far

My first year so far

Minas Fakhori is one of the first year Computer Science BSc(Hons) students that took part in the latest Codefest, a monthly software development event that brings together students, industry experts and the latest technologies in computer science.
From prize-winning project to a dream career

From prize-winning project to a dream career

We spoke to Jade Page, who has recently graduated from Computer Science BSc(Hons) about her prize winning project, her time at Brighton and to find out what she is doing now.
What I’ve found

What I’ve found

Abigail Whitman, second year Computer Science BSc(Hons) talks about her course and preparing for her career.
Can machines think?

Can machines think?

In 1997, Deep Blue, made by IBM, became the very first machine to beat a human world champion in Chess.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Professional accreditation 

Accredited by BCS – the Chartered Institute for IT.  

Being accredited ensures the content of the course prepares you for your future career as well as it giving you a strong academic grounding.

Accreditation also means that when you graduate you will meet some or all of the education requirements for registration with BCS as a Chartered IT Professional (CITP).

BCS logo

Preparing for your career 

In your career you need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree.

  • You’ll work on exciting live client briefs and build a professional portfolio showcasing your skills and talent.
  • The integrated group project in your second year will help improve your project management, team-building and problem-solving skills.
  • You will present your individual final year project to potential employers at the computing degree show.
computing students

Work-related learning 

Taking part in our Game Jams and monthly Codefest events, supported and sponsored by Brighton companies will enable you to apply your programming, problem-solving and team-working skills and are a great way to get to know students from other disciplines.    

Companies such as Hangar 13 Games and Brandwatch, mentor and judge these events.  

Facilities for learning 

You’ll have access to our specialist facilities for hands-on learning

Facilities include:

  • usability lab with eye-tracking technology
  • security lab including secure and dependable software systems
  • digitisation/VR lab
  • Oculus Rift
  • HTC Vive
  • 3D scanning and printing
  • Reflectance Transformation Imaging acquisition dome
  • digital media and games studios
  • a Simulation Suite with flight simulators and a car simulator that use VR and motion platform technology.
Driving simulator 360
Click to view a virtual tour of the Simulation Suite

Industry links

With a digital economy worth over £1bn a year, the city of Brighton and Hove offers opportunities for networking, internships and placements on your doorstep.    

  • The Paxton Scholarship, open to computing, maths, engineering and product design students, offers three scholarships a year worth £10,000 and a three-month paid placement at the Brighton technology company.
  • Local meet ups and events such as Develop: Brighton are great for networking and exchanging ideas.
  • As a student you can find internships and a doorway to job opportunities across the city through Wired Sussex, a local membership organisation for companies and individuals working in the digital sector.
  • The university is the lead academic partner of the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton, which helps entrepreneurs and small businesses bring their digital services and products to market.

Graduate destinations 

Our graduates are working at companies including:

  • Accenture
  • Pepsi
  • Intel
  • HP
  • Vodafone
  • Arcadia Group
  • Capgemini
  • RSM UK
  • BNP Paribas.

Further study   

We have opportunities for further study at postgraduate level.

Supporting your employability 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Emlployable

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

International Baccalaureate
26 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Level 3 units in computing required. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

T-levels
Merit in the Digital Production, Design and Development T-level. Other T-levels are not accepted.

Foundation degree/HND
May enable you to start the course in year 2 or 3. HNC may also count towards direct entry.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,892 GBP

If you choose to take the professional placement (sandwich) year offered on this course you will pay a reduced fee during this year. Our fee for the professional placement year is £1,370 for UK students and £2,120 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering in the 2021–22 academic year are listed here.

  • Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
  • There will be opportunities to attend additional study trips or optional taught residential field trips throughout the school, but these are not required to pass your course. Normally, a contribution will be required towards expenses such as travel, entrance fees and accommodation. This will vary depending on where and how long the trip is, but you should budget around £1,500.
  • Where optional international field trips are offered, these are not required to pass your course. You should expect to budget £300–£500 for these, to cover flight, accommodation, food and entrance to museums. The total amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • If you choose to take an optional paid placement, you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.
  • Some students require specialist outdoor equipment and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and should budget up to £150.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software; however, many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses. Find out what free software is available from the University of Brighton.
  • Course books are available from the university, but you may wish to budget from £15 to £100 per year to buy your own copies and subscribe to design magazines.
  • In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but students may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.
  • Costs of up to £50 are included in the fees for students on engineering courses to pay for materials for their final year projects. On rare occasions where material costs exceed £50, they will need to be paid for by the student.

For architecture, interior architecture, design and product design, additional costs are as follow

  • Students should budget around £25 for printing and binding dissertations in their final year.
  • In your first year of studies, you will need to buy a drawing and modelling toolkit. Each course will suggest a list of items of which some will be essential, and others optional. You should budget around £100–£250 for these.
  • For most courses you will need to budget between £100 to £300 per year for printing and portfolio costs. Costs will vary depending on type of printer and type and size of paper used. Some students tend to work digitally, spending more on printing and some by hand, spending more on materials so these costs vary widely between students.
  • For most courses you will need to budget between £10 and £100 for material costs per design project. Costs will vary depending on how and what you use to make models. You are encouraged to recycle used materials where possible.
  • You will need to budget between £5–£50 to exhibit work for the end-of-year show. Fundraising by the student society, BIAAS, normally helps towards this cost.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Over the last four years Moulsecoomb has undergone a major transformation, planned with accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability in mind.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

On campus you’ll find professional-standard facilities and learning resources for all of our subjects and a brand new academic building Elm House, alongside the library, student centre, fitness facilities and the Students’ Union.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students who apply by 30 June.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Moulsecoomb Place, Mithras halls and Varley Park. All halls are self-catered.
    • Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
    • Moulsecoomb Place halls are all self-catered and are located right on campus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Halls

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Park

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Students eating at the Hub

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Cricket Academy

New for September 2023, our Cricket Academy offers aspiring players the opportunity to continue their cricket development alongside studying for a degree. The programme offers a world-class training environment with the highest quality coaching.

Find out more about the Cricket Academy.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Join an online event

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

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Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

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