Welcome 2026 Students

Start Date

Welcome Week will take place between Monday 14 September and Friday 18 September 2026. During Welcome Week your course team will schedule activities for you to find out important information about your course, meet your lecturers and other students, and find your way around.

Teaching on your course begins from Monday 21 September 2026. Please check your timetable for details.

You will be able to see your timetable on iCity using your BCU login details as soon as they are released. You should have received your BCU login details when you were invited to enrol.

International Students

We expect all international students to engage with their studies in person from w/c 7 September 2026.

The final deadline to arrive in the UK to complete enrolment will be week 4 (w/c 2 October 2026).

Timetables

Course Leader

Khaled Mahbub

Welcome Message

On behalf of the Course Team I am delighted to welcome you to the MSc Computer Science Course. You are now part of academic community of students and staff involved in education, research, and practice in Computing.

The MSc in Computer Science is a conversion course that provides you a broad and balanced introduction to computer science. The course aims to prepare you for technical roles in the IT industry by introducing the key technologies and skills needed for employment. The course has been designed to provide you with practical experience with models, techniques and tools from the forefront of the discipline that drive innovation in the design of software-based systems within this domain. The key topics taught on the course include Software Development (using the programming language in demand in the industry), Software Analysis & Design (techniques for designing large and complex software), Database Design & Development (backend storage for almost every IT installation in the world), Web Application Development (full stack web application development) and Artificial Intelligence (foundation of machine learning and the future of all contextual decision making). You will also learn the key skills of research, academic writing and project management required for study at masters’ level. These skills are further developed and placed in the context of the dissertation.

A degree in Computer Science from BCU is an excellent investment for your future. Our aim is to provide a stimulating environment including state-of-the-art resources and a curriculum designed to help you to unfold your creative talents, and equip you with the analytical and technical skills you need to succeed in a computing career. In addition to academic development we strongly encourage you to take up opportunities for personal development so that you really do get the most out of your time at BCU. We also encourage you to make valuable contribution to the development and effective operation of our course. Hence, we would welcome any suggestions that you may have in order to improve any aspect of the course.

Finally I like to remind you that you have made an investment – financially, and in terms of your energy and your time. So ensure that you work towards a return on this investment. It is our sincere hope that you will find our course a rewarding and challenging part of your life and we look forward to working with you!

Course Location

Your course will mainly be taught in:

STEAMhouse, City Centre Campus (Room numbers start with CST)

First day on Campus

We look forward to welcoming you to Birmingham City University!

You must have your ID card visible at all times when on campus, so if you have received yours before your first day, ensure you bring this with you. If you enrolled late you will need to collect one on campus during your first few days. Please remember that your ID card is for your use only. You must never let anyone else use it.

To complete your enrolment, you will need the following:

• Passport (or other form of photo ID if you are a UK/EU student)
• Original qualification documents if applicable (you will be emailed a list of the documents we need to see once you have completed your online enrolment)
• Visa (international students only)

What else? The rest is up to you! You will find a shop, café, pub, computer access and water fountains on campus, but we do recommend you bring the following on the first day:

• Laptop, if you have one
• Notepad and pen
• Reusable water bottle
• Snack
• Money

And remember, the weather in Birmingham can be changeable!