Uncategorized BSc (Hons) Computing Science | Find a course – University of Stirling
Our computing science degree will teach you how to design, build and analyse computer systems. Study with us and be at the forefront of the computing science industry.
British Computer Society
Find out more about Changes at Stirling, including how you’ll be taught, start dates and how we’re making campus safer.
Our modern world works because of computer scientists. It’s a world where the vast majority of global money exists only on computers and a computer can tell a fake smile from a real one. By 2020, an estimated 31 billion devices will be connected to the internet.
This course has a practical, problem solving approach. You’re taught how to design effective solutions to complex problems. Not only will this course give you the theory, but you’ll get lots of practical experience in how to design, build and analyse computer systems. You’ll also develop a firm understanding of how computers work as well as effective computer programming.
According to the 2020 ScotlandIS Scottish Technology Industry survey, about 100,000 people are working in digital technologies professions. This is a growth of 9% since 2016. The growth has been strongest in web design and development, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, programmers and software development professionals. Our graduates are highly sought-after. We’ll help you build strong links within the industry and give you the opportunity to take part in a three-month summer placement or a one-year placement. You’ll also have the chance to experience diverse international teaching methods if you choose to study abroad.
Here at Stirling, you can enjoy access to a vibrant community with an active Computer Club that supports projects and activities for those interested in Computer Sciences, including the organisation of a Hackathon.
When you graduate with a BSc (Hons) Computer Science, you’ll be fully accredited by the British Computer Society, making you a Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP) – the Society’s professional member level.
Each year we offer the following prizes:
SQA Highers
ABBB – by the end of S5
AABB – by the end of S6
GCE A-levels
BBB
IB Diploma
30 points
BTEC (Level 3)
DDM
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
SQA Advanced Highers
ABB
GCE A-levels
ABB
IB Diploma
35 points
Essential subjects
Subjects to include Computing and relevant experience of Java or other programming languages.
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry – Bs in graded units.
Access courses
University of Stirling access course – for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
SWAP access course – for mature students only. Please check the SWAP progression routes document for details.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education – 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses
Year 2 and Year 3 entry
Entry into Year 2 or Year 3 may be possible depending on your HNC/HND course. To find out more go to our articulation pages.
Other qualifications
Advanced entry may by possible depending on your qualifications. To find out more go to our advanced entry pages.
General entrance requirements apply
If you’ve taken exams over two sittings, repeated an exam, or been upgraded, the entrance requirements may be higher.
For year 1 entry, there are no course specific requirements for this programme although some experience of computer programming is beneficial.
Due to disruption in English Language testing caused by COVID-19, we are accepting alternative English Language tests (including online English Language Tests).
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
Last updated: 1 February 2021
If you are from India, Bangladesh, Ghana or Nigeria please also check your country/region specific page for any additional, or changes to, English language requirements.
For more information on ways that you can meet our English language requirements, including options to waive the requirement, please read our information on English language requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
In Semesters 1-3, students from all three of our computing-related degrees (Computing Science, Software Engineering and Business Computing) take the same core modules in Computing Science. Core concepts include: Computational Thinking; Programming Using Java; Social and Professional Issues; Usability and Accessibility of Interfaces; Database Principles and Applications; Data Structures, Objects and Algorithms. You’ll also take two further subjects. In Semester 1, Software Engineering students must also take a Mathematics module that is specifically designed to help with their understanding of networks, logic and algorithms.
Semesters 4-8 cover compulsory modules such as Computer Systems, Software Engineering, Computer Security and Networks. Optional modules include: Artificial Intelligence; Web Services; Games Development; Mobile App Development.
Honours students work on an independent project in their final year. The choice of project topic can be motivated by a particular interest that you have, and may involve the design and development of a major piece of software, an investigation into a particular research-driven topic or the development of control software for a hardware device.
Our students also enjoy access to an active Computer Club that organises a number of activities and projects for those interested in Computing Science.
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (September 2021). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
In the most recent NSS student survey (2021) Computing Science at Stirling was ranked 4th in Scotland, and in the top 10 in the UK. Furthermore, the University of Stirling have been awarded five star excellence for teaching by the QS World University Rankings 2020.
Our teaching makes use of both our campus-based teaching facilities and online learning environment. You’ll learn about Computing Science through lectures, small tutorial groups and most of all through practical labs, where concepts taught in lectures are implemented and tested.
Computing Science at Stirling is part of the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) Scotland-wide pooling initiative in research and knowledge exchange, as well as The DataLab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for data and AI.
Our research-led teaching is at the core of your learning as our staff conduct world-leading research. Our staff are engaged with funded research from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), as well as funding from the European Union FP7 Programme, and other UK Research Councils and funding agencies.
Computing Science is taught as a very practical subject, and almost all modules include practical assignments. Typically, these count for 50 percent of the assessment grade per module, with the remainder given to the exam. For an Honours degree, the grades for all advanced modules taken in Semesters 5 – 8 are combined to give your final degree classification.
We help our students to build strong links with industry through three-month summer placements and one-year placements. Both of these are offered to third year students. Placement opportunities are available with local SMEs as well as large corporate companies. Year 3 contains a professional development course, which is designed to equip you with the necessary skills to secure a placement and, ultimately, job.
Our Careers and Employability Service is ranked 1st in Scotland and Top 5 in the UK (UK International Student Barometer (ISB) Benchmark and Global ISB Benchmark 2018). They will not only help you to secure placements but also offer all the support and advice you need to plan your career, develop your employability or think about further study.
You can study abroad through our well-established connections with North American, Australian and European universities.
Dr David Cairns
+44 (0) 1786 467445
dec@cs.stir.ac.uk
Scottish students
* This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, students domiciled in Scotland can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on their behalf. If you’re unsure of your fee status, you can check your eligibility.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you’ll be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, Islands or Ireland and are starting a course of study in Scotland in session 2021/22 will be entitled to apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for funding. See more information on the SAAS website.
We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities below for more information.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
European Union students
For EU students starting studies in academic year 2022/23, we will award an automatic scholarship of up to £30k over the duration of your course. This is subject to eligibility criteria.
Students from the Republic of Ireland should see the fee and funding information under England, Wales, NI and Republic of Ireland.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Overseas students (non-EU)
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
Students domiciled in Scotland
The University of Stirling offers undergraduate funding opportunities for students domiciled in Scotland. To find out if you’re eligible to apply for an award, use our scholarship finder.
EU students
For EU students starting studies in academic year 2021/22, we will award an automatic scholarship of up to £30k over the duration of your course. This is subject to eligibility criteria.
Students domiciled in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
The Undergraduate Choice Scholarship provides a £1,000 cash award to all students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland who meet the conditions of their offer and select the University of Stirling as their Firm or Insurance choice on UCAS.
The University also offers the Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, which is awarded to selected students and provides a £1,000 cash award per year for years 1-3 of study. To be considered for the Merit Scholarship, students require a minimum of AAB at A-level or equivalent.
In addition, students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland who enter in year 1 and progress successfully through years 2 and 3 will receive our Honours Year Scholarship, which covers the cost of undergraduate tuition fees in the Honours year of study.
You don’t need to apply for the awards listed above – we’ll automatically identify your eligibility as part of the admissions process.
To explore other scholarships and learn more about funding opportunities, use our scholarship finder.
Students domiciled overseas
The University of Stirling offers generous undergraduate funding opportunities for overseas students. To find out if you’re eligible to apply for an award, use our scholarship finder.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
EU and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods – including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
From software development to data analysis, our computer science graduates have a range of opportunities open to them. According to the 2020 ScotlandIS Scottish Technology Industry survey, about 100,000 people are working in digital technologies professions. This is a growth of 9% since 2016. The growth has been strongest in web design and development, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, programmers and software development professionals.
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
This degree will place you at the forefront of computing in a web-based world. Our industry placements will ease your transition into the job market.
Our graduates are highly sought-after and well-equipped to enter either the software industry itself or one of the many fields in which computer systems are extensively used and developed. Our recent graduates have been successful in obtaining employment with the likes of JP Morgan, Accenture, British Telecom, Google, HSBC, Verint, Microsoft and Scottish Power.
This course provides a perfect foundation for progressing to our postgraduate qualifications.
Engagement with potential employers, work-based learning and the year-long project in your final year will develop your professional and computer skills. Throughout the course you’re encouraged to develop personal effectiveness skills to allow you to complete work in a professional and timely manner. Our placements allow you to practice your analytical and problem solving skills as well as your software design and implementation skills in a business setting.
We have connections with the following organisation via placements, internships and industrial liaison:
Discover Uni provides official data on each university's undergraduate courses, including satisfaction scores from the National Student Survey, details of graduate jobs and salaries, and other key information for prospective students.
Are you interested in more than one of our courses? You might not have to choose between them. Here at Stirling, we believe in choice and offer more than 220 course combinations.
Computing Science can be combined with any of the following courses:
For a combined Honours degree where the two subjects have different entry requirements, you will usually be asked to meet the higher entry requirement.
Find out more about degree flexibility and how you can take combined courses.
Be the difference
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