Computer Science with Foundation Year BSc

Entry requirements

• A-levels: BCC or points equivalent from your best three A-levels. Must include two science subjects from: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Geography, Geology, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and Statistics.
  GCSE: Grades B/5 in Maths (if no A-level Maths) and C/4 in English.
• BTEC Diploma: DDM in a science related subject, which must include appropriate maths and science content. You may be required to take an additional maths assessment test.
• International Baccalaureate: Pass diploma with 26 points minimum, and must include appropriate maths and science content.
• Access to HE: Pass diploma with 24 Distinctions in a science related subject, which must include appropriate maths and science content. You may be required to take an additional maths assessment test.
• We welcome applicants with other qualifications. Please contact seadmissions@le.ac.uk to find out more.

Selection Process

• When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.

Foundation Year

Modules

• Mathematics 1
• Mechanics 1
• Creating Software Applications
• Principles of Biological Science
• Principles of Earth Science and Earth Systems
• Introduction to Programming
• Academic Portfolio Project
• Introductory Data Analysis

Year 1

• The first year of the BSc proper (your second year at Leicester) provides a solid grounding in the theories and technologies that underpin software engineering. We will cover Python and Java programming and program development environments (such as Eclipse) along with basic discrete mathematics for applications. You will also learn about the architecture of modern computers and foundations of computer science such as formal languages.

Modules

• Algorithms, Data Structures and Advanced Programming 
• Computer Architecture
• Computing Fundamentals
• Foundations of Computation
• Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
• Mathematics Fundamentals
• Programming Fundamentals
• Requirements Engineering and Professional Practice
• After the first semester you may be able to transfer to the BSc in Software Engineering.

Year 2

• Year 2 of the BSc course is your third year at Leicester. During your second year you will become an expert in all aspects of the software engineering process and apply your skills in a software engineering group project. In addition, you will learn about operating systems, networks, user interfaces, human-computer interactions, and functional programming or data analytics.
• In the second year project, you will be part of a team of students working together to develop software that has typically been commissioned by a real client. You will learn to work with, and manage, a team. Each team works within a teaching framework, broad enough to allow you to work flexibly and innovatively, but moderated to ensure that teams are performing and progressing. You will learn to prepare written reports, and give a group presentation (these are skills that employers rate very highly).

Core modules

• Databases and Domain Modelling
• Operating Systems and Networks
• Software Architecture and System Development (double module)
• Software Engineering Project (double module)
• User Interfaces and HCI

Option modules

Choose one option module from:

• Data Analytics
• Functional Programming
• Foundations of Artificial Intelligence

Final Year

• Your final year is an opportunity to specialise in the areas of computing that interest you. The third year project is a chance to follow your own interests in depth, with one-to-one supervision.

Core modules

• Computer Science Project (double module)
• Computers, Society and Professionalism

Option modules

Choose two option modules from:

• Communication and Concurrency
• Internet and Cloud Computing
• C Programming
• Software Measurement and Quality Assurance
• Mobile and Web Applications
• Computational Intelligence and Software Engineering

Then choose two option modules from:

• Analysis of Algorithms
• Compression Methods for Multimedia
• Foundations of Cybersecurity
• Big Data and Predictive Analytics
• Technology Management

Year in Industry or Abroad (optional)

• If you want to, you can spend the third year of the BSc, which will be your fourth year at Leicester - away from Leicester. You can study abroad at one of our partner institutions or work in an industrial placement (eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2). Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete the final year of your degree.

UK Students

• Starting in 2022
• £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
• Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,250 for that year
• Year in Industry: your fee will be 15% of the full-time tuition fee that applies in that year
• If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.