(Full time) 2023 start
Computer Science (Digital & Technology Solutions) BSc
Overview
Computer science is a dynamic and fast-moving area. It is vital to how we live in the digital age, and how we seek to evolve in every part of our lives. From games to cyber-security, from finance to analysis of business and networks, from engineering to medicine – the next generation of computer science will help to meet some of the major challenges facing the modern world.
Successful computer scientists are not only skilled programmers, they are also highly creative thinkers and problem-solvers who are adept at handling complex information. Computing touches every industry, everywhere, so computer scientists are in demand across all sorts of sectors and are usually at the forefront of new technological developments.
This four-year course combines a computer science degree, fully funded in Partnership with PwC, giving you all the advantages of a university education as well as the unique insight that comes from paid work experience. As an added benefit, your university tuition fees are fully funded by PwC, and as a PwC employee you’ll also receive a salary.
As a computer science student, you’ll be taught in our brand-new, purpose-built hub for students and academics - the Sir William Henry Bragg Building - which is home to world-leading research and specialised teaching facilities and laboratories. The Bragg Centre is where scientists and engineers work collaboratively to develop solutions for economical, societal and technical challenges in the UK.
You’ll be taught by experts and undertake project work every year to build the range of skills you’ll need during your professional career. You’ll also undertake two summer placements at the end of your first and second year, followed by a full-year placement in your third year: all of these are hosted by PwC.
You’ll work on a range of projects, solving important business and technology problems for PwC's internal and external clients. With a wide range of teams, you could gain exposure into Cyber Security, Data and Analytics, Technology Consulting, Forensic Technology as well as our internal central Technology teams.
Pathways include Cyber Security, Data Analyst, Technology Architect, “Development, Build, Test”, Tech Compliance, Tech Strategy & Tech Delivery.
At the end of the apprenticeship, you’ll have the chance to continue your career at PwC as a graduate and beyond, using the skills, network and experience you’ve gained.
Why study at Leeds:
Graduate with a Computer Science degree from a university ranked in the top 100 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2023.
Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, computational science and engineering, computational medicine and distributed systems.
Study in the Sir William Henry Bragg building, a brand-new development providing excellent facilities and teaching spaces for an outstanding student experience.
During your three work placements you will contribute towards delivering on Technology solutions to help solve business problems for a wide range of PwC clients.
You will not only develop your technical skills, but you will also continue to develop your soft skills in communication, team work, problem solving and many more.
Your university tuition fees are fully funded by PwC and, as a PwC employee, you'll receive a monthly salary.
At the end of the degree programme, providing you meet their performance criteria, PwC will offer you a graduate job.
Make the most of your time at Leeds by joining CompSoc, where you can meet like-minded undergraduate and postgraduate students in the School of Computing through fortnightly events covering a range of activities including socials, sports and Hackathons!
Accreditation
This course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS).
Accreditation is the assurance that a university course meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students. An accredited computer science course must meet the quality standards set by the BCS.
Completing this degree course fulfils the academic requirements associated with becoming a member of the BCS. By completing our MEng, BSc degree course you will have exemption from the Engineering Council professional examinations, the first step towards becoming a chartered engineer.
Course content
Please note that the Digital and Technology Solution Professional apprenticeship standard, on which this programme is based, is currently under review by the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Therefore, this programme may be subject to change depending on the review outcome.
This degree apprenticeship combines a degree in computer science with a strong focus on its applications in business and industry. You’ll graduate with significant work experience from a leading professional services brand.
You’ll also study computing ethics as part of your course. Using real-life case studies, you’ll cover topics such as ethical hacking, open source software, and use of personal data, preparing you to identify and respond effectively to the ethical dilemmas you will encounter in your professional life in the IT industry.
Discovery modules are available in all years of your degree, as long as you are taking enough credits of your own subject for that year.
Year one
You’ll start with the fundamentals of programming and the underlying mathematical principles of computer science, before developing skills in software engineering and algorithm design. You’ll also explore challenges in cloud and mobile computing and robotics and graphics that will shape the future.
You’ll learn to work with state-of-the-art technologies and select optional modules in topics that suit your interests and career pathway, from cloud computing and machine learning to topics in enterprise and innovation.
At the end of your first year, you will undertake a summer work placement hosted by PwC.
Year two
Your second year allows you to deepen and broaden your knowledge of computer science, with core modules introducing you to topics such as artificial intelligence and developing your understanding of algorithms and operating systems. You’ll also select optional modules to focus on topics that suit your interests or career pathway, such as data mining, systems development and business organisation.
At the end of your second year, you will undertake a summer work placement hosted by PwC.
Module pathways in year three have been developed with PwC to strengthen the alignment of graduates with their technical teams. The pathways include data analytics/data assurance, cyber security, technology consulting – enterprise applications and forensic technology solutions. This alignment will take place at the end of Year 2 and will inform the Year 3 placement and final year module choices.
Year three
During your third year, you will be on a full-year placement hosted by PwC.
During your placement you will be productively employed and play both an active and valued part on project teams and will make meaningful contributions to fee earning client projects. You will feel confident and equipped to apply learning from off the job training in a challenging but fully supported environment. PwC has a client base ranging from local to multinational and global companies being serviced from Leeds, across all sectors and industries.
You will be fully supported when on placement with PwC, you will have a dedicated people manager, buddies, mentors and a dedicated development team.
Alongside developing your technical skills through your placements with PwC you will develop a combination of interpersonal skills (e.g. rapport building, behavioural styles, working in a team and networking) and consulting skills, (e.g. models of consulting, distinctive business advisor, change management and analytical skills) embedding the PwC Experience.
Year four
In your final year, you will study options and undertake a synoptic project that will be aligned with your specialisation and fit with the PwC technical teams. You will undertake the project over two semesters in the final year, with guidance from an academic member of staff from Leeds and an adviser from PwC. You will present the outcomes of your project to academic staff in the School of Computing and PwC.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Databases 10 credits
- Computer Architecture 10 credits
- Computer Processors 10 credits
- Fundamental Mathematical Concepts 10 credits
- Introduction to Discrete Mathematics 10 credits
- Procedural Programming 10 credits
- Object Oriented Programming 10 credits
- Professional Computing 20 credits
- Programming Project 10 credits
- Placement (Year 1)
Year 2
Compulsory modules
- Operating Systems 10 credits
- Networks 10 credits
- Formal Languages and Finite Automata 10 credits
- Numerical Computation 10 credits
- Artificial Intelligence 10 credits
- Algorithms and Data Structures I 10 credits
- Algorithms and Data Structures II 10 credits
- User Interfaces 10 credits
- Software Engineering Principles 10 credits
- Software Engineering Project 10 credits
- Placement (Year 2)
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Web Application Development 10 credits
- Data Mining 10 credits
- Systems Thinking 10 credits
- Compiler Design and Construction 10 credits
Year 3
Compulsory modules
- Placement (Year 3) 120 credits
Year 4
Compulsory modules
- Secure Computing 10 credits
- Synoptic Project (EPA) 40 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Web Services and Web Data 10 credits
- Distributed Systems 10 credits
- Parallel Computation 10 credits
- Mobile Application Development 10 credits
- Cryptography 10 credits
- Programming Languages and Compilation 10 credits
- Machine Learning 10 credits
- Intelligent Systems and Robotics 20 credits
- Information Visualization 10 credits
- User Adaptive Intelligent Systems 10 credits
- Computer Graphics 10 credits
- Combinatorial Optimisation 10 credits
- Graph Algorithms and Complexity Theory 10 credits
- Big Data Systems 15 credits
- Data Science 15 credits
- Cloud Computing 15 credits
- Innovation Thinking and Practice 10 credits
Discovery modules
Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.
This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.
Learning and teaching
You’ll benefit from our integrated style of learning and teaching. Laboratory classes, project work, and your placements with PwC allow you to gain first-hand experience investigating and applying material from your lectures and tutorials to real life work situations.
Our personal tutorial system will provide academic and pastoral support. You will have a designated personal tutor throughout your studies at Leeds. He or she will be an academic member of staff: you will have weekly academic tutorials with your tutor throughout your first year, in your tutor group (of typically 5 students), as well as one-to-one meetings twice per semester. Your personal tutor will also stay in contact with you via phone and/or email during your work placement with PwC.
Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.
You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.
Watch our taster lectures to get a flavour of what it’s like to study at Leeds:
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed using various methods including formal exams, lab practicals and project reports. Throughout the year, you’ll also be assessed using coursework, worksheets, in-module tests, example sheets and presentations to develop your knowledge and allow us to monitor your progress.
During your work placements, PwC will provide workplace supervision and will advise you on assignments that can be undertaken either within the workplace or using workplace scenarios. At the end of each placement, you will present a portfolio of work to PwC and the University for progression to the next level of the programme.
Entry requirements, fees and applying
Entry requirements
A-level: AAA including Mathematics or Computing. Grade B (6) or above in GCSE Mathematics is required if no Mathematics A-level is taken.
Where an A-level Science subject is taken, we require a pass in the practical science element, alongside the achievement of the A-Level at the stated grade.
Excludes A-level General Studies or Critical Thinking.
GCSE: English Language at grade C (4) or above, or an appropriate English language qualification. We will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.
Extended Project Qualification and International Project Qualification: Whilst we recognise the value of these qualifications and the effort and enthusiasm that applicants put into them, we do not currently include them as part of our offer-making. We do, however, encourage you to provide further information on your project in your personal statement.
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Access to HE Diploma
Pass 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, 30 credits with Distinction (including an appropriate number of Mathematics modules) and the remaining 15 credits with Merit or above.
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BTEC
D*D*D with Distinctions in all Mathematics units. Mathematics units must include Further Mathematics. This unit may be optional on your BTEC but is it required by the Faculty. Please contact us for further information. Please note: there may be different requirements for the new RQF BTECs, please contact Admissions.
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.
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Cambridge Pre-U
D3, D3, D3 including Mathematics.
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International Baccalaureate
35 points overall with 18 points at Higher level to include 5 in HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or 6 in HL Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation or 5 in HL Computing. If only Computing is offered from the IB, Grade B or above in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent) is required.
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Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2, including Mathematics.
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Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers
AA at Advanced Higher level, including Mathematics or Computing, and AABBB at Higher level.
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.
Alternative entry
We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.
Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.
Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.
Typical Access to Leeds offer: ABB, including an A in Mathematics or Computing. Grade B (6) or above in GCSE Mathematics is required if no Mathematics A-level is taken.
If you do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to one of our degrees, you may be able to progress through a foundation year. We offer a Studies in Science with a Foundation Year BSc for students without a science background at A-level and an Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc for applicants who meet specific widening participation criteria.
How to apply
Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.
We typically receive a high number of applications for this course. To ensure we treat all applications fairly, we may put your application on hold until after the UCAS deadline before making a final decision. All applications received before the UCAS deadline are guaranteed equal consideration.
This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.
Read our admissions guidance and see ‘application decisions’ for details.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
Fees
UK: See fees section below
You do not pay fees for the course; the fees are covered by PwC and the UK Government.
Please note you will not be eligible for tuition fee or maintenance loans from the Student Loan Company.
Information: eligibility rules for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals for access to FE 19+ and apprenticeships
Individuals are eligible for apprenticeship funding through an employer’s apprenticeship service account or government-employer co-investment if they have a valid and eligible residency status. Non-UK nationals are eligible for funding if they have permission from the UK government to live in the UK (not for educational purposes), and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship. Full eligibility criteria are outlined in Annex A of the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Apprenticeship Funding Rules.
Additional cost information
In accordance with the Apprenticeship Funding Rules, there will be no additional costs related to your programme of study. There may be additional costs related to being a student at the University of Leeds.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Career opportunities
At the end of the degree programme, providing you meet their performance criteria, you’ll have the chance to continue your career at PwC in a graduate role.
There is a wealth of excellent job opportunities for graduate computer scientists – making it easy for you to choose your ideal career. From start-ups to international organisations, the IT industry is booming and demand for computer science graduates looks set to continue at a pace.
University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2022, High Fliers Research. We have close links with companies such as IBM, Accenture and Hewlett Packard and our graduates find employment across a range of sectors including:
Technology
Consultancies
Banking and investment
Retail
Finance
Public authority
Many graduates have launched careers as software developers and engineers, mobile solution engineers, technology consulting analysts, production project managers and business system analysts.
Careers support
At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.
You will be supported throughout your studies by our dedicated Employability team, who will provide you with specialist support and advice to help you find relevant work experience, internships and industrial placements, as well as graduate positions. You’ll benefit from timetabled employability sessions, support during internships and placements, and presentations and workshops delivered by employers.
You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.
Study abroad and work placements
Study abroad
The study abroad option isn't available on this programme.
Work placements
During this degree apprenticeship programme, you will undertake two summer placements and a full-year placement. All of these placements are hosted by PwC and, whilst working as a PwC employee, you'll receive a salary each month.
Whilst on placement, you will work with several PwC technology teams working on client projects and gaining insight into the full digital ecosystem behind world-leading brands across a broad range of sectors and industries. This gives you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in a challenging but fully supported real world environment, and gain experience you won’t find elsewhere.
Benefits of your PwC work placements:
Gain valuable experience from a world leading employer
All placements are salaried
Build your contacts
Advance your experience and skills by putting into practice what you have learned
Gain invaluable insight into working as a professional in this industry
Improve your employability
Whilst on placement with PwC, you will be fully supported by a dedicated people manager, buddies, mentors and a dedicated development team.