BSc (Hons) Computing Science

However you carry out out everyday functions like cooking, driving or watching television, you are interacting with computers. Our course teaches you the theory and practice of designing, building and analysing such systems and your training will encompass how computers work – programming them to follow our instructions and learning how they fit into their environment. Computing Science courses at Stirling equip you with knowledge of the wide use of computers in business, industry and for personal use. Built around a core of software engineering and development you will learn about Computer Security and Forensics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Games and Mobile Phone App development, amongst other topics. From day one you will study the broad concerns of computing science: not only how to program computers (in Java) but ‘computational thinking’, the usability and accessibility of user interfaces, and social and professional issues. In your Honours year you will have the chance to pick a number of optional topics, which are regularly updated to be at the cutting edge of computing. These options are often related to research being done at Stirling. Current topics include Computer Security and Forensics, Web Services, Computing and the Brain, Modelling for Complex Systems. You will learn about Computing Science through lectures, small tutorial groups and “hands-on” experiments through laboratory work. Computing Science is taught as a very practical subject and almost all modules include practical assignments. Typically these count for 50 percent of the assessment grade, with the remainder given to the examination. Honours students undertake an independent project in their final year. Typically this involves developing a major piece of software from initial requirements to final delivery. Recent projects included: • Aerial Exploration using The BeagleBone Black • “Drag and Drop” Mobile App Builder • Reactive Music • Development of a Linux Driver for a Microsoft XBox 360 Wired Controller • An internet-of-things system to monitor environmental data.