BSc (Hons) Computing

Why study this subject?

From connected homes to smart cities, the world is becoming increasingly digital. After all, technology helps us communicate, work and relax. And it’s an incredible way to start an exciting, fulfilling career in a wide variety of sectors, including business, health care, hospitality, sport, aviation, travel, education and finance, to name just a few! 

There has been an increase in demand from companies looking for employees with strong digital skills and knowledge and our Computing programme is a great way to gain a detailed understanding of the computing theory and programming concepts needed to make your mark in the technology sector.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Give yourself an edge in the graduate market by studying a hands-on degree. You’ll have the opportunity to learn the latest industry knowledge alongside working with industry professionals to gain invaluable practical experience whilst building your network base. Studying our programme allows you to learn fundamental vocational skills such as analysis and design, programming and testing, networking and security, software engineering and databases.

We are a student focused and employer-led university which means that you are at the forefront of all that we do. We provide you with a thorough understanding in computing and systems, web development and programming and our modules are designed to reflect the latest issues in the constantly changing area of computing to ensure you graduate ready for employment or further postgraduate study.

This programme is founded in software and web technologies with a focus on the technical side of web-based applications and services for working in industries that require expertise in web focused sectors of computing. You will gain an appreciation of the role that web-based computing can have in a range of business and industry contexts.  The course provides a balance of theory and practice, providing opportunities to apply knowledge into real projects where possible. You will acquire a wide range of skills and competences such as the ability to think critically about real-world problems. You will be exposed to a variety of computing discipline areas, so that you will then be able to select and apply appropriate principles, theories, best practices and appropriate technologies to address the needs of different business contexts, users, customers and stakeholders.  

You will also get opportunities to expand your knowledge both inside and outside of the lecture theatre. Students have previously attended Amazon AWS Forums and visited sites of historical importance, including Bletchley Park, to learn more about the history of computing and how it impacted the world.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to extend your knowledge in programming and database management. This hands-on course will see you master the art of Java, C# and C++. You’ll cover the full systems implementation cycle, using industry standard tools and techniques including CASE. In year one you will work on developing a range of knowledge and skills to provide you with a solid foundation of the fundamentals of computing. You will look at a range of topics from computer architectures to networking (Cisco), application programming to web development, and user experience to digital technologies. You will also develop technical competency in user-interface and location-sensitive frameworks, industry-standards for secure and robust software engineering, database development, network operation, mobile systems, and information and network security.

You will be able to practice the technology provided by the world cloud leader and gain a 50% discount on Amazon AWS (Cloud Architecture) official certification exam (optional for students). For further information, please contact Dr Rafid Al-Khannak.

Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.

Not only will you be learning vital information, you will be learning from innovative, forward-thinking and highly motivated expert lecturers. Our lecturers have close industrial links and all work together to ensure that you have the best possible enriched and stimulating learning environment. To further enhance your education, we invite in guest lectures to share their experience and expertise and host day-long interactive events run by leaders in their field giving you the chance to put your knowledge into action.

You’ll learn alternative architectures for emerging cloud-based technologies. You will also study modules on developing and deploying secure and mobile-ready web applications with backend databases. This will help prepare you for both generic ‘computing’ job markets and more specialised areas that require mobile web-based services. Both these aspects are much sought after by UK and international employers.

The course addresses the professional and customer-facing skills that are essential for employment in computing industries. Modules also provide opportunities to prepare for the professional certification programmes of global companies such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco. (Full accreditation is via self-funded examinations.)

As part of our Cloud Computing module, we are proud to run Amazon AWS Academy, allowing you full access to all Amazon web services resources, materials, labs, online assessments and exams preparations.

What facilities can I use?

We’ve invested in a range of state-of-the-art facilities across our campuses to support your learning. Our computing facilities are packed with the latest industry-standard equipment and software, meaning you can make an easy transition from education into employment. Most of our large computing labs have dual-screen, dual boot (Windows and Linux) systems.

Hands-on experience is what we are all about. We have numerous devices that will provide the basis for various supervised projects you will carry out across the programme. These include but are not limited to Virtual Reality headsets, 3D printers, Raspberry Pi microcomputers, EEG headsets.

Our library is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.

How will I be taught and assessed?

We have a strong computing department at the University, with a dedicated team of academics and professionals delivering industry-relevant courses in a suite of well-equipped computer labs. Our lecturers work closely with industry through partnerships or by helping web development and related industries with research, consultancy, technical and managerial inputs. These relationships provide a professional edge to our teaching. They are also a useful source of internship and industry-brief opportunities for our students.

You’ll benefit from small class sizes that give you a chance to develop close working relationships with the tutors and other students. You’ll be taught through a combination of formal lectures, tutorials, practical lab sessions, and seminars. You will also benefit from guest speakers and valuable networking opportunities.

Course assignments reflect real-life problems because we believe that’s the best way to learn – and it’s more fun! Over the years of your course you will be assessed and graded in a multitude of ways to allow you to develop and expand on your abilities and skills. Assessments for the various modules will mostly take the form of practical coursework, lab tests, shorter written exercises and written exams. However, the main focus will be on testing the practical application of the various concepts and techniques being conveyed.

We also encourage you to gain work experience whilst studying and actively look for clients for your project work, which provide you with the opportunity to develop your skills in a work-base setting.