Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence with Year in Industry BSc (Hons)

International student

Course overview

Technology is shaping the future, and you can be part of it. This course is perfect for you if you want to develop AI-driven solutions, push boundaries in computing and gain practical experience while studying.

You’ll spend your third year in industry – taking what you’ve learned and applying it to real projects. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable work experience. Placements are usually paid and can even lead to a job offer before you graduate, giving you a head start in your career.

You’ll learn from leading researchers in AI and computer science, with access to 11 specialist research groups exploring areas like robotics, machine learning and human-computer interaction. These research groups inform our teaching, meaning you’ll benefit from the latest developments in AI research methods.

For example, you’ll learn about cutting-edge approaches in areas such as intelligent agents, large language models (LLMs), fuzzy logic, evolutionary algorithms and modern search techniques. You might recognise some of our experts from the popular Computerphile YouTube channel.

Course highlights

Our software engineering group project gives you practical experience of working with an industry sponsor or university research team.
Learn from world-leading experts in our growing school. Highlights include our Mixed Reality Lab, Cobot Maker Space, and Cyber Security and Robotics groups.
Opportunity to study abroad at our campuses in China or Malaysia or at a partner institution in countries such as Australia or Canada.

Proven results:

We’re ranked in the top 20 in the UK for Computer Science (Complete University Guide 2026).
90.2% of School of Computer Science graduates were in sustained employment, further study or both five years after graduation (LEO data from 2022/23 tax year, published in 2025).

How you will learn

Teaching is delivered through a mix of in-person and online methods - the majority of your teaching will be in-person.

We offer one-to-one supervision meetings for group and individual projects (for example, dissertations).

Teaching methods

Computer labs
Lectures
Tutorials

Our teaching facilities include:

Cyber-Physicals Systems lab – we teach topics like malware analysis and cyber security in this lab, which operates on a custom-designed networking solution to ensure safety and flexibility.
Robotics lab – we use this lab for robotics topics, enabling you to access and experiment with modular robot kits in a lab environment.
Cobot Maker Space – student projects can take place in this lab, which specialises in sociotechnical research that addresses the connection between people, AI-driven robots and autonomous systems.

How you will be assessed

You will be given a copy of our marking criteria which provides guidance on how your work is assessed. Your work will be marked in a timely manner and you will receive regular feedback. The pass mark for each module is 40%.

Your final degree classification will be based on marks gained for your second and subsequent years of study. Year two is worth 33% with your final year worth 67%.

Assessment methods

Coursework
Group project
Research project
Written exam

Contact time and study hours

As a guide, one credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Core modules are taught by a mixture of professors, assistant/associate professors and teaching associates together with PhD students and research staff.

You will spend around half of your time in lectures, tutorials, mentoring sessions and computer labs. The remaining time is spent in independent study.

Tutorial groups are usually made up of eight students. They meet every other week during term-time.

Modules

10 modules

Assembly Language Programming

This module takes a practical approach to give students a basic understanding of the fundamental architecture of computers and software.

It will introduce low-level machine code instructions and show how these can be combined to form programs. We then look at higher-level programming structures, like conditional statements, loops, arrays and functions, to show how they’re implemented at machine code level.

Computer Architecture

This module shows how modern computer systems are made of hierarchical layers of functionality which build on and abstract the layers below.

You’ll begin by learning how the simple building blocks of digital logic can be put together in different ways to build an entire computer. Then we’ll go on to consider how the design can improve performance, how multicore/ multiprocessor systems are programmed and the how the software in an operating systems manages computing resources.

Networks

You’ll learn how a computer communicates with other computers at a fundamental level. This will help you to build an understanding of the fundamental architecture of computer networks.

We’ll examine how the layers of modern computer systems are implemented in practice, by comparing and contrasting different approaches to solve common problems.

You’ll also discover how modern IP networks can be programmed using the sockets API.

Databases and Interfaces

This module considers both the structure of databases, including how to make them fast, efficient and reliable, and the appropriate user interfaces which will make them easy to interact with for users. You will start by looking at how to design a database, gaining an understanding of the standard features that management systems provide and how you can best utilise them, then develop an interactive application to access your database.

Through the lectures and computing sessions you will learn how to design and implement systems using a standard database management system, web technologies and GUI interfaces through practical programming/system examples.

Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence

You will gain a broad overview of the fundamental theories and techniques of artificial intelligence (AI).

You’ll explore how computers can produce intelligent behaviour, and will consider topics such as the history of AI, AI search techniques, neural networks, data mining, philosophical and ethical issues, and knowledge representation and reasoning.

Introduction to Software Engineering

You will be introduced to the concept of software engineering and will be taken through the software development process: deciding exactly what should be built (requirements and specification), designing how it should be built (software architecture), development strategies (implementation and testing), and maintaining change (software evolution and maintenance).

Mathematics for Computer Scientists

You’ll cover the basic concepts in mathematics which are of relevance to the computer scientists.

These include:

logic
sets
functions and relations
graphs
induction
basic probability
statistics and matrices

Mathematics for Computer Scientists 2

You'll cover the following basic concepts in mathematics which are of relevance to the development of computer software. Topics which will be covered include linear algebra and calculus.

Programming and Algorithms

The module introduces basic principles of programming and algorithms. It covers fundamental programming constructs, such as types and variables, expressions, control structures, and functions.

You'll learn how to design and analyse simple algorithms and data structures that allow efficient storage and manipulation of data. You'll also become familiar with basic software development methodology.

Programming Paradigms

In this module you will learn the basic principles of the object-oriented and functional approaches to programming, using the languages Java and Haskell. You will also see how they can be used in practice to write a range of different kinds of programs.

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8 modules

Algorithms, Data Structures and Efficiency

This module covers important aspects of algorithms and data structures. You will study the general principles along with their efficiencies. You will learn the mathematical terms of the computational resources used to support algorithm design decisions.

You'll study topics such as:

sorting algorithms

heaps

binary search trees

hashmaps

graph algorithms

There is emphasis on understanding data structures and algorithms. This will enable you to design and use them for problem-solving. You will develop the mathematical and formal reasoning skills required to understand software systems, in particular their efficiency.

The module will give you a good working knowledge of some common algorithms and data structures. You will gain an understanding of the issues involved in designing a program for a specific task.

Introduction to Formal Reasoning

This module is an introduction to formal reasoning with applications in program verification and Mathematics. Students will use an interactive proof system like Lean or Coq to learn how to make precise statements and how to verify them using formal proofs. Topics covered include propositional logic, classical principles, predicate logic, the theories of Booleans, natural numbers, lists and trees, and verification of simple algorithms.

Artificial Intelligence Methods

This module builds on the Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence module. The emphasis is on building on the AI research strengths in the School.

You will be introduced to key topics such as AI techniques, fuzzy logic and planning, and modern search techniques such as Iterated Local Search, Tabu Search, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, and Hyper-heuristics, etc.

You will also explore the implementation of some AI techniques.

Computer Security

This module gives an overview of core topics in computer security, including the security of individual computers, security of computer networks, Iinternet security, a consideration of security both from a software and hardware point of view, security of mobile devices, basic cryptography, and the wider context for computer security.

Languages and Computation

You'll investigate classes of formal language and the practical uses of this theory, applying this to a series of abstract machines ultimately leading to a discussion on what computation is and what can and cannot be computed.

You'll focus in particular on language recognition, but will study a range of topics including:

finite state machines
regular expressions
context-free grammars
Turing machines
Lambda calculus

This module builds on ideas from earlier in the degree addressing data structures and formal reasoning and introduces concepts which are important to understand the analysis of algorithms in terms of their complexity.

Operating Systems and Concurrency

This course covers the fundamental principles that underpin operating systems and concurrency. Topics covered include the architecture of operating systems, process and memory management, storage, I/O, and virtualisation. The principles of concurrency will be introduced from both the perspective of an operating system and user applications. Specific topics on concurrency include: hardware support for concurrency; mutual exclusion and condition synchronisation; monitors; safety and liveness properties of concurrent algorithms, and the use of threads and synchronisation.

Professional Software Development

This module builds on first year programming modules and further develops programming ability and experience, including the ability to develop and understand a large piece of software, build user interfaces and follow a realistic design and testing procedure.

Topic examples include: design diagrams and modelling; GUI programming; testing software engineering methodologies (including agile development and tools), refactoring; design patterns and SOLID principles; – all in the context of understanding and developing maintainable third-party code.

Software Engineering Group Project

Working in groups of around six to seven people, you’ll be assigned a supervisor who will provide you with a short written description of a computer application to be designed, programmed, and documented during the course of the module. Around half the projects you will bid for have industry partners you will collaborate with.

Each group will meet twice a week, once with your supervisor and once without; you’ll also have four introductory one hour lectures.

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7 modules

Advanced Functional Programming

Building upon the introductory Functional Programming module in year one, you’ll focus on a number of more advanced topics such as:

programming with effects
reasoning about programs
control flow
advanced libraries
improving efficiency
type systems
functional pearls

You’ll spend around four hours per week in lectures and computer classes.

C++ Programming

You will cover the programming material and concepts necessary to obtain an understanding of the C++ programming language. You will spend around four hours per week in lectures and computer classes and will be expected to take additional time to practice and to produce your coursework.

Distributed Systems

This module covers the following topics:

overview of parallel and distributed computing
applications of distributed systems
fundamental concepts of distributed systems (processes and message passing, naming and discovery, fault tolerance and partial failure, consistency and cacheing, security)
reliable network communication
distributed system design approaches (direct vs indirect communication, client-server vs peer-to-peer, stateful vs stateless interfaces)
introduction to distributed data management
introduction to distributed algorithms

Introduction to Human Computer Interaction

This module is part of the Human Computer Interaction theme in The School of Computer Science. This module aims to teach an understanding of people's interactions with technology and how to apply this knowledge in the design of usable interactive computer systems. The module will introduce the concept of usability and will examine different design approaches and evaluation methods. Specifically, this module will cover an understanding of different styles of interaction with technology, an analysis of user needs, design standards, low fidelity prototyping techniques and a comparison of evaluation techniques.

Introduction to Image Processing

This module introduces the field of digital image processing, a fundamental component of digital photography, television, computer graphics and computer vision.

You’ll cover topics including:

image processing and its applications
fundamentals of digital images
digital image processing theory and practice
applications of image processing

You’ll spend around three hours in lectures and computer classes each week.

Software Specification

Building on the material presented in the Foundations of Software Engineering module, you will cover two main aspects of the software engineering process in depth: requirements and design. This will cover modern approaches to large scale requirements and engineering and specification, and approaches to systems and architectural design. You will spend around two hours per week in lectures and one hour in labs for practical experience for this module.

Introduction to Smart Things and Robotics

In this module, you will gain a broad overview of the fundamental theories and techniques of cyber-physical systems. You will explore the architecture of cyber physical systems as a network of interacting elements with physical input and output and intelligent mechanisms, and develop an understanding of how to increase their adaptability, autonomy, efficiency, reliability, safety, and usability in different contexts of use.

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1 module

Year in industry

Subject to you meeting the relevant requirements, this year will be spent in industry.

The placement year opportunity enables you to take what you've learned and apply it to real projects in a professional working environment. You will be supported by a placement tutor in securing a position and they will keep in touch during the year to see how you are getting on. The placement year can provide you with a source of income and can even lead to a job offer before you've graduated.

Important information

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

2 modules

Industrial Experience

The aim of the module is to accredit students who have experienced industry work involving independent self-management, proactive work and the ethical application of their knowledge and skills in a real-world context. You will collect evidence of your competence, which you will use in your assessed portfolio, and must reflect on your developed knowledge and understanding of applied software engineering practices in relation to other software engineering principles taught on the course.

Professional Ethics in Computing

This module looks broadly into professional ethics within the scope of the computing discipline. It covers a range of professional, ethical, social and legal issues in order to study the impact that computer systems have in society and the implications of this from the perspective of the computing profession. In particular, the module covers topics such as introduction to ethics, critical thinking, professionalism, privacy, intellectual and intangible property, cyber-behaviour, safety, reliability accountability, all these within the context of computer systems development.

14 modules

Collaboration and Communication Technologies

In this module, you will consider the design of collaboration and communication technologies used in a variety of different contexts including workplace, domestic and leisure environments. You will consider the basic principles of such technologies, explore the technologies from a social perspective, consider their impact on human behaviour and critically reflect on their design from a human-centred perspective.

Compilers

You’ll examine aspects of language and compiler design by looking at the techniques and tools that are used to construct compilers for high level programming languages. Topics covered include: parsing; types and type systems; run-time organisation; memory management; code generation; and optimisation. You’ll spend around four hours each week in lectures and computer classes.

Computability

You will begin by considering the attempts to characterise the problems that can theoretically be solved by physically possible computational processes, along with the practical implications. You will then consider the area of complexity theory, looking at whether or not problems can be solved under limitations on resources such as time or space. You will examine the classes P and NP, and how to show problems are NP-complete. You will also consider other practically important classes such as: PSPACE, and its relevance to adversarial games, ontologies, and the semantic web; and also complexity classes such as NC relevant to understanding of parallel computation and the limitations of its effectiveness.

Computer Graphics

You will learn the principles of 3D computer graphics, focusing on modelling and viewing objects/scene in a three-dimensional (3D) world on the computer, rendering the objects/scene to give it realism, and projecting objects/scene onto 2D display in analogy to your taking a photo of a 3D world using a camera. Through weekly lectures and laboratory sessions, you will explore various computer graphics techniques and develop your graphics programming skills, including the use of specialist APIs, required for 3D computer graphics. The module demonstrates the benefits of linking theory and practice.

Computer Vision

You’ll examine current techniques for the extraction of useful information about a physical situation from individual and sets of images.

You’ll cover a range of methods and applications, with particular emphasis being placed on the identification of objects, recovery of three-dimensional shape and motion, and the recognition of events.

You’ll learn how to implement some of these methods in the industry-standard programming environment MATLAB.

You’ll spend around three hours a week in lectures and laboratory sessions.

Cryptography

This module will enable you to appreciate the range of data analysis problems that can be modelled computationally and a range of techniques that are suitable to analyse and solve those problems.

Topics covered include:

basic statistics
types of data
data visualisation techniques
data modelling
data pre-processing methods including data imputation
forecasting methods
clustering and classification methods (decision trees, naīve bayes classifiers, k-nearest neighbours)
data simulation
model interpretation techniques to aid decision support

Spending around four hours each week in lectures and computer classes, appropriate software (eg. R, Weka) will be used to illustrate the topics you'll cover.

Designing Intelligent Agents

You’ll be given a basic introduction to the analysis and design of intelligent agents, software systems which perceive their environment and act in that environment in pursuit of their goals.

You’ll cover topics including:

task environments
reactive, deliberative and hybrid architectures for individual agents
architectures and coordination mechanisms for multi-agent systems

You will spend around four hours each week in lectures and tutorials for this module.

Development Experience

Students taking part in activities relating to programming experience such as developing apps in their spare time, contributing to open source projects, or building things in hackathons may receive academic credit for showing they have experience and excellent development skills. The emphasis of this module is that you provide evidence of your significant extra-curricular software development experience. Students will only be able to register for this module with the approval of the convenor/school, once the material for assessment has been checked.

Data Visualisation

Data Visualisation is the process of extracting knowledge from complex data, and presenting it to users in a manner that is appropriate to their needs. This module provides the foundation for effective Data Visualisation design. You will learn about the different approaches to constructing visualisations, including the representation of ambiguous and time-series data. You will also learn about cognitive and visual perception theories that help explain how humans process information visually, and how to apply these to the design of effective visualisations.

If you want to learn advanced design and implementation of interactive Data Visualisation, you should consider taking the linked module COMP3022 Data Visualisation Project, of which this module is a pre-requisite. Together, these two modules form an integrated 20 credit programme of study.

Human-AI Interaction

This module is an introduction to the design of human-AI interaction to ensure the AI-driven systems we build are beneficial and useful to people.

The module will cover practical design topics including methods and techniques such as natural language processing and human-robot interaction. The module will also consider societal and theoretical concerns of human-AI interaction, including the ethics of AI, responsible innovation, trust, accountability and explainable AI.

The practical component of the module will involve building AI-driven systems that drive conversational experiences, such as a text-based ‘chatbots’ and speech-controlled services/ ‘skills’, involving automatic speech recognition and natural language processing.

Individual Dissertation in Computer Science

You’ll perform an individual project on a topic in computer science. You’ll produce a 15-25,000 word project report under the guidance of your supervisor, who you will meet with for an hour each week.

The topic can be any area of the subject which is of mutual interest to both the student and supervisor, but should involve a substantial software development component.

Schools Experience

Students taking part in approved activities, such as running code clubs in schools, organising school computing activity days, or becoming active STEM ambassadors, may receive academic credit for demonstrating they have actively contributed to the development of younger students. Students will have undertaken an agreed number of hours on the activities, identified personal goals and targets in relation to these activities and maintained a reflective portfolio as a record of evidence of their competence and achievements. Students will only be able to register for this module with the approval of the convenor/school, once the material for assessment has been discussed.

Software in Society

The module promotes understanding of the relationships between software and society. We cover key historical and contemporary developments in software to develop a holistic perspective of the role software plays in the wider social world. We also consider how current research and theory can help us understand the impacts of software, including how impacts differ across different demographics. In addition, the module explores how software can benefit social good, for instance through quality and sustainability.

Examples of topics covered include:
• Understanding software as sociotechnical
• Exploring the impacts of social media
• Theories of software impacts: technological determinism vs the social shaping of technology
• Workplace cultures and diversity
• Innovation vs regulation
• Software quality and sustainability
• Forms of bias and their impacts

Mobile Device Programming

You’ll look at the development of software applications for mobile devices, with a practical focus on the Android operating system. You’ll consider and use the software development environments for currently available platforms and the typical hardware architecture of mobile devices. You’ll spend around three hours per week in lectures and computer classes.

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Select student type

Quick glance

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2027 entry.

A levels

A*AA

36 points overall

A level and GCSE requirements

A levels

A*AA / A*A*B (AAA / A*AB if you have an A in computer science)

Excluded subjects

General studies, thinking skills, global perspectives and research, critical thinking. A level ICT or IT do not qualify for the lower level.

GCSEs

GCSE maths at grade B (5) and GCSE English at grade C (4)

The following qualifications can be accepted in lieu of GCSE mathematics grade 5 (B):

IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches grade 4 at Higher level or grade 5 at Standard Level, IB Mathematics Applications and Interpretation grade 4 at Higher level or grade 5 at Standard Level or AQA Core Maths grade C.

IB requirements

IB score

36 points overall or 766 in 3 HL certificates

IB requirements

IBDP 36 points overall or 766 in 3 Higher Level Certificates. Alternatively, IBDP 34 points including HL6 computer science or 666 in 3 Higher Level Certificates including computer science.

Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme

Applicants to this course may be eligible for our Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme. If you achieve a grade A in an EPQ, Core Maths*, IB Extended Essay or additional AS level qualification* then you will receive a one grade reduced offer for this course.

Please note that if you qualify for an enhanced contextual offer or receive an alternative offer based on taking four A levels, your additional qualification will not be taken into consideration as we are unable to make any further adjustments to your offer.

* Additional eligibility requirements apply. View further details on this scheme.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:

Access to HE Diploma
Advanced Diploma
BTEC HND/HNC
BTEC Extended Diploma

This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.

RQF BTEC Nationals

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma D*DD
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma and one A level DD plus A* or D*D plus A in A level computer science
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate and two A levels D plus A*A or D plus AA including A level computer science

Access to HE Diploma

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 42 Level 3 graded credits at Distinction and 3 Level 3 graded at Merit

Contextual offers

We make contextual offers to students who may have experienced barriers that have restricted progress at school or college. Our standard contextual offer is usually one grade lower than the advertised entry requirements, and our enhanced contextual offer is usually two grades lower than the advertised entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must have Home/UK fee status and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.

Foundation progression options

If you don't meet our entry requirements there is the option to study the engineering and physical sciences foundation programme. If you successfully pass the year, you can progress to any of our computer science courses. There is a course for UK students and one for EU/international students.

Mature students

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

Study abroad

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

Please note

In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.

Year in industry

On this course you may be able to spend a year working in industry where you could gain first-hand experience of exciting challenges and refine the skills you have built so far in the course. While it is the student’s responsibility to find and secure a year in industry host, the university will support you throughout this process.

Please note:

In order to undertake an integrated year in industry, you will have to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet any requirements specified by the industry host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake an integrated year in industry as part of your course.

If you do not secure an integrated year in industry opportunity, you will be required to transfer to the version of the course without an integrated year in industry. This will be reflected in the title of your degree when you graduate.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

Tuition fees

2027/28 (UK undergraduate students)

This is the UK undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 27/28. It may increase for the academic year 28/29 and we will update our information once we have received confirmation of the fee.

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), please visit our fees page.

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though we also make recommendations of specific titles which you may wish to consider purchasing.

If you choose to take an optional placement module, you will need to factor in travel costs, which will be dependent on location of placement and proximity to term-time address.

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

Quick glance

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2027 entry.

36 points overall

A levels

A*AA

IB requirements

IB score

36 points overall or 766 in 3 HL certificates

IB requirements

IBDP 36 points overall or 766 in 3 Higher Level Certificates. Alternatively, IBDP 34 points including HL6 computer science or 666 in 3 Higher Level Certificates including computer science.

A level and GCSE requirements

A levels

A*AA / A*A*B (AAA / A*AB if you have an A in computer science)

Excluded subjects

General studies, thinking skills, global perspectives and research, critical thinking. A level ICT or IT do not qualify for the lower level.

GCSEs

GCSE maths at grade B (5) and GCSE English at grade C (4)

The following qualifications can be accepted in lieu of GCSE mathematics grade 5 (B):

Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme

* Additional eligibility requirements apply. View further details on this scheme.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Access to HE Diploma
Advanced Diploma
BTEC HND/HNC
BTEC Extended Diploma

RQF BTEC Nationals

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma D*DD
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma and one A level DD plus A* or D*D plus A in A level computer science
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate and two A levels D plus A*A or D plus AA including A level computer science

Access to HE Diploma

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 42 Level 3 graded credits at Distinction and 3 Level 3 graded at Merit

IELTS/English requirements

IELTS

6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element)

English language requirements

As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.

For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

High school qualifications

Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country.

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Foundation progression options

Mature students

Study abroad

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

Please note

Year in industry

Please note:

Disclaimer

Tuition fees

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

Additional costs

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though we also make recommendations of specific titles which you may wish to consider purchasing.

If you choose to take an optional placement module, you will need to factor in travel costs, which will be dependent on location of placement and proximity to term-time address.

Scholarships and bursaries

International students

We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Careers overview

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important part of the fourth industrial revolution. From making our homes intelligent to increasing productivity in companies, there are so many uses for AI.

Our graduates are already developing the future of computer science. They are working in roles such as:

App Developer
Data Analyst
Game Developer
Software Developer

If research is something that interests you then you could continue studying for a PhD.

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have gone on to work in companies such as:

BT
Capital One
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Experian
Games Workshop
Ministry of Defence
Sky

Other opportunities to help your employability

The Nottingham Internship Scheme provides a range of work experience opportunities and internships throughout the year.

The Nottingham Advantage Award is our free scheme to boost your employability. There are over 200 extracurricular activities to choose from.

Job prospects

90.2% of School of Computer Science graduates were in sustained employment, further study or both five years after graduation. These graduates earned a median salary of £55,800 (LEO data from 2022/23 tax year, published in 2025.)

Support every step of the way

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service will work with you to boost your employability even further – helping with job and course applications, finding relevant work experience and hosting events that connect you with a wide range of potential employers.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers.

We’re also the top UK university for the number of graduates entering highly skilled jobs (HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data 2021–2025 for full-time, UK, UG and PG graduates).

Careers and Employability

British Computer Society

This degree has been accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. An accredited degree entitles you to professional membership of BCS, which is an important part of the criteria for achieving Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status through the Institute. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.

Welcome to your campus

At University Park, nature, architecture and student life come together on one unforgettable campus. Explore beautiful green spaces, unwind by the lake and enjoy a vibrant sense of community. It’s the perfect setting for an extraordinary university experience where you can learn, grow and thrive.

Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence with Year in Industry - U6UCMPAIY

Course overview

Why choose this course?

Teaching and learning

Modules

Core modules

10 modules

Assembly Language Programming

Computer Architecture

Networks

Databases and Interfaces

Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence

Introduction to Software Engineering

Mathematics for Computer Scientists

Mathematics for Computer Scientists 2

Programming and Algorithms

Programming Paradigms

Core modules

8 modules

Algorithms, Data Structures and Efficiency

Introduction to Formal Reasoning

Artificial Intelligence Methods

Computer Security

Languages and Computation

Operating Systems and Concurrency

Professional Software Development

Software Engineering Group Project

Optional modules

Core modules

1 module

Year in industry

Core modules

2 modules

Industrial Experience

Professional Ethics in Computing

Optional modules

Select student type

Entry requirements

4 years full-time

£10,050 per year

Entry requirements

4 years full-time

Fees

Careers

Accreditation

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