Data Science is an exciting new discipline that integrates computer science and statistics, which helps enable us to gain valuable insights that are needed in modern organisations. The Computer and Data Science degree course is designed to equip you with the cutting-edge skills required to satisfy the global demand for Data Scientist roles and thus build a rewarding career.
You’ll gain a well-rounded education in Computer and Data Science, whilst developing your teamwork and software development skills. When you graduate you’ll be able to design software by applying mathematical and scientific principles, enabling you to thrive in the IT industry.
You’ll cover all aspects of data science, ranging from data acquisition, integration, storage, analysis and visualization of data. You’ll also learn about data mining, statistical analysis, and machine learning by working collaboratively with academics and businesses, applying practice-based skills to real-life case studies and projects.
BSc Computer and Data Science shares a common first year with the BSc Computer Science course. The first year covers fundamental concepts, such as algorithms and data structures, while also nurturing your creativity.
In your second year, you will study four Computer Science modules and two Data Science specific modules, namely Introduction to Data Science and Data Visualisation. In the third year, with the exception of one Computer Science module, the remaining modules are Data Science specific.
You will broaden your understanding of data science by studying specialised subjects like artificial intelligence and machine learning, modern data stores, data mining and data warehousing.
In addition, you will complete an individual project in order to demonstrate your technical skills and general employability in preparation for your career. The individual project simulates typical workplace tasks that require knowledge in a specific area of data science.
With emphasis on computer lab-based practical work and project delivery, this course will provide you with ample opportunity to acquire both the technical and transferable skills desired by industry. Extra support sessions in mathematics will be offered to students which will be led by a specialist mathematics tutor.
Underpinned by an extensive range of staff knowledge and skills, the course seeks to develop you into a confident independent and team problem solver who is willing to take on new challenges and experiences. You will be able to build an online portfolio for personal and professional development using software such as Mahara or GitHub.
We focus on employability so our course encourages and enables collaborative activity, engagement with work placements, projects and international exchanges. Various activities have been built into the course to promote employability such as innovation fest, mid-semester employability week and the mini project during level 4 induction week. You will have the opportunity to take a sandwich placement year between your second and third year. This is something that is highly recommended, as it will give you an invaluable opportunity to put your skills into practice, try out a potential career path and get relevant workplace experience that is valued by so many employers. The course is also part of the Erasmus scheme, which allows you to study abroad within the EU for a semester, normally during the second year of the course.
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.
The course will help you to understand the concept of database design and querying. In addition, modules such as applied statistics and data mining module will help you to have acceptable skill in 'R' programming which is vital for data analysts. Mohamed
The course covers a breadth of topics and the newest developments using a very hands on approach. Julian
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
BB at A Level or 80 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level with a minimum of 2 A Levels, at least one from a Science, Technology, Mathematics or Computing subject or equivalent. |
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Typical Offers (UK students) | ||
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At the point of application, you must have GCSE at Grade 4 (C) or above in English Language and Mathematics. Equivalent qualifications will be considered. Plus, you must have achieved or be completing one of the following: |
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UK Qualification | Requirements | |
GCE A Level/ AS Level | BB at A Level or 80 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level with a minimum of 2 A Levels, at least one from a Science, Technology, Mathematics or Computing subject. | |
Access to Higher Education Diploma |
Pass with 60 credits, 45 of which should be at Level 3. including 12 Technical credits merit or distinction. Must be from Technology, Science, Mathematics or Computing related subjects. |
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BTEC National Diploma (12-units not including early years)/ Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma | D*D* or combined with other level 3 qualifications to achieve a minimum total of 112 UCAS points | |
BTEC Extended Diploma (18-units not including early years)/ Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma | DMM - 112 UCAS points | |
BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/ Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate | Combined with other level 3 qualifications to achieve a minimum total of 112 UCAS points | |
BTEC Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design | Distinction | |
International Baccalaureate Diploma |
Obtain a minimum of 28 points overall with a minimum of Grade 5 in Mathematics (Higher Level) and pass one of the following subjects from Group 4 at Higher Level (Computer Science, Chemistry, Design Technology, Physics). Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates and alongside other acceptable level 3 qualifications to meet 112 UCAS Tariff Points. Obtain a total of 14 points or above from three Higher Level Subjects. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above Grade 5 or above in Mathematics at Standard Level will be accepted in lieu of this from the IB Diploma. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) Group A English Group A - Grade 4 or above, OR English Group B Grade 5 from the IB will be accepted. Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates. A combination of GCSEs, A-levels and IB certificates will be considered on a case by case basis. |
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Irish Leaving Certificate |
Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 112 tariff points, achieved in four Higher level subjects. Maths must be at Higher Level. Must include English Language taken at either Ordinary level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level (minimum grade H5/D1). Must include one from Technology, Science, Mathematics or Computing. |
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Scottish Higher/ Advanced Higher |
Achieve a minimum of 112 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers.Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades CCD. Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of CD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of CC in two Highers). Must include one from Technology, Science, Mathematics or Computing. |
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Welsh Baccalaureate (core plus options) |
Must be offered along with either A-levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diplomas or a BTEC 12-unit National Diploma/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma combination with a total of 112 UCAS tariff points. Must be offered in conjunction with the A level in either Technology, Science, Mathematics or Computing or equivalent. |
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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. |
Essential | ||
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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. |
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EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications | Requirements | |
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. |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma (or equivalent, including internationally accredited Foundation courses). |
Obtain a minimum of 28 points overall with a minimum of Grade 5 in Mathematics (Higher Level) and pass one of the following subjects from Group 4 at Higher Level (Computer Science, Chemistry, Design Technology, Physics). Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates and alongside other acceptable level 3 qualifications to meet 112 UCAS Tariff Points. Obtain a total of 14 points or above from three Higher Level Subjects. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above Grade 5 or above in Mathematics at Standard Level will be accepted in lieu of this from the IB Diploma. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) Group A English Group A - Grade 4 or above, OR English Group B Grade 5 from the IB will be accepted. Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates. A combination of GCSEs, A-levels and IB certificates will be considered on a case by case basis. 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).
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2020
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2020
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
UK and EU 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.
There are no compulsory additional costs or charges associated with studying on this course. While you may choose to purchase personal copies of text books, all our key text books are available from our library or online (subject to normal library loan and online access arrangements). If your course includes a residential study session, the accommodation costs for this are already included in your course fee.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
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.
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
Knowledge and understanding are acquired though a mixture of formal lectures, tutor-led seminars and practical activities, with other independent learning activities at all stages.
Emphasis is placed on guided, self-directed and student-centred learning, aimed at giving you increasing independence of approach, thought and process.
The course provides access to effective commercial development environments and ensures you have practical awareness of computer systems requirements. You are required to meet strict deadlines, and to manage and plan your overall workload.
Knowledge is assessed by a number of methods, including seminars, coursework, viva, presentation, interactive automated assessment, formal examination and project work.
Assessment criteria are published both at a generic course level and to provide guidance for individual items of assessment. Anonymous marking systems are in place for all formal examinations.
You will undertake a major project involving research and application of that research in the solution of systems-related problems.
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.
Our graduates typically design and implement software across such rewarding areas as web development, interface design, security issues and mobile computing.
We know that employers are looking for graduates who offer a good balance between in-depth academic knowledge and technical and practical expertise, which is why our course is geared towards employability.
What you learn on our course will help you to stand out when you look for your first professional role and because you’ll know how to use sophisticated, industry-standard equipment and software, you will be able to demonstrate that you can put into practice your deep theoretical knowledge.
You will be taught about the roles and responsibilities of a professional working within the computing and data science professions, and gain an appreciation of the social, environmental, ethical, economic and commercial considerations that impact on computer and data science solutions.
We will also prepare you for a career by equipping you with myriad transferable skills, such as complex problem-solving expertise, the ability to analyse in a careful and considered manner, and working as a team member.
In addition, our specialist industry links with the Linux Professional Institute, the Oracle Academy, Cisco, and Microsoft, Apple, and Oracle, plus our world-class facilities, will mark you out as a highly employable graduate.
It’s why our graduates have gone on to pursue computing and software development and designer careers in a wide range of industries, from SME software companies, to industry, government, banking, and healthcare.
The ‘Learning Outcomes’ for this course didn’t really mention employability so this is largely based on the Computer Science web page
We aim to have you employer-ready by the time you graduate and, as part of your Computer and Data Science 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 course to four 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 IBM, Dignity Plc, Mortgage Brain, and Griffiths-Waite.
Learn more about some of the prestigious organisations that our students are placed with:
Full details can be found on the School placements page.
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Because our course is uniquely designed to meet employers’ needs, you’ll be highly sought-after when you come to graduate. It is why many of our graduates have gone on to work for top companies including IBM, Griffiths Waite, Capgemini and Birmingham City University.
Our course covers cutting-edge topics in computer and data science that will leave you well-prepared to take on any of a diverse set of roles, including Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Data warehousing specialist, Consultant Solutions Architect, Database Administrator, Project Manager.
12 Months at IBM
Tammy Yeshua described undertaking a year-long placement as part of her BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree as the "best decision she has ever made". Her work for technology giant IBM led to her securing a place on a two-year graduate programme with the same firm as a Technical Consultant after she graduates. In her role as a Maximo Support Dispatcher, she got to interact with big-name clients around the world, including Cisco, BP and Heathrow Express, building up her confidence and communication skills.
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:
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our students come from around the world but our computer science course is most popular with international students from:
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities. This course will be taught at Millennium Point at the City Centre Campus.
As a student at the School of Computing and Digital Technology, you have access to networked laboratories equipped to industry standards and running the latest software, giving you the best possible introduction to the technologies you will encounter in the world of work.
Dedicated facilities are provided for systems analysis, computer networks, programming in a wide range of languages, artificial intelligence, modelling and visual programming, e-commerce and .net environments, and business intelligence, as well as supporting the application areas of mechatronics, games technology, electronics and computer forensics.
The laboratories are well-equipped for all our computer networking courses, as well as specialist areas for practical work such as voice-over internet protocol (VoIP), forensic and ethical hacking technologies, wireless and mobile technologies and radio frequency identification technologies to name but a few.
There are a number of open access, software development and computer programming
laboratories that can be used to develop systems and programmes, including database management systems such as MySQL, to name but a few.
Our embedded systems laboratories are used to develop real-time systems, such as specialist hardware training and development resources, and industrial-standard software development and simulation tools. These include microcontroller software and robotics design and development, to name but a few.
Our successful development of forensic computing has led to a specialist forensics laboratory that is fully equipped with essential hardware and software for this sensitive area of study. The laboratory includes high-spec PC’s with built-in multi interface Tableau write blockers, EnCase and FTK computer forensic software and steganography detection and analysis software, to name but a few.
Jagdev is an experienced lecturer whose main teaching area is Database Systems. She is the Course Leader for MSc Business Intelligence and the MSc Big Data Analytics courses. Jagdev has published conference and journal papers on relational/object/nosql database systems, ontologies, text mining and cloud computing.
Mohamed Gaber is a Professor in Data Analytics at our School of Computing and Digital Technology.
He has published over 150 papers, co-authored two monograph-style books, and edited/co-edited six books on data mining and knowledge discovery. Mohamed has served in the programme committees of several major conferences related to data mining, including the International Conference on Data Mining, the Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, and the International Conference on Machine Learning. In 2007, he was awarded the CSIRO Teamwork award.
Dr Mariam Adedoyin-Olowe is an Assistant Lecturer and Researcher in Big Data Analytics in the School of Computing and Digital Technology. She currently teaches Data Mining and Web Social Media Analytics and Visualisation at Postgraduate level. She also teaches/supervises Undergraduate Innovation Projects. Her research focuses on data mining, Big Data analytics, social media analytics, artificial Intelligence, machine Learning, sentiment analysis and opinion mining, data visualisation, association rule mining, and data science
Dr Azad is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy. He specialises in the subject matter of Computer Science, Machine Learning, Evolutionary Computing (Genetic Programming, Genetic Algorithms, and Grammatical Evolution), Data Analytics, and Statistics.
He has extensively worked on theory and applications of Machine Learning, particularly Nature Inspired Machine Learning (Evolutionary Computing), and has conducted internationally acclaimed work winning awards and honours from recognized international scientific fora.