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Computing and Information Technology with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

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The multidisciplinary BSc (Hons) Computing and Information Technology degree will equip you with the technical and managerial skills you will need to embark on a successful IT career....

  • Level Foundation
  • Study mode Full Time
  • Location City Centre
  • School School of Computing and Digital Technology
  • Faculty Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment

Overview

The multidisciplinary BSc (Hons) Computing and Information Technology degree will equip you with the technical and managerial skills you will need to embark on a successful IT career. You will use, industry-standard equipment and labs, and have the chance to put your academic learning into practice during an optional placement year, all of which will prepare you for a computing career with a range of companies. We are also an academy with leading industry names such as Microsoft, Cisco and the Linux Professional Institute, providing access to additional industry certifications during your course. Your curriculum is supported by a range of leading industry partners to ensure it continues to be relevant and employment focused.

Throughout your computing degree, you will be supported by expert teaching staff, many of whom have worked in the field of computing, are active in transformational research and are continually innovating with industry partners to achieve success.

About the Foundation Year

The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. In order to progress to the next year of your degree, it is necessary to achieve a pass in all of the modules of the Foundation Certificate.

STEAMhouse building exterior

Introducing STEAMhouse

STEAMhouse is a centre for technology, innovation, creative thinking, prototyping and business development. Our brand new £70 million pound building is the new home for the School of Computing and Digital Technology.

Find out more

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

This course is for you if you want to combine a highly rigorous academic qualification with real-life practical work experiences, enabling you to put your learning into innovative practice. 

You'll be based at our flagship City Centre Campus, where you'll use dedicated, industry-standard facilities to research and work on enterprise software and virtual environments to develop business solutions and real-time systems.

You will develop the strategic mind-set to address global challenges; the kind that that businesses and communities face on a day-to-day basis to maintain their digital infrastructure. You'll have access to virtual learning environments, as well as networking, electronic, enterprise systems and business intelligence laboratories.

We are preparing you for the workplace. You'll learn computing and information technology skills that are needed to design, develop, operate and maintain effective systems.  You’ll use your computing knowledge to provide and apply IT solutions that will continually evolve. We ensure you are able to innovate in order to deliver business value and sustainable solutions.

It's not just about academic and technical knowledge – we'll also help to develop your personal skills so that you can work effectively as a team member and problem solve at the highest level. This will not only enhance your employability levels, it will make you stand out from the crowd.

Throughout your course you'll be supported by expert teaching staff, many of whom have worked in the field, are active in research and are continually innovating with industry.

Accredited By

This course is accredited by:

  • Athena Swan Bronze Award

Within the course there were excellent opportunities to develop myself both professionally and personally. You get a great deal of support outside of lectures – I really enjoyed the campus environment, which is a modern building and just a short walk from the city centre. It has a wide range of resources, which includes hundreds of computers and also a large networking area with both physical and virtualised networking environments.” Scott Brant, infrastructure and enablement consultant at Britvic

Why Choose Us?

  • Brand new facilities at STEAMhouse - This £70 million state-of-the-art building will become the new home for the School of Computing and Digital Technology in 2022. Based at our expanding City Centre Campus, this unique centre will give you access to outstanding facilities and teaching spaces, as well as opportunities to collaborate with people and businesses across multiple sectors and work on real industry-based projects
  • Industry-standard facilities  - You will be based in Millennium Point, at our City Centre Campus, which has recently undergone a £6.5 million investment, including advanced software development and computer programming labs.
  • Gain professional body qualifications - Work towards Microsoft, Cisco, Linux and Oracle certificates
  • Strong partnerships with industry - Including IBM, APC by Schneider Electric, Atos, Co-Op and Philips
  • International opportunities - Participate in renowned international programmes  and competitions. You will have the opportunity to create a start-up business using ideas spawned during your course
  • Optional placement year - You will have the option to take a professional placement year in between your second and final year to gain experience before you graduate

Open Days

Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to explore our campus and facilities in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Open Day: March 2023

Register your interest

Entry Requirements

These entry requirements apply for entry in 2023/24.

All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.

Essential Requirements

BB or 80 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level with a minimum of 2 A Levels

Level 2 qualifications
GCSE GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) See level 3 entry under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details.
Scottish National 5 English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade C or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) qualifications

A Level and Advanced VCE 

  • 80 UCAS points 
  • A maximum of subjects are considered. These can be other A-levels or level 3 equivalents. 

T Level 

  • 96 UCAS points - grade Pass (C or above on the core)
  • All T Level subjects are accepted for our foundation year degrees in the School of Computing and Digital Technology

Access to HE Diploma

  • Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3.
  • Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma
    (2016 – present)
  • Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
    (2010 - 2016)
  • BTEC Level 3 National Diploma
    (2002 – 2010)
  • MMP
  • Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma
    (2016 – present)
  • Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
    (2010 – 2016)
  • BTEC Level 3 National Certificate
    (2002 – 2010)
  • 80 UCAS points
  • Considered with one A-level or an equivalent level 3 qualification
  • Pearson BTEC National Foundation Diploma (2016 to present)

  • Pearson BTEC 90-Credit Diploma (QCF) (2010 - 2016)

  • 80 UCAS points
  • Considered with one A-level or an equivalent level 3 qualification
  • Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate
    (2016 – present)

  • Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
    (2010 - 2016)

  • BTEC Level 3 National Award
    (2002 - 2010)

  • 80 UCAS points
  • Considered with one A-level or an equivalent level 3 qualification

Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate - Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

  • 80 UCAS points

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma – Core (awarded until 2016) ESW/KS Combined component

  • 80 UCAS points

International Baccalaureate Diploma

  • Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall
  • For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above, grade 5 in Maths (Standard Level) from the IB Diploma will be accepted
  • For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above, Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or above or English B - Grade 5 from the IB will be accepted.

Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers)

  • Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in four Higher level subjects. This must include Maths and English Language taken at either Ordinary level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level (minimum grade H5/D1).
Other qualifications
If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS.

Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website.
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential

Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept.

In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table.

EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications  
IELTS

6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands

If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information.

International Baccalaureate Diploma (or equivalent, including internationally accredited Foundation courses).

1. For students who complete the full IB Diploma: a total of 14 points or above from three Higher Level Subjects.

2. Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates.

Students must have grade 5 in Maths (Standard Level)
AND
English Group A - Grade 4 or above,
OR
English Group B and Ab Initio - Grade 5

Country-specific entry requirements and qualifications.

 

International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).

Additional Requirements

As part of the application process you will be invited to attend an applicant visit day where you will undertake a short one-to-one interview with an academic member of staff. This is your chance to show us how passionate you are about the subject and it will help us make a decision on your application.

This will provide you with more information about the School and your course. In addition, it will give you a chance to meet and our staff and students to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a student here.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BSc (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BSc (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 4 years
  • £13,980 in 2023/24

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key Software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

Microsoft Certifications (optional)

The exams required to gain Microsoft Office (MOS), Microsoft Technical Certification (MTC) and Microsoft Technical Associate (MTA) certifications are currently free for our students. We also provide free self-paced resources and access to practice exams via dedicated Moodle pages. Find out more about the exams available, and the objectives covered.

Certification training (optional)

Training is provided by the University to prepare you for the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) and CISCO Certifications without any extra costs. For certification costs, please see information below.

Project materials (mandatory)

This course includes project work that requires you to develop and produce a portfolio or collection. You'll be expected to provide the materials for use in your individual major projects; costs will vary depending on the materials selected.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Books (optional)

Some modules may suggest that you purchase a key textbook. All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. Many students choose to purchase a copy.

Placement expenses (optional)

If you choose to undertake a placement, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home.

Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Certification (optional)

Students wishing to gain certification will need to purchase an exam voucher in order to sit the exam required for certification. The cost of a voucher for students at the University is normally around £50 (around 50% of the normal price). The exam is sat on campus.

CISCO Certification (optional)

If you wish to take the exam required for CISCO certification, you will need to pay to take the exam(s) required. Currently, students who achieve over 70% in the Cisco CCNA 3, or CCNA Security finals (depending upon which degree you study) will receive a 50% discount from Cisco for the cost of the exams. The CCNA Routing and Switching exam currently costs $325-$330. The CCNA Security is currently around $465.

Accommodation and living costs

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

  1. Register with UCAS
  2. Login to UCAS and complete your details
  3. Select your course and write a personal statement
  4. Get a reference
  5. Pay your application fee and submit your application

Course in Depth

Foundation Year

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year One

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year Two

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Professional Placement Year (optional)

In order to qualify for the award of Bachelor of Science with Honours Computing and Information Technology with Professional Placement Year, you must successfully complete all of the modules listed as well as the following Level 5 module:

Final Year

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Download course specification

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You'll be assessed in a number of different ways during your course. These will include continuous assessment, in-class tests, examinations, laboratory exercises, group and project work. This will enable us to appraise your all-round ability and it also gives you the best opportunity to excel.

Your final assessment is based on 24 per cent written exam, 68 per cent course work and 8 per cent practical exam.

Attendance requirements

There are 30 attendance weeks in each academic year.

A typical week on this course will include 20 hours of contact time over three or four days, plus self study time.

Student stories

Pioneering facial recognition cane

The ‘XploR’ mobility cane – developed by ICT students Steve Adigbo, Waheed Rafiq and Richard Howlett – uses smartphone technology to recognise familiar faces from up to 10 metres away. The cane also features GPS functionality to aid navigation.

The device will guide users towards friends and family members using an ear piece and audio guidance, with the information being relayed through Bluetooth technology. Medical and healthcare companies in France really liked the product. Hopefully it'll be making a real difference to people’s lives soon. 

Student stories Sadia Ali

Graduate Application Support Analyst

Sadia worked part-time for the University as a Laboratory Demonstrator during her final year. Currently she is working full-time as a Graduate Application Support Analyst and has big plans for the future.

In the future she intends to stay in full-time employment and would love to run her own company so she can, not only be her own boss, but share her passion for ICT with the rest of the world. Technology is rapidly developing and she hopes to be a part of this and give others the opportunity to do so too. 

Trips and visits

All new students have an industrial visit as part of their induction programme; last year students visited Bletchley Park, the home of Alan Turing, the famous wartime code breaker.

Where opportunities exist, students are encouraged to participate in projects that involve visits abroad. In the past, students have participated in European projects in Finland and the Netherlands.

Athena Swan Bronze Award
Athena Swan Bronze Award

We have successfully secured the Athena SWAN Departmental Bronze Award recognising a commitment to gender equality.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.

Employability

Enhancing your employability skills

Our course is designed to equip you with in-depth, first-hand practical expertise as well as providing a rigorous academic understanding of your subject.

It is this combination that will help you to stand out when you look to enter the workplace and why our graduates are very highly sought-after.

We maintain very close links with business and industry to ensure that your studies are always relevant, up-to-date and meet the exact needs of the current marketplace.

You'll develop key academic and technical skills that will demonstrate your ability to understand concepts, principles and theories of complex network technologies, and that will show your understanding of how ICT infrastructure systems for business are designed and implemented.

Recent graduates have gone on to work with first-class organisations such as Hewlett Packard, Bell Microsystems, BT, Cisco, Deloitte, Ericsson, Philips, IBM, Intel, Siemens, Nokia and Capgemini.

Where our students go

Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:

  • Birmingham City University
  • Google
  • IBM
  • Amazon
  • Kuehne+Nagel
  • Zurich Insurance
  • Kagool
  • HPE
  • SOTI
  • CapGemini

And in jobs such as:

  • IT Infrastructure Specialist
  • Network Administrator
  • Cloud Solutions consultant
  • ERP Consultant
  • Technical Infrastructure Architect
  • Storage and Virtualisation Analyst

Placements

You will have the opportunity for work-based learning, either in the form of a professional or innovation project. This is a negotiated competitive placement pathway in the second year where you will be able complete 60 credit modules whilst employed or starting-up a business.

We aim to have you employer-ready by the time you graduate, and as part of your course you have the option of undertaking an industrial placement after the second year of study.

If you decide to do this, it will extend the duration of your BSc (Hons)/MSci course to four/five years.

Thanks to our excellent partnerships and working relationships with some of the UK's leading companies, you have the chance of undertaking a high quality industrial placement with leading organisations such as the Bank of England, Cisco Systems, IBM, 3M, Airbus or CapGemini.

Placements will also provide you with an opportunity to develop your practical expertise, earn money and try out a potential career path.

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

Our international students

Our School is particularly popular with students from China. Students are attracted by our strong industry links and our relationships with Chinese universities where we regularly visit and provide induction and preparation activities.

Facilities & Staff

Our Facilities

This course is located in the prestigious £114m Millennium Point building – part of our City Centre Campus – with technology and facilities that reflect advanced professional practice.

As a student you will get to use dedicated facilities for work such as systems analysis, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and business intelligence, and to support the application areas of mechatronics, games technology and computer forensics (with its own fully equipped laboratory).

The School is established as one of the leading academies for Apple, Microsoft and Cisco Systems, and is a member of Microsoft's Developer Network Academic Alliance.