Do you want to embark on a career working in e-commerce, information systems and computer consultancy? This course gives you the skills you need for the practical application of computing in areas that dominate our industry today, allowing you to fulfil your potential in the business sector.
Business and commerce rely heavily on information systems, especially now e-commerce is so widespread. This degree provides a balance of business and information technology and responds to industry needs, enhancing your employment prospects.
Our courses are taught by leading researchers who are experts in their fields. The School of Computing at Kent is home to several authors of leading textbooks.
As part of your degree you will study a combination of computing and business-oriented modules.
You will learn:
In your first year, you learn how to program in an object-oriented language. In your second and final years, you further develop your programming skills and can specialise in an area of particular interest to you.
Your year in industry takes place between your second and final years, giving you invaluable work experience. You earn a salary and there may be the possibility of a job with the same company after graduation.
It is also possible to take this degree as a three-year programme, without a year in industry. For details, see Business Information Technology.
Apart from core learning towards your degree, we provide access to a wealth of other activities such as entrepreneurship (including business start-up opportunities), community engagement, public lectures, participation in short research projects and assistance in obtaining summer placements.
The School of Computing also hosts events that you are welcome to attend. These include our successful seminar programme where guest speakers from academia and industry discuss current developments in the field.
Our programmes are informed by a stakeholder panel of industry experts who give feedback on the skills that employers require from a modern workforce.
Our two dedicated placement co-ordinators help students obtain and benefit from high-quality work placements. Previous year in industry participants have worked with leading companies such as BAE Systems, Citigroup and The Walt Disney Company. Many return to their final year with the security of an employment offer – testament to the high esteem in which our graduates are held by industry.
We also have a dedicated Employability Coordinator who is the first point of contact for students and employers.
*The University of Kent's Statement of Findings can be found here.
Please also see our general entry requirements.
ABB-BBC
Mathematics grade C
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
Distinction, Distinction, Merit - Distinction, Merit, Merit
34 points overall or 15 points at HL including HL or SL Maths at 4 or SL Maths Studies at 5
Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 50% overall average and 50% in LZ013 Maths and Statistics (irrespective of whether GCSE Maths or equivalent has been obtained in pre-foundation studies).
International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 4 years full-time
Compulsory modules currently include:
CO320 - Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (15 credits)
CO322 - Foundations of Computing I (15 credits)
CO323 - Databases and the Web (15 credits)
CO328 - Human Computer Interaction (15 credits)
CO337 - Computers and the Cloud (15 credits)
CO383 - Problem Solving with Algorithms (15 credits)
CB369 - Financial Accounting, Reporting and Analysis
CB312 - Introduction to Management
Compulsory modules currently include
CO548 - Software Engineering Process (15 credits)
CO532 - Database Systems(15 credits)
CO539 - Web Development (15 credits)
CB612 - New Enterprise Development
CB677 - Financial Management for Decision Making and Control
You spend a year working in an industrial or commercial environment between Stages 2 and 3.
Our students go to a wide range of companies including:
They have also been to overseas employers in locations including Amsterdam, Hong Kong and the US.
The year in industry forms an integral part of your degree and constitutes 10% of your final grade. Assessment comprises an employer evaluation, a reflective report and a logbook/portfolio.
Although it is your responsibility to find a suitable placement, the dedicated placement team will help to identify suitable opportunities, assist with your application and prepare you for interviews.
To automatically progress onto the year in industry, you must pass Stage 2 at the first attempt. If you fail, you must pass the first resit opportunity in the August of the same year. Students who do not obtain a work placement will have their registration changed to the equivalent three-year programme without a year in industry.
Compulsory modules currently include:
CO792 - Industrial Placement Experience (90 credits)
CO793 - Industrial Placement Report (30 credits)
You choose one of the following compulsory modules:
CO650 - IT Consultancy Project
Optional modules may include:
CO656 - Computational Intelligence in Business, Economics & Finance (15 credits)
CO662 - Signal Analysis for Computing (15 credits)
CO816 - eHealth (15 credits)
CO634 - Computer Security and Cryptography (15 credits)
CO639 - Electronic Commerce (15 credits)
CO644 - Semantic Web (15 credits)
CO649 - Data Mining (15 credits)
CB729 - Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (15 credits)
CB742 - Creating Your Own Enterprise (15 credits)
CB760 - Business Law and Employment Rights (15 credits)
CB784 - Service and Supply Chain Management (15 credits)
CB5009 - Contract Law and Consumer Rights (15 credits)
CB697 - Managing People and Teams (15 credits)
CB726 - Leadership and Corporate Strategy (15 credits)
You spend a year working in an industrial or commercial environment between Stages 2 and 3.
Our students go to a wide range of companies including:
They have also been to overseas employers in locations including Amsterdam, Hong Kong and the US.
The year in industry forms an integral part of your degree and constitutes 10% of your final grade. Assessment comprises an employer evaluation, a reflective report and a logbook/portfolio.
Although it is your responsibility to find a suitable placement, the dedicated placement team will help to identify suitable opportunities, assist with your application and prepare you for interviews.
To automatically progress onto the year in industry, you must pass Stage 2 at the first attempt. If you fail, you must pass the first resit opportunity in the August of the same year. Students who do not obtain a work placement will have their registration changed to the equivalent three-year programme without a year in industry.
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsKent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
Within the School of Computing are authors of widely used textbooks. Programmes are taught by leading researchers who are experts in their fields.
Teaching is based on lectures, with practical classes and seminars, but we are also introducing more innovative ways of teaching, such as virtual learning environments and work-based tuition. Work includes group projects, case studies and computer simulations, with a large-scale project of your own choice in the final year.
Each stage comprises eight modules. Most modules run for a single 12-week term. Each module has two lectures and one to two hours of classes, usually making 14 formal contact hours per week and eight hours of 'homework club' drop-in sessions each term.
We provide excellent support for you throughout your time at Kent. This includes access to web-based information systems, podcasts and web forums for students who can benefit from extra help. We use innovative teaching methodologies, including BlueJ and LEGO© Mindstorms for teaching Java programming.
Our staff have written internationally acclaimed textbooks for learning programming, which have been translated into eight languages and are used worldwide.
Assessment is by a combination of coursework and end-of-year examination and details are shown in the module outlines on the web. Project modules are assessed wholly by coursework.
The marks from stage one do not go towards your final degree grade, but you must pass to continue to stage two.
Most stage two modules are assessed by coursework and end-of-year examination. Marks from stage two count towards your degree result. You must pass stage two to go on your year in industry.
The year in industry forms an integral part of your degree and constitutes 10% of your final grade. Assessment comprises an employer evaluation, a reflective report and a logbook/portfolio.
Most stage three modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and end-of-year examination. Projects are assessed by your contribution to the final project, the final report, and oral presentation and viva examination. Marks from stage three count towards your degree result.
In stage three your project counts for 25% of the year's marks.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
You gain transferable skills in the following:
Computer Science at Kent scored 90% overall in The Complete University Guide 2021.
Computer Science at Kent was ranked 15th out of 110 for graduate prospects and 8th for research intensity in The Complete University Guide 2021.
Graduates who have both IT knowledge and business skills can expect excellent career prospects. Our graduates have gone on to work in:
Recent graduates have gone on to develop successful careers at leading companies such as:
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:
To help you appeal to employers, you learn key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to:
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
This degree has partial Chartered IT Professional (CITP) accreditation from the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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