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Computer Science with Integrated Master's - MComp

Year of entry: 2021
Course type: Integrated Master's
Duration of study: 4 years / 5 years with international or placement year

Location: Keele University campus
Subject area / School: School of Computing and Mathematics
UCAS code: G402

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Course overview

Adding a master’s year will extend your subject knowledge to a higher level, enable you to work more independently and prepare you for a specialist career or for doctoral research.

Keele Undergraduate Enquiries Form

Please submit your question in the form below and a member our enquiries team will be in touch with you shortly.

Your Name

Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)

Please provide a contact telephone number *

Country of Residence

Year of Entry

Please Select a Course

Are you interested in a Foundation Year

YesNo

Please enter your question below:

Your Preferences

Please keep me informed using email

YesNo

Please keep me informed using phone

YesNo

Please keep me informed using messages/texts

YesNo

What we’re going to do with your data and why?

We will securely store your data and send you essential information (examples include updates on an application or booking confirmations for events such as Open Days).

How long are we keeping it?

We will keep your data for the year that you first enquire with us plus 6 subsequent years. This is to ensure that you are legally protected should you have any issues with the use of your data.

Unsubscribe

What to do if I change my mind?

Gold

In the Teaching Excellence Framework Also Top 5 in the UK (THE ranking, broad-based universities)

Top 3

in England for overall Student Satisfaction NSS 2019 (broad-based universities)

97%

of research world leading, or of international importance Research Excellence Framework, 2014

Student testimonials

Course content

‌‌‌ BCS logo Our Integrated Master’s degree will extend your subject knowledge to a higher level, enable you to work more independently and prepare you for a specialist career or for doctoral research. You'll study research-informed modules in our 24/7 dedicated computing labs and use cutting edge equipment in our MakerSpace.

The MComp course enables students to study three years of our Single Honours Computer Science course with an additional year at master's level. This will extend your subject knowledge as well as strengthening your independent critical thinking, problem solving, professional and research skills.

In the final year, you’ll focus on a small number of modules informed by important issues in industry as well as the research interests of your tutors. Current areas include distributed intelligence, statistical techniques for data analysis, web technologies, security, and cloud computing. You will also undertake a substantial research project, culminating in a written dissertation following the format of research papers published in scientific journals.

Our MComp course is accredited by BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT.

Computer Science is also available as a Combined Honours degree. It can be studied in the following combinations:

You may also be interested in:

Course structure

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Year 1 (Level 4)

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Fundamentals of Computing	15	Cybercrime	15
Programming I - Programming Fundamentals	15	Systems and Architecture	15
Requirements, Evaluation and Professionalism	15
Natural Computation	15
Introduction to Interaction Design	15
Computer Animation and Multimedia	15

Year 2 (Level 5)

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Programming II - Data Structures and Algorithms	15	Individual Study Topic in Computer Science	15
Mobile Application Development	15	Digital Forensics	15
Database Systems	15
Software Engineering	15
Computational and Artificial Intelligence I	15
Web Technologies	15
Advanced Programming Practices	15

Year 3 (Level 6)

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
30-credit Project	30	Software Engineering Project Management	15
		Advanced Information Systems	15
		Advanced Databases and Applications	15
		Games Computing	15
		Bioinformatics	15
		Evolution of Complex Systems	15
		Computing in Education(*)	30
		Computational and Artificial Intelligence II	15
		Communications and Networks	15
		Advanced Web Technologies	15

Year 4 (Level 7)

Compulsory Core modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Research Horizons	15	Distributed Intelligent Systems	15
Statistical Techniques for Data Analytics	15	Cloud Computing	15
MComp Project	60	User Interaction Design	15

For further information on the content of modules currently offered, including the list of elective modules, please visit: www.keele.ac.uk/recordsandexams/az

Variations to 2020/21 courses

Foundation year

Foundation Year Overview

If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into our MComp Computer Science with Integrated Master's course, our Foundation Year can provide an alternative route into your degree.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years’ experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you’ll study on campus, joining our community from the outset, and you will have access to a range of support.

Read on to find out about:

Foundation Year indicative modules for the September intake
Foundation Year entry requirements
How to apply
UCAS code for this course

The information within this page is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course Content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

The Foundation Year is a two-semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the MComp Computer Science with Integrated Master's. For example, Foundations of Computational Theory and Programming will introduce you to the key principles of computer science and programming, while Advancing Programming will allow you to hone these skills in an individual project, all of which will be useful in your degree and professional career. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

You will develop new, flexible and abstract ways of thinking, which will enable you to use logic to solve problem-based activities. You will be introduced to key principles such as Boolean algebra, error control coding and the development of the modern computer, while also beginning to develop your skills in using high-level programming languages. In addition to subject-specific modules, you will complete a skills module, which will underpin your ability to communicate data and information accurately. Semester Two continues to build on your understanding of these techniques. Your programming skills will be further developed, while exploring new principles such as working for clients and designing interfaces.

Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage.

Course Structure

The module details given below are indicative and will give you a good idea of the range of subjects that we teach. We regularly review our teaching to ensure that the modules we offer are up-to-date; therefore, the modules available to study are liable to change.

Semester One Modules

FYO-00219	Foundations of Computational Thinking	15 credits
FYO-00221	Foundations of Computational Theory and Programming	30 credits
FYO-00187	Academic Skills for Computer Scientists and Mathematicians	15 credits

Semester Two Modules

FYO-00223	Advancing Applied Maths and Computing - Making Decisions	15 credits
FYO-00225	Advancing Programming	15 credits
FYO-00235	Advancing Applied Maths and Computing - Logic, Codes & Cryptography	15 credits
FYO-00227	Advancing Computing: Client-Led Collaborative Design	15 credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

Between 40-56 UCAS points or from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
Relevant work experience

AND

GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or
IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

AND

GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above

How to Apply

UK or EU students will need to apply for BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Foundation Year (UCAS code GV01) through UCAS at www.ucas.com

Direct Entry Students

If you are a UK or EU student, already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

International Entry

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

All applications for the International Foundation Year and International Degree Programme can be made through UCAS using the UCAS codes below.

Y002 - International Foundation Year (IFY)
Y008 - International Degree Programme (IDP)

Career prospects

96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE, 2017)

Our Computer Science degrees build the essential skills which are in demand from employers looking for systems analysts, programmers, web/app developers, interface designers, data scientists, software engineers and consultants. As an MComp graduate you will have knowledge of advanced areas that also lead to more specialist careers or doctoral research. Many of our students move into employment that is directly computing-related with recent graduates going to work for companies as diverse as Apple, BAE Systems, Barclays, BBC (iPlayer), Bentley, McLaren (F1), Capgemini, EA Games, Experian, Microsoft and the Ministry of Defence.

Recent employers

Bet365
BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
Bitjam
Capgemini
FIDESSA
Hillside Technology
Hong Kong Esports
Mira
Playtech
Capita
Lloyds Bank
Rolls-Royce
Tesco
Vodafone
Morrisons
YMCA
British Airways

Jobs that a graduate of this course could go on to do:

IT Consultant
Database Administrator
Systems Analyst
Multimedia Programmer
Games Developer
IT Technical Support Officer
Network Engineer
Information Systems Manager
Secondary Teacher
IT Trainer
Forensic Accountant
Animator
Operational Researcher
Air Traffic Controller

Regardless of which career you pursue after Keele, employers will want evidence of the range of skills and personal qualities you possess and which are required for the job. Your degree is clearly important in this respect but don’t forget the extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, jobs and voluntary work you may have been engaged in while studying at Keele. These activities allow you to demonstrate the skills and personal qualities required by employers and will be vital in your attempts to secure graduate employment.

It is estimated that 60% of jobs are open to graduates of any discipline. This demonstrates the flexibility of many graduate employers when setting out their academic requirements and that students are not necessarily restricted to careers related to their degree.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.