BSc (Hons)
Computer Science
Degree Programme

YEAR 1

Courses

• DGT 3100 Fundamentals of Programming

  This course is designed to provide students with the necessary mathematical background for calculus courses and its applications to some business and economics courses. It covers the fundamentals of real-valued functions, including polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions and introduces students to the concepts of derivative and integral calculus with its applications to specific concepts in micro- and macro-economics

• DGT 3101 Foundations of Computer Science

  This course is designed to provide students with the necessary mathematical background for calculus courses and its applications to some business and economics courses. It covers the fundamentals of real-valued functions, including polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions and introduces students to the concepts of derivative and integral calculus with its applications to specific concepts in micro- and macro-economics

• MTH 3111 Functions with Applications

  This course is designed to provide students with the necessary mathematical background for calculus courses and its applications to some business and economics courses. It covers the fundamentals of real-valued functions, including polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions and introduces students to the concepts of derivative and integral calculus with its applications to specific concepts in micro- and macro-economics

• GEP 3105 Tools for Change

  In this course, students will discuss and respond to social issues in the local area through group work, reflecting on how they can become both collaborative and independent learners. They will research the context of and plan for service learning in the local area. They will learn to use a range of digital platforms for individual and group project work, focussing strongly on effective communication, including oral presentation and written reports using a range of relevant primary and secondary sources.

• GEP 3180 Research & Writing I

  This core course concentrates on developing the students’ ability to read and think critically, and to read, understand and analyse texts from a range of genres. How do you successfully negotiate a path through a sea of information and then write it up? Using essential information literacy skills to help with guided research, this course develops the ability to produce effective and appropriate academic writing across the curriculum. This is the first course in the Richmond academic research and writing sequence.

Plus one of the following:

• GEP 3150 Visual Thinking

  This course provides an interdisciplinary grounding in the practice and theory of critical visual thinking. Through theoretical frameworks such as semiotics, it explores predominantly photographic images, from across a range of cultures and contexts: the arts, politics, science, sport and technology. Through visual analysis, it considers digital forms of observation and image making, as well as building understanding by visual practice. It examines questions concerning curating, circulating and making public the images we produce. It asks: What are the values and truths hidden in images? How can the practice of image production advance our thinking around images? How, in the context of a range of disciplines, can we learn to communicate ideas visually and verbally?

• GEP 3170 Narratives of Change

  This course considers a landscape of global ideas through the lens of contemporary literature. Students will be introduced to pivotal moments of recent thought surrounding gender, race, environment and technology, exploring how literature both shapes and responds to our changing world. Students will analyse literary, political, and theoretical texts from a variety of cultures, exploring the relationship between written form, content and context particularly the ways in which social change might play out in literature. There will be the opportunity to produce both critical analysis in essay form and creative writing that responds to the texts studied.

YEAR 2

Courses

• DGT 4101 Introduction to Programming

  This course provides the fundamentals of object-oriented programming. This will include usage of variables, objects, classes; assignment and control through statements, loops, functions, procedures, interaction between objects and inheritance. This course may introduce any current specialists programming topics, eg. programming for mobile applications.

• DGT 4102 Operating Systems

  This course provides students with an understanding of key structures and mechanisms of operating systems: Linux, UNIX, Android and Windows for corporate, personal and mobile systems. The course focusses on both the design issues and fundamental principles.

• DGT 4103 Data & Algorithms

  This course introduces students to standard data structures and algorithms and provides them with the necessary skills to manipulate them mathematically and transform them to efficient computer programs.

• DGT 4104 Front End Web Design

  This course is an introduction to front-end of web design with essential concepts such as understanding websites and the latest versions of HTML, CSS and JavaScript to enable the development of sophisticated client-side interactive web applications. The course will also include the basics of usability and accessibility requirements of web services.

• GEP 4105 Social Change in Practice

  This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to analyse London-based social and environmental needs. Students will discuss key texts related to service learning and apply a range of planning and research techniques to deliver a community-based project related to a chosen social or environmental issue. Students will use local resources when available including registered not-for-profit and community-based organizations and reflect critically on their ability to create a positive contribution to society. Students will engage in community-based service learning, with guided academic tasks and reflection.

• GEP 4180 Research & Writing II

  How do you train your critical research and writing skills to be effective in the academic and professional arenas? How do you design and structure an argument that is convincing? This core course focuses on the principles of good scholarship and academic practice that will be required throughout the students’ studies and in the workplace. These skills are developed throughout the course so that students may, with increasing confidence, produce well-researched writing that demonstrates critical engagement with a self-selected academic topic. This is the second course in the Richmond academic research and writing sequence.

• MTH 4120 Probability & Statistics I

  An introductory course in probability primarily designed for business economics and psychology majors. The course coverage will include: descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, random variables and expectations, discrete probability distributions (Binomial and Poisson distributions), continuous probability distribution (Normal distribution), linear regression analysis and correlations, elementary hypothesis testing and Chi-square tests, non-parametric methods and SPSS lab sessions targeting applications of statistical concepts to business, economics and psychology and interpretations of hardcopies. All practical work will be produced using SPSS statistical software.

• MTH 4140 Maths of Argument and Reasoning

Plus two electives

YEAR 3

Courses

• DGT 5101 Programming for Applications

  This course builds on the programming principles learnt in Introduction to Programming and introduces students to industry standard programming skills, e.g. Java. The course includes opportunities to enhance students’ problem solving skills for computer science using tools such as IDEs and APIs and techniques such as Object-Oriented Programming.

• DGT 5102 Sustainable & Ethical Computing

  This course introduces sustainability and ethics in the context of computing technologies and explores in detail, case studies across various contexts including computer architectures, networks, high-performance computing, programming languages and sensor systems and how they could be improved to be made ethical and more sustainable.

• DGT 5103 Computer Networks

  This course is about how networks work both as hardware and programming across the internet, wired networks and wireless networks such as LANs, broadband and Bluetooth. The course will also explore in detail the various layers of computer network interfaces to provide efficient and safe systems.

• DGT 5210 Cyber Security

• DGT 5104 Systems Analysis & Design

  This course introduces students to systems analysis and design methodologies that are used in designing complex computer systems. The course will explore in detail, the architectures, components, evaluation techniques and data management in a systems design process.

Plus one of the following:

• DGT 5105 Advanced Computer Applications for Business

  This course introduces students to business concepts, revenue models and infrastructures necessary to produce a digital business solution. The course will also introduce marketing and sales models within current digital settings that will equip students with the knowledge necessary to build future proof business solutions.

• DGT 5106 Data Science

  This course focusses on how data and data sets relate to business contexts and how data can be visualised to provide meaning to complex data. The course explores web applications and programming skills required to programme data and apply existing knowledge in probability, statistics and programming to visualise data for specific business contexts.

• DGT 5107 Database Systems

  This course focusses on how data and data sets relate to business contexts and how data can be visualised to provide meaning to complex data. The course explores web applications and programming skills required to programme data and apply existing knowledge in probability, statistics and programming to visualise data for specific business contexts.

Plus one of the following:

• GEP 5101 Service Learning: Digital Collaboration

  This Digital Collaboration Service-Learning course is a student community engagement course that aims to provide students from all disciplines and majors with the intellectual, professional, and personal skills that will enable them to build professional links and function well in culturally diverse communities both locally and globally, in a digital capacity. In addition to the hours of field work (typically 30 hours*), the student will also produce a critical reflective progress report of their experience (a learning log), a ‘community action’ portfolio (analytical essay), and a final oral presentation, based on their own creative project. These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the application of their specialist knowledge, the skills they are learning, and the benefits gained from the service-learning experience. During this service-learning course, the faculty supervisor work closely with each student to ensure that the community engagement is a successful one.This course enables students engage with organizations and communities outside of the university. Over two semesters, students will devise, plan and construct their own digital project for Charities, NGO’s and non-profit organisations via digital engagement and media networks. This course expands theories from digital global service learning, across different employment sectors, and aspects of society. It equips students to identify the ranges of opportunities for innovation and employment that digital skills offer, using digital resource and community building for physical and mental health. The course examines decolonial theories of global digital community. It is highly recommended that students have access to the use of a laptop and a smartphone for the duration of the course.

• GEP 5102 Service Learning: Leadership in a Changing World

  This is a Service Learning course that focuses on emerging forms of leadership. It aims to introduce students from all majors to the professional, intellectual and personal skills to enable them to understand different approaches to leadership and function well in culturally diverse communities globally. In addition to the hours of field work (typically 30 hours* depending on the organisation), the student will also produce a critical reflective progress report of their experience (a project log), and a portfolio of their work (potentially as an analytical essay, or a video or a Report or an oral presentation). These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the application of their specialist knowledge, the leadership skills they are learning, and the benefits gained from the critical experiential service-learning. It will also help them determine if their current career goals are the correct fit for them.This course enables students to engage with organizations and communities outside of the university. During the semester, students will consider topics such as negotiation and behavioral influence. They will devise, plan and carry out their own engagement project for Charities, NGO’s and non-profit organisations. This course combines design thinking and behavioural design theories with global service learning theory, across different employment sectors and aspects of society. It equips students to identify opportunities for influence, leadership and employment both in and adjacent to their field. The course is underpinned by JEDI approaches to justice, equality, diversity and inclusion across the global community.

• GEP 5103 Service Learning: Environment and Society

  This Environmental Service Learning course is a student community engagement course that aims to provide students from all disciplines and majors with the intellectual, professional, and personal skills that will enable them to build professional links and function well in culturally diverse communities globally and within an Environmental perspective. In addition to the hours of field work (typically 30 hours* depending on the organisation), the student will also produce a critical reflective progress report of their experience (a learning log), a ‘community action’ portfolio (analytical essay), and a final oral presentation. These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the application of their specialist knowledge, the skills they are learning, and the benefits gained from the service-learning experience. It will also to help them determine if their current career goals are the correct fit for them. During this service-learning course, the faculty supervisor will work closely with each student to ensure that the community engagement is a successful one.

• GEP 5104 Service Learning: Global Citizenship and Migration

  This course examines the theoretical, political and sociological conceptions of citizenship and their limitations. It looks at both the theoretical constructs and the concrete policies that have shaped the experience of the citizen and of the migrant. The course therefore considers the development of the nation state and the establishment of legal and social citizenship. It also examines the border as a mechanism of control and security. The course further addresses the intersection of experiences of citizenship across economic, racial and gender differences in the context of international governance as well as the globalization of economies and environmental issues. This is a Service-Learning student community engagement course that aims to provide students with the analytical and inter-personal skills to support key non-governmental and policy-making actors around the broad theme of citizenship and migration as well as to build an understanding of the needs and challenges faced by key stakeholders and local communities globally. Through consultation with key stakeholders, students will produce analytical written assessments on key questions around the theme of global citizenship and migration, they will also produce a range of work introducing them to a range of key employability skills in a range of key sectors related to citizenship, these might include: the local and global charity sector, local and national policy-making, as well as regional or international organisations. Students will be required to maintain a progress report that tracks learning and can act as a reference point for problem solving in the future.

YEAR 4

Courses

• DGT 6101 Project Management for IT

  This course provides the core knowledge and skills necessary to start, manage and deliver a project within an IT setting. This will include project management from a designing and programming perspective.

• DGT 6296 Senior Project 1

  This course is designed as the first part of the two-part Senior Project. It provides the setting to conceptualise, research, and propose a written brief that includes the identification and beginnings of the establishment of an appropriate methodology. The instructor will facilitate the process through regularly scheduled class meetings. The research will be independently conducted via a literary review and the project will need to follow a methodology explored in Systems Analysis and Design.

• DGT 6297 Senior Project 2

  This course provides the setting to further develop and complete the independently planned and executed programming project begun in Senior Project 1. The developed program should be tested and the findings critically evaluated for improvement. The instructor will facilitate the process through regularly scheduled meetings.

And 4 of the following:

• DGT 6103 Artificial Intelligence

  This course provides students with the skills necessary to respond to Artificial Intelligent (AI) problems with search, logic and probabilistic reasoning. The course will also introduce some current advanced applications such as deep learning and natural language processing in the context of AI.

• DGT 6102 Data Mining

  This course introduces text, web, and social media mining approaches in current digital contexts; the algorithms and technology behind it and provides programming skills necessary for data mining.

• DGT 6104 Computer Graphics

  This course covers the knowledge required in hardware and software aspects of graphics technology and relevant theory. It enables programmers to create efficient code for images and animations.

• DGT 6105 Games Technology

  This course introduces programming skills specific to games development (eg. C#) and game engines such as Unity. This course will build on skills in object-oriented programming. The course will also walkthrough procedural content generation and its possibilities along with aspects of artificial intelligence applicable to games.

• DGT 6106 Human Computer Interaction

  This course introduces students to the principles of human-computer interaction and the industry standard design methodologies. In this course, students will have the opportunity to develop a concept by studying users, storyboarding, prototyping, and evaluating the design and produce a prototype ready for implementation by a programmer.

• PSY 6103 Brain & Cognition

  This course provides students with the skills necessary to respond to Artificial Intelligent (AI) problems with search, logic and probabilistic reasoning. The course will also introduce some current advanced applications such as deep learning and natural language processing in the context of AI.

Integrated Internship

• DGT 6962 World Internship in Computer Science

  The Internship in Computer Science is a student work placement that aims to provide students with the experience of working within the international IT industry.Students will develop the intellectual, professional, and personal skills that will enable them to function well in a culturally diverse working environment. All internships are supervised by faculty, and all last a minimum of 6 weeks in length and are carried out full time Monday to Thursday/ Friday. Each student will also complete a series of assessments throughout the internship, such as keeping a written journal of their experience, preparing an internship portfolio, and delivering a final presentation. These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the skills they are learning and the benefits gained from the internship experience, and also to help them determine if their current career goals are the correct fit for them. During the internship, the staff of the Internship Office and a faculty supervisor work closely with each student to ensure that the placement is a successful one. Students’ final grades are based on several factors including, written assignments, presentation, and a report from their workplace supervisor which is taken into consideration.

• DGT 6972 Internship in Computer Science

  The Internship in Computer Science is a student work placement that aims to provide students with the experience of working within the IT industry in London. Students will develop the intellectual, professional, and personal skills that will enable them to function well in a culturally diverse working environment. All internships are supervised by faculty, and all last a minimum of 6 weeks in length and are carried out full time Monday to Thursday/ Friday. Each student will also complete a series of assessments throughout the internship, such as keeping a written journal of their experience, preparing an internship portfolio, and delivering a final presentation. These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the skills they are learning and the benefits gained from the internship experience, and also to help them determine if their current career goals are the correct fit for them. During the internship, the staff of the Internship Office and a faculty supervisor work closely with each student to ensure that the placement is a successful one. Students’ final grades are based on several factors including, written assignments, presentation, and a report from their workplace supervisor which is taken into consideration.

Plus one elective