Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

The only constant in computer science is change – new devices and apps appear daily. Computer programs control the internet of things – your washing machine, your heating and electricity, your location on Google, your car… A good programmer will never be out of a job! We’ll challenge you to think computationally and to approach problems methodically. You’ll program and design systems using an algorithmic approach, and develop an understanding of the powers and limitations of humans and machines by learning their principles of operation. Students progress to Russell Group universities or take up apprenticeships with leading companies to become programmers, computer engineers, big data analysts, computer game designers or specialists in the telecommunications industry. You’ll use gadgets such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi and Lego Mindstorm, and attend coding workshops and university taster days. Students are encouraged to run hackathons, lead masterclasses and set up study groups to share their expertise and knowledge. Course content: You will gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how computers work, including microprocessors, memory, storage, operating systems and network architectures. You’ll build your programming skills through problem-solving scenarios. You’ll gain an understanding of machine code, functional, procedural, object-oriented, declarative and low-level programming. You will also be able to normalise numbers, perform binary arithmetic operations and conversions between different number systems, and develop an understanding of the principles of operation of hardware.