Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

If you like solving problems and have got a mathematical brain, an A Level in Computer Science may be just right for you. From games developer to manager of IT and communications services, computer science graduates have a range of opportunities open to them. Almost a third of computer science graduates employed in the UK are working as programmers and software development professionals. Many are working as web design and development professionals. Most businesses rely on computers to function effectively, so whether you want to work for an IT consultancy, a major organisation in retail, aerospace or healthcare for example, or even set up your own web design business, you’ll have a great start to your career with a sought-after computer science qualification. You will study this course alongside 2 or 3 other A Levels and you will be able to select your chosen subjects when you apply online. Computer science is a practical subject that enables you to apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real world systems. It is a creative subject that helps you to develop the skills to solve problems, design systems and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. There is an emphasis on learning computer programming and the mathematical skills used to express computational laws and processes. A maths A Level would be very complementary to a Computer Science A Level and subsequent degree. Topics include: - Software development - Algorithms - Exchanging data - Programming