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CSC-10087 - Module Specification
School of Computer Science and Mathematics
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 06 April 2026

CSC-10087 - Computational Foundations
Coordinator: Christian Bean
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733075

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

Mathematics underpins much of modern day Computer Science and Data Science. This module will introduce students to areas of Mathematics most relevant to these areas, including linear algebra, set theory, functions, graph theory, logic, information theory, probability and combinatorics. Students will learn how mathematical abstractions can be used to represent real world scenario, develop skills to reason about such models, and learn problem solving skills and proof strategies.

Aims
The module aims to equip students with the necessary foundational computational skills to support their studies in Computer Science. In particular, it will introduce them to aspects of computational theory.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Apply abstract data structures (such as sets, relations, and graphs) to represent and solve computational problems: 1,2
Use basic statistical techniques to summarise, visualise, and interpret data relevant to computing applications: 2
Explain the theoretical limits and complexity of computation problems and their implications for real-world problem solving: 1,2
Model and analyse real world problems using abstractions: 2

Study hours

Two hours of live in person lectures and one hour tutorial each week for 12 weeks.
Tutorial sessions will involve students forming into small groups to work on problems sheets together. One of the tutorials will be a mock exam question, taken under exam conditions, to better prepare for the end of module exam.
An indicative breakdown of the independent study is 11 hours of tutorial preparation, 22 hours of tutorial revision, 27 hours of background reading, 42 hours of revision of lecture materials for the exam, and 10 hours of revision of past papers and their solutions.
Two hours for taking the exam.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Class Test weighted 30%
In-class multiple choice test
Students will undertake a one-hour multiple-choice class test covering the analysis of real-world problems represented with logical and discrete structures, and problem-solving skills. The class test will take place in the latter half of the module, approximately week 7-8. There will be approx 20 multiple-choice questions.

2: Exam weighted 70%
Two-hour unseen examination
2-hour unseen examination. Students will answer four questions out of the five available on the exam paper. Sample and past exam papers will be made available to students, with solutions to consult. A mock exam question will be attempted by students as formative learning, so that they can better prepare for the end of module exam. The mock exam question will take place during a tutorial session under exam conditions.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 06 April 2026