Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

Computer Science encompasses the theoretical aspects of how a computer is designed, used and applied to solve real world problems. It is an applied subject that provides the student with practical problem solving skills in a variety of programming languages. There is a substantial coursework element in Computer Science which requires students to create a complete piece of bespoke software to solve a real-life problem. The project is divided into five stages: Analysis, Design, Implementation, Testing and Evaluation. Students must be able to plan their time effectively throughout the course in order to meet the project deadlines. Consequently, the Computer Science course is only suited to students who can work consistently and independently, week by week. The theoretical components include more advanced knowledge, understanding and application of data handling, file handling, computer architecture and number representation. A command of more sophisticated terminology is expected, along with more advanced programming techniques including recursion, object-oriented programming and more complex algorithms. Computer Science has strong connections to many other disciplines. Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Economics combine well with Computer Science. Students who wish to study for a Computer Science degree should combine it with A Level Mathematics as this is a pre-requisite at many universities.