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Programme Specification
BSc Computer Science (2019-20)
This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
Awarding Institution University of Southampton Teaching Institution University of Southampton Mode of Study Duration in years
Full-time 3 Accreditation details British Computer Society (BCS) Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Final award Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) Name of Award Computer Science Interim Exit awards Bachelor of Science (Ordinary) Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
FHEQ level of final award Level 6 UCAS code Programme Code
G
QAA Subject Benchmark or other external reference
Computing 2007
Programme Lead Nicholas Gibbins (nmg) Pathway Lead
Programme Overview
Brief outline of the programme
Computer Science and Software Engineering drive the fundamental technologies of today’s connected world. Every area of our lives, from medicine and healthcare to industrial applications, global trade, transport, communications, entertainment and security, is dependent on computing technology. As a result, computer science is now one of the fastest growing job fields in the world and skilled computer scientists are very much in demand.
The Computer Science and Software Engineering programme at the University of Southampton is a world-leading research-led undergraduate programme that aims to give students a robust, in-depth grounding in the discipline, while offering a broad range of optional modules that derive from the research carried out by staff in ECS (for example, the Cyber Security themed degree draws on expertise from the EPSRC/GCHQ-awarded Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research). The programme is designed to give you experience of core technologies and techniques, while making it possible for you to work in depth and specialise in what really interests you by focussing your studies in one of six specialist areas (Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Distributed Systems and Networks, Image and Multimedia Systems, Mobile and Secure Systems, and Cyber Security) through our themed degrees. Our project work will enable you to acquire valuable skills in teamwork, project planning, time management and presentation, applying your learning to design and build problems, and working to a brief, and we also offer the opportunity to spend a year in industry as part of our “with Industrial Studies” variant degrees. All of these experiences will stand you in good stead as you move into your career. Our outstanding lab facilities and research-led teaching ensure that, at the end of your programme, your skills will be highly regarded by leading employers.
Your contact hours will vary depending on your module/option choices. Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module profiles.
Learning and teaching A range of learning and teaching methods are used on this programme, including:
- Staff-led lectures, demonstrations, laboratories and seminars
- Directed reading
- Student-led seminars and presentations
- Specification, design, analysis, implementation and verification exercises
- Revision for written examinations
- Staff and post-graduate supervision of your research dissertation
- Industrial placements
Assessment A range of assessment methods are used on this programme to enable students to demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes, including:
- Written examinations
- In-class tests
- Design exercises
- Programming exercises
- Oral presentations
- Written assessments, including technical reports, literature searches and surveys
- Assessed laboratories and logbook checks
- Group work exercises, presentations and reports
Special Features of the programme
N/A
Please note: As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our programmes to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. As a result, this programme may be revised during a student's period of registration; however, any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Please read our Disclaimer to see why, when and how changes may be made to a student's programme.
Programmes and major changes to programmes are approved through the University's programme validation process which is described in the University's Quality handbook.
Educational Aims of the Programme
The aims of this programme are to:
- Provide you with a solid foundation and to develop the skills needed for a wide range of professional engineering careers as a high quality practitioner and leader in business, technology, research and development
- Provide a balance of theoretical, design and practical subjects which allows you to exploit your individual talents
- Provide a coherent selection of specialist subjects which allows you to focus your studies in a themed area within computer science and software engineering
- Have a flexible structure which is relevant and attractive not only to you, but also to staff, and industry and which is responsive to advances in technology and the needs of the community
- Be at the leading edge of scholarship in computer science and software engineering
- Maximise the benefit of an environment in which staff are carrying out internationally respected research
- Provide an environment which contributes towards your personal and professional development and acts as a foundation for a wide range of subsequent study and lifelong learning
and also possible trade-offs presented within a given problem B5. Critically evaluate the impact of current and emerging methods and technologies B6. Recognise the professional, moral and ethical issues involved in the exploitation of computer technology and be guided by the adoption of appropriate professional, ethical and legal practices B7. Explain the financial, social and environmental factors of significance to engineering, and the broader obligations of engineers to society B8. Recognise any risks or safety aspects that may be involved in the operation of computing equipment within a given context
Teaching and Learning Methods
Skills B1-B4 are the subject of modules in each Part, taught mainly through lectures and tutorials. Practical software development skills are also taught in computer laboratories. These outcomes are further developed through coursework and project work ranging from programming exercises in Part I, to major individual (Part III) and group (Part IV) design projects.
Skills B5 and B9 are taught through the demonstration and use of up-to-date methods and technologies, Guest Lecturers from industry, and, for MEng students, industrial placements, and specialist seminars, including directed reading of research materials.
Skills B6-B8 are covered in lectures and tutorials in the first part and further developed through guest lectures and directed reading, particularly in Parts III and IV.
Assessment Methods
Skills B1-B4 are assessed through programming exercises, design exercises, design projects, logbook checks, oral presentations, and technical design reports. Skills B5 and B9 are assessed through technical reports and oral presentations. Skills B6-B8 are assessed through technical reports and logbook checks.
Transferable and Generic Skills
On successful completion of this programme you will be able to:
C1. Manage your learning and development including time management and organisational skills C2. Solve problems of a non-routine nature in creative and innovative ways C3. Work as a member of a team, recognising the different roles within a team, different ways of organising teams, and the requirements and responsibilities of leadership C4. Present clearly and succinctly to a range of audiences (orally, electronically and in writing) rational and reasoned arguments that address a given information handling problem or opportunity, using either current or emerging technologies C5. Demonstrate numeracy and use appropriate mathematics in communicating results, concepts and ideas, and cases with a quantitative dimension; use mathematics as a tool to solve complex problems C6. Operate computing and other IT equipment effectively, taking into account its logical and physical properties C7. Retrieve information effectively, using, for example, browsers, search engines and catalogues C8. Explain the need for continuing professional development in recognition of lifelong learning
Teaching and Learning Methods
Skills C1-C3 are covered in lectures in Part I, but are mainly developed through the significant practical problem- solving elements of the programme in later Parts, which contribute 50% or more to your final
degree classification. Adherence to deadlines is encouraged through late submission penalties.
Skills C4-C7 are covered in lectures in Part I, and written guidelines are provided in support of specific assessed coursework and project reports. Skill C5 is also developed through in-class tests.
Skill C8 is covered in lectures in Part I, and is reinforced through the focus on current and emerging technologies, particularly in Parts III and IV.
Skill C9 is covered in lectures and seminars in Part IV.
Skill C10 is covered by the Year in Industry between Parts III and IV.
Assessment Methods
Skills C1, C2, and C6 are assessed implicitly as part of all our coursework and project assessments.
Skill C3 is assessed through the use of group projects in Parts II and IV, in which students are asked to rate their own and other team member’s contributions; student marks for group work therefore contain both a component based on the performance of the group as a whole, and a component based on each group’s collective reflection on individual contributions.
Skills C4, C5 and C7-C10 are assessed through technical reports and presentations. Skill C8 is not formally assessed.
Programme Structure
The programme structure table is below:
Information about pre and co-requisites is included in individual module profiles.
Where optional modules have been specified, the following is an indicative list of available optional modules, which are subject to change each academic year. Please note in some instances modules have limited spaces available.
Pathway
Part I Typical course content
The degrees offered within the Computer Science programme is based around a common core that spans all four years of the programme. In the first two years (‘Parts’) of the programme, students take compulsory modules that introduce them to the basic theory underpinning computer science, the ethical and legal framework in which computer scientists and software engineers work, the practicalities of working with computers, and key techniques and application areas. In Parts III, the core topics focus on professional practice, with major individual and group projects, and taught modules covering industrial practice and engineering management. There is also a range of optional modules offered in Parts III; many of these options are in the six specialist areas of Artificial Intelligence, Distributed Systems and Networks, Image and Multimedia Systems, Mobile and Secure Systems, Software Engineering, and Cyber Security.
If you successfully complete three full parts of study, you may graduate with an honours degree: BSc (hons) or BEng (hons). If you successfully complete four full parts of study, you may graduate with a MEng degree. If you obtain at least 60 ECTS credits in one of the five specialist areas across all four Parts (25% of your overall
Part II Optional Broadening options (LANGXXXX, UOSMXXXX, etc) may be chosen from the list of modules provided by the Curriculum Innovation Project.
Code Module Title ECTS Type COMP2214 Advanced Software Modelling and Design
7.5 Optional
COMP2215 Computer Systems II 7.5 Optional COMP2216 Principles of Cyber Security 7.5 Optional
Part III The major element of Part III is the Individual Project, which runs all year. In semester 1, students intending to graduate with a MEng degree must take COMP3219 Engineering Management and Law.
You will also take 30 ECTS of optional modules (22.5 ECTS for MEng students) from the list below, for a total load of 30 ECTS per semester. You may select at most 15 ECTS worth of options from outside the programme.
If you wish to graduate with a themed degree (MEng Computer Science with X or MEng/BEng Software Engineering), you must take at least 15 ECTS of specialist modules, and your Individual Project must be related to your theme.
Broadening options may be chosen from the list of modules provided by the Curriculum Innovation Project.
Year in Industry
Students on the "with Industrial Studies" variant will complete a year at a recognised partner company between Parts III and IV. During this year, students must complete one or more projects, as agreed between the partner company and ECS. The placement will be assessed by a report and other activities, as described in the module specification (see also the Assessment Mapping in the Appendix). This module is core, and must be passed for the award of the "with Industrial Studies" degree title, but marks for this module will not contribute to the final degree classification.
Part III Core
Code Module Title ECTS Type COMP3200 Part III Individual Project 22.5 Core
Part III Optional You may also select a broadening option (LANGXXXX, UOSMXXXX, etc) from the list of modules available in online option choice.
Code Module Title ECTS Type ELEC3219 Advanced Computer Architecture 7.5 Optional COMP3210 Advanced Computer Networks 7.5 Optional COMP3211 Advanced Databases 7.5 Optional COMP3207 Cloud Application Development 7.5 Optional COMP3212 Computational Biology 7.5 Optional COMP3204 Computer Vision 7.5 Optional COMP3201 Cyber Security 7.5 Optional COMP3219 Engineering Management and Law 7.5 Optional COMP3218 Game Design and Development 7.5 Optional MATH3081 Operational Research 7.5 Optional MATH3082 Optimisation 7.5 Optional COMP3215 Real-Time Computing and Embedded Systems
7.5 Optional
ELEC3201 Robotic Systems 7.5 Optional COMP3217 Security of Cyber Physical Systems 7.5 Optional COMP3208 Social Computing Techniques 7.5 Optional
COMP3220 Web Infrastructure 7.5 Optional
Part III Optional Machine Learning You may only take one Machine Learning module. Code Module Title ECTS Type COMP3223 Foundations of Machine Learning 7.5 Optional COMP3222 Machine Learning Technologies 7.5 Optional
Progression Requirements The programme follows the University's regulations for Progression, Determination and Classification of Results : Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes and Progression, Determination and Classification of Results: Postgraduate Master's Programmes as set out in the University Calendar: http://www.calendar.soton.ac.uk/sectionIV/sectIV-index.html
Support for student learning
There are facilities and services to support your learning some of which are accessible to students across the University and some of which will be geared more particularly to students in your particular Faculty or discipline area.
The University provides:
- library resources, including e-books, on-line journals and databases, which are comprehensive and up-to- date; together with assistance from Library staff to enable you to make the best use of these resources
- high speed access to online electronic learning resources on the Internet from dedicated PC Workstations onsite and from your own devices; laptops, smartphones and tablet PCs via the Eduroam wireless network. There is a wide range of application software available from the Student Public Workstations.
- computer accounts which will connect you to a number of learning technologies for example, the Blackboard virtual learning environment (which facilitates online learning and access to specific learning resources)
- standard ICT tools such as Email, secure filestore and calendars.
- access to key information through the MySouthampton Student Mobile Portal which delivers timetables, Module information, Locations, Tutor details, Library account, bus timetables etc. while you are on the move.
- IT support through a comprehensive website, telephone and online ticketed support and a dedicated helpdesk in the Hartley Library.
- Enabling Services offering support services and resources via a triage model to access crisis management, mental health support and counselling. Support includes daily Drop In at Highfield campus at 13.00 – 15.00 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday out of term-time) or via on-line chat on weekdays from 14.00 – 16.00. Arrangements can also be made for meetings via Skype.
- assessment and support (including specialist IT support) facilities if you have a disability, long term health problem or Specific Learning Difficulty (e.g. dyslexia)
- the Student Services Centre (SSC) to assist you with a range of general enquiries including financial matters, accommodation, exams, graduation, student visas, ID cards
- Career and Employability services, advising on job search, applications, interviews, paid work, volunteering and internship opportunities and getting the most out of your extra-curricular activities alongside your degree programme when writing your CV.
- Other support that includes health services (GPs), chaplaincy (for all faiths) and 'out of hours' support for students in Halls and in the local community (18.00-08.00).
- A Centre for Language Study, providing assistance in the development of English language and study skills for non-native speakers.
The Students' Union provides
- an academic student representation system, consisting of Course Representatives, Academic Presidents, Faculty Officers and the Vice-President Education; SUSU provides training and support for all these representatives, whose role is to represent students' views to the University.
- opportunities for extracurricular activities and volunteering
- an Advice Centre offering free and confidential advice including support if you need to make an academic appeal
- Support for student peer-to-peer groups, such as Nightline.
Associated with your programme, you will be able to access:
Students must not contact External Examiner(s) directly, and external examiners have been advised to refer any such communications back to the University. Students should raise any general queries about the assessment and examination process for the programme with their Course Representative, for consideration through Staff: Student Liaison Committee in the first instance, and Student representatives on Staff: Student Liaison Committees will have the opportunity to consider external examiners' reports as part of the University's quality assurance process.
External examiners do not have a direct role in determining results for individual students, and students wishing to discuss their own performance in assessment should contact their Personal Academic Tutor in the first instance.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information can be found in the programme handbook.
Appendix 1:
Students are responsible for meeting the cost of essential textbooks, and of producing such essays, assignments, laboratory reports and dissertations as are required to fulfil the academic requirements for each programme of study. In addition to this, students registered for this programme also have to pay for:
Additional Costs Type Details Stationery You will be expected to provide your own day-to-day stationary items, e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks, etc). Any specialist stationery items will be specified under the Additional Costs tab of the relevant module profile. Textbooks Where a module specifies core texts these should generally be available on the reserve list in the library. However due to demand, students may prefer to buy their own copies. These can be purchased from any source.
Some modules suggest reading texts as optional background reading. The library may hold copies of such texts, or alternatively you may wish to purchase your own copies. Although not essential reading, you may benefit from the additional reading materials for the module. Approved Calculators Candidates may use calculators in the examination room only as specified by the University and as permitted by the rubric of individual examination papers. The University approved models are Casio FX-570 and Casio FX-85GT Plus. These may be purchased from any source and no longer need to carry the University logo. Printing and Photocopying Costs
In the majority of cases, coursework such as essays; projects; dissertations is likely to be submitted on line. However, there are some items where it is not possible to submit on line and students will be asked to provide a printed copy.
In some cases you'll be able to choose modules (which may have different costs associated with that module) which will change the overall cost of a programme to you. Details of such costs will be listed in the Module Profile. Please also ensure you read the section on additional costs in the University's Fees, Charges and Expenses Regulations in the University Calendar available at www.calendar.soton.ac.uk.
