Overview
Big data, big dreams
There’s more than one way into a successful computing career. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree course, but have the experience, maturity and determination to work in the sector, then this course is for you.
This foundation year isn’t a freestanding degree - but it’s the perfect preparation for one. Think of it as the first year in a four-year period of studying that will lead to the BSc (Hons) Computer Science at LSBU (upon successful completion of the foundation year).
This course is in development and subject to validation. Course fees and application details will be added as soon as possible following validation.
Why study Computing at LSBU?
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- Choose to specialise in a variety of aspects of computer science, including computer engineering; big data and business intelligence; collaborative computing, and devices and sensors.
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- Students gain a wealth of experience using industry-standard equipment, computer programming and simulation facilities. These include large-scale calibrations for deep learning networking (TensorFlo, PyTouch, Karos, CoLab), simulation for cyber security and upgraded workstations in the LSBU Hub.
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- All our courses are accredited or developed in partnership with leading professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).
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- From AI machine learning boot camp to silent film processing, there is a range of extracurricular activities for Engineering students to get involved in.
| ModeFull-time | Duration4 year | Start dateSeptember | Application codeG40F | Application method UCAS |
Course Accreditations
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BCS
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IBM
Location
London South Bank University student union is located at 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA.
If you are visiting our Southwark Campus, you may wish to use our downloadable campus map (PNG File 466 KB). For information on accessibility, see our DisabledGo access guides. See our location page for more details.
Entry Level Requirements
- A Level DDE or;
- BTEC National Diploma MPP or;
- Access to HE qualifications with Pass or;
- Equivalent level 3 qualifications worth 64 UCAS points
- Applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above).
- We welcome qualifications from around the world. English language qualifications for international students: IELTS score of 6.0 or Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C.
Choose your country
Select country here:
Missing English and Maths qualifications?
If you do not have the required English and Maths qualifications needed to satisfy the entry requirements for this programme, we have courses available at our partner College that you can take to upskill in these areas. Find out more at South Bank College.
Advanced entry
If you have already completed some studies at another university, we may be able to consider you for advanced entry. Please see our advanced entry page for more information.
For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for undergraduate students.
Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.
See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).
Possible fee changes
The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.
The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.
Scholarships
We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on our scholarships page.
International students
The course is not currently open to international students.
International (non Home) applicants should follow our international how to apply guide.
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| Mode Full-time | Duration 4 year | Start date September | Application code G40F | Application method UCAS |
Accommodation
Once we have made you an offer, you can apply for accommodation. You can rent from LSBU and you’ll deal directly with the university, not third party providers. That means we can guarantee you options to suit all budgets, with clear tenancy agreements and all-inclusive rents that include insurance for your personal belongings, internet access in each bedroom and on-site laundry facilities.
Or, if you’d rather rent privately, we can give you a list of landlords – just ask our Accommodation Service.
Read more about applying for accommodation at LSBU.
Finance
You don't need to wait for a confirmed place on a course to start applying for student finance. Read how to pay your fees as an undergraduate student.
Prepare to start
Applicant events
After you’ve received your offer we’ll send you emails about events we run to help you prepare for your course.
Enrolment
Before you start your course we’ll send you information on what you’ll need to do before you arrive and during your first few days on campus. You can read about the process on our Enrolment pages.
You’ll start off looking at the subjects that you’ll face in your first year of degree studies, setting you up with the academic and technical grounding you need. For details on modules at degree level please look at the individual course entries of your chosen progression route.
This preparatory year is all about giving you the core grounding of knowledge to move on to a qualification that fits your future career ambitions. You don’t have to have it all worked out in advance, your tutors will be on hand to advise you. The results you achieve may restrict your subject choices.
Foundation Year
- Foundations of Computing Skills (20 credits)
In this module you will covers fundamental concepts such as programming languages, data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving methodologies. Through a structured curriculum, students delve into practical applications, gaining fundamental knowledge in software development, database management, and computational thinking. Emphasizing hands-on experience and theoretical understanding. - Principles of Discrete Mathematics (20 credits)
In this module you will enhance your basic mathematical skills and develop your knowledge and skillset in formalising and resolving theoretical and practical problems in Computer Science in a thoroughly mathematical manner. This module forms a foundation for understanding, creating, and verifying procedures and algorithms in programming. - Introduction to Programming (20 credits)
In this module you will be introduced to fundamental programming concepts and Python syntax through a series of hands-on exercises and projects. The module aims to equip learners with the essential skills needed to write basic Python programs and to understand how to use Python for various applications. - Principles of Data Analytics (20 credits)
In this module you will learn to organise, analyse data, and create reports and dashboards for users at various levels of the organisation. Businesses need data analysis more than ever. In this module, you will learn about the techniques, tools, skills, and knowledge of a data analyst. - Foundation project (40 credits)
In this module you will undertake a software development project, combining knowledge and skills from the other foundation modules (Computing/Mathematics/Programming/Analytics), producing software with supporting documentation and a demonstration /presentation.
Year 1
- Fundamentals of computer science
This module will explore the history of computing, the role and the science of algorithms, abstraction, the binary numbering system and its representations, Boolean logic and gates, fundamentals of computer hardware, building computer circuits, the von Neumann model, and will provide an introduction to hardware, data, software, the nature of data and its operation. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Fundamentals of software development
This module will teach you the fundamentals of computer programming, covering variables, datatypes, arrays, algorithms, conditional and iterative code and the use of functions. You'll learn to write simple programs making use of a contemporary programming language and development environment. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Professional practice
As a new entrant to the university, this module prepares you for developing an understanding of - and skills for - academic study and the world of work, and the professional and personal skills you'll need. You'll be introduced to all aspects of university study and being an IT professional, allowing your ideas to be explored and developed throughout your time at LSBU and beyond. The topics studied will be used to develop the skills that both a graduate and an IT professional will require, and will give you ample opportunities to develop your intellectual skills as well as your practical ones. In addition to these topics on professionalism, the module will introduce you to a range of topics relating to computer-based information systems, e-business and how business organisations work. The module is largely based on some existing model syllabi as devised by professional bodies such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS), but this has been adapted for the particular needs of LSBU’s new entrants. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Data structures and algorithms
This module will teach you the definition of data structures, attributes, arrays, records, linked lists, binary trees and hash tables, using the fundamental elements of programming languages to construct them (for example using pointers). It will also teach you the derivation of algorithms, problem-solving techniques, sequences, selections, and repetitions, sorting and searching. The module will cover pseudocode, Unified Modelling Language diagrams and how they can be used when representing algorithms, iterative and recursive algorithms and abstract data types. The relationship between abstract data types and object-oriented classes will be introduced, and the ready-made implementation of common structures such as hash tables in software libraries will be explored. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Discrete mathematics
This module will introduce you to the logical and discrete mathematical structures and models, which are commonly used in the field of Computer Science and which underpin any study of this discipline. The module will emphasise the formulation of problems into mathematical forms, the interpretation of solutions and the identification of problem characteristics to help suggest modelling approaches. Provisions will be made (typically one hour per week) to allow us to bring you, if necessary, to a level of confidence and expertise in those areas of essential basic mathematics that should have been covered at earlier levels. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Requirements Analysis and UCD
This module provides the practical tools and techniques required to design, develop and evaluate effective interactive systems in an ever-changing digital age. User-centred design and usability are recognised as major contributing factors in the success of business and mass market information systems. The rise over the last 2 decades of the internet/web along with graphical user interfaces (GUIs), multimedia and ubiquitous mobile devices has led to an almost universal uptake of highly sophisticated interactive systems. Assessment method: 100% coursework.
Year 2
- Big Data and Database Systems
This module covers the concepts and practice of Database Systems Management as well as the fundamentals of Big Data processing. The subject of the database field is concerned with how to use computers to store and manage data, usually large quantities of data, that is accessible locally and remotely via the web, the cloud etc. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Object-oriented programming
This module will introduce the more sophisticated programming constructs associated with object-oriented programming, the dominant programming paradigm in current use. It will also introduce event-driven programming and how it relates to the development of graphical user interfaces. This module will explore practical application development using graphical user interfaces and will cover the use of classes and objects of a kind found in many real world applications. The use of professional development tools will give a rounded picture of the development process. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Operating systems
An operating system is a computer program that acts as an intermediary between users and their application programs and, on the other hand, the computer hardware. Operating systems are highly complex software artefacts. This module covers all aspects of the design of operating systems and the functions they perform. It also covers related technologies such as virtualisation and CPU features for maximising performance. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Principles of data networks
This module introduces the principles of data networks, the inter-networked environment, and various technologies related to data networking using experimentation and programming assignments. The module lays the foundations of the data-networking course. It familiarises the students with networking environment, which form the basis of the inter-networked computer infrastructure, as well as with the applications and terminology used in an inter-networked environment. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Software engineering
This module covers all aspects of software engineering, the application of systematic, disciplined approaches to the development, testing, maintenance and ongoing development of software. It covers the fundamental requirements and established concepts necessary for effective software development projects, and investigates diverse methodologies we seek to attain them. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Advanced programming
This module will explore the development of complex Graphical User Interface (GUI) applications and the need for multi-threaded programming. The design of effective GUIs that prevent user errors will be covered, together with the implementation of long-running background tasks on dedicated threads of execution. The theoretical relationship and distinction between concurrent programming and parallel processing to accomplish a task faster will also be investigated. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam.
Year 3
Optional sandwich year
Year 4
- Honours computer science project
The project contributes significantly towards the final degree. In your final year you'll spend about 2 days a week on your project. Future employers will probably ask you about your project, and use performance in the project as one of the most reliable guides to your potential. Requests for references often ask about the project. This module will allow you to demonstrate, through a practical application, the extent of theoretical knowledge gained in the first two years of study, practical skills acquired in the subsequent year of industrial or commercial training and further theoretical and practical skills acquired during the final year of study. The project is therefore a very important piece of work. The project is intended to demonstrate to the examiners your ability to undertake and complete, to a satisfactory standard, all the parts of a professional piece of work. Assessment method: 100% coursework. - Systems and cyber security
This module covers all aspects of the complex field of security in computer systems and networks. It will teach the fundamental principles of computer security and how they impact the many different areas in which computer technology is used. It will explore the diverse range of threats faced by systems and the network infrastructure that connect them together and the measures that can be taken to counter them. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - ICT project management in practice
This module provides students with an opportunity to work collaboratively with students from other disciplines on ICT projects. Students will work in teams and will go through the full ICT development lifecycle from requirements elicitation, feasibility study, design and development, testing and deployment. The module involves real clients and users who have genuine expectations that the developed digital solution will address their needs. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam.
Plus one option from:
- Mobile computing
The module will cover the essential architectures, protocols and technologies that underlie mobile computing. There will be an emphasis on evaluating both the limitations of current technologies and the near-term potential of newly emerging technologies. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Data Mining and Big Data Analytics
This module provides a broad introduction to the basic theory, concepts, and techniques of data mining, and its role in business and scientific research. It will cover the main topics in the area. The focus of the practical aspect of this module is to develop hands-on experience and skills in solving real-world data mining problems. SAS® Enterprise Miner and SAS® Enterprise Guide will be taught and used throughout module for practical data mining projects. Simple Python scripts for data manipulation will be discussed and used. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam.
And a final option from:
- Artificial intelligence
This module covers the history and contemporary development of artificial intelligence systems and looks forward to likely near-future developments. It will cover all the major techniques of problem description, knowledge representation and data searching that represent the current toolkit for developing intelligent applications. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - Smart internet technologies
Smart Internet Technologies comprise set of enablers to deal with the limitation of existing Internet. This includes but not limited All-IP Networking Architectures, evolution towards Cloud Computing and 5G networking architectures, open-based networking technologies, SDN/NFV challenges and IoT technologies and its interworking with Cloud and 5G networks. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam. - AR/VR technologies
This module covers the technologies and the algorithms required to develop and deploy virtual reality and augmented reality applications. The module will cover VR and AR hardware, stereoscopic vision, rendering, AR/VR software development, 3D user interfaces and presence and 360 video. Assessment methods: 60% coursework, 40% exam.
Assessments
Modules are assessed either as 100% coursework or as a combination of coursework and examination. In general, the combined modules use a weighting of 60% coursework and 40% examination. In the first year, all modules are assessed by coursework alone. In the second year, four of the six modules have exams as well as coursework. In the final year, three modules have exams as well as coursework.
Careers
Employability Service
At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:
- Free employability workshop and events for student all year round, more details can be found on our event section.
- Online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
- LSBU Careers Hub offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and support, guidance on future careers, as well as loads of career resources, connecting you with employers, exciting events, 1-1 support and relevant workshops.
Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.
After completing the full degree course you'll understand how to specify, develop, design and test software and use industry-standard software for the specification, design, simulation and prototyping of computer systems.
Career opportunities include computer programming, software and web development, IT consultancy, and application design. You could work in any number of sectors, or choose to start your own business.
- At LSBU we have a longstanding professional relationship with the British Computer Society and are recognised for full exemption from their professional examinations.
LSBU and IBM are strategic partners and are collaborating on the content of this course.
Teaching and Assessment
Personal Tutoring
As an undergraduate or MEng Engineering student, you will be allocated a named tutor during your first three weeks at LSBU. The role of your tutor is to be your primary contact for academic and professional development support.
Your tutor will support you to get the most of your time at LSBU, providing advice and signposting to other sources of support in the University.
Your tutor should be the first person at the university that you speak to if you are having any difficulties that are affecting your work. These could be academic, financial, health-related or another type of problem.
You will have appointments with your personal tutor at least twice a semester throughout your course. You can contact your tutor for additional support by email or in person.