BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics at Durham University. Bringing together two disciplines that increasingly depend on one another, this course lets you study computer science and mathematics as genuinely complementary subjects rather than one tacked onto the other.
About this course
Computer Science and Mathematics G411 - Durham University Skip to main content BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics Taught by discipline specialists and informed by industry, this course brings together the complementary fields of computer science and mathematics, and offers opportunities to specialise and apply From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Physical sciences graduates from this provider, 88% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 84% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £34,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Computer Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 95; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 88% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 97% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Computational ThinkingCompulsory
Module details
explores the breadth of computer science and the ways in which the different topics are linked. You will learn the importance of computation and computational thinking in the modern world and the impact it has on technology advances in different settings.
- Algorithms and Data StructuresCompulsory
Module details
introduces the theory and practice of problem-solving in computing through the development of algorithms and their associated data structures, for common computer science problems. Content included machine modelling, control flow structures and analysis of algorithms.
- CalculusCompulsory
Module details
builds on ideas of differentiation and integration in A level mathematics. The module begins with functions of a single variable before moving on to functions of several variables. Topics include methods of solving ordinary and partial differential equations, and an introduction to Taylor series, Fourier series and Fourier transforms.
- Linear AlgebraCompulsory
Module details
presents mathematical ideas, techniques in linear algebra and develops the geometric intuition and familiarity with vector methods you will need for more challenging material later in the course.
- ProbabilityCompulsory
Module details
introduces mathematical ideas on probability in preparation for more demanding material later in the course. The module builds problem solving skills through the exploration of a mathematical subject of relevance to the real-world (applied) that is based on rigorous mathematical foundations (pure).
- StatisticsCompulsory
Module details
introduces frequentist and Bayesian approaches and demonstrates the relevance of these principles and procedures using real problems. This introductory module lays the foundations for all subsequent study of statistics.
Year 2 9 modules
- Computer Systems ProgrammingOptional
- Theory of ComputationOptional
- Programming ParadigmsOptional
- Artificial IntelligenceOptional
- Data ScienceOptional
- Probability Statistical ModellingOptional
- Statistical InferenceOptional
- Data Science and Statistical ComputingOptional
- AlgebraOptional
Year 3 17 modules
- Individual ProjectCompulsory
Module details
You can choose from several opportunities for the final-year individual Project. Using the knowledge and tools from the course you will complete either a detailed and critical examination of a relevant area of computer science; investigate a topic of interest; or perform an in-depth analysis of a data set under the supervision of a member of academic staff. The project further develops your skills and ability to plan and manage your own learning, and then present your findings and conclusions.
- Algorithmic Game TheoryOptional
- BioinformaticsOptional
- Deep LearningOptional
- Human-AI Interaction DesignOptional
- Recommender SystemsOptional
- Reinforcement LearningOptional
- Natural ComputingOptional
- Algorithms Advanced Statistical ModellingOptional
- Bayesian Computation and ModellingOptional
- Cryptography And CodesOptional
- Decision TheoryOptional
- Machine Learning and Neural NetworksOptional
- Mathematical FinanceOptional
- Operations ResearchOptional
- Stochastic ProcessesOptional
- Science Enterprise LearningOptional
Module details
This module develops complementary graduate skills as you work in groups to develop a business plan to bid for mock research funding.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Across the three years, you'll study the core of both computer science and mathematics, covering the theoretical underpinnings (logic, algorithms, discrete structures, calculus, linear algebra and similar foundations) that both disciplines share, before moving into more applied and specialised territory. Durham's approach to this joint degree gives you room to specialise and apply your learning, with routes into areas such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Web & Mobile, Cloud & DevOps, Games, and HCI (human-computer interaction). Because the course is genuinely dual-disciplinary, you'll be expected to keep pace with both subjects concurrently, rather than treating one as secondary support for the other, which suits students who want mathematical rigour to inform their computing, and computational thinking to sharpen their mathematics.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who enjoys the precision of mathematics as much as the problem-solving of computing, and who doesn't want to give up either one to specialise too early. If you're the sort of person who likes proving why something works, not just building something that works, you'll find satisfaction in the theoretical grounding here, but you should also be someone who wants to get hands-on with code and see mathematical ideas turned into working systems. Expect the workload to be demanding across two rigorous subjects simultaneously, so resilience and genuine curiosity about both fields matter more than confidence in just one. Most entrants arrive having studied A-levels or equivalent, typically with a UCAS tariff above 240 points, reflecting the analytical strength the course expects from day one. Studying at Durham will mean regular contact with specialists in each discipline, so you should be comfortable seeking depth in two directions at once rather than a single, narrower path. If you're drawn to eventually choosing a specialism, whether that's leaning toward AI, cyber security, games or another applied area, but want the mathematical foundation to underpin whichever direction you pick, this joint degree is built with that flexibility in mind.
Careers & job market
Nationally, Computer Science graduates report strong progression into work or further study: 85% are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 75% of working graduates are in highly skilled roles or continuing study. These figures relate to Computer Science courses nationally rather than to Durham specifically, but they give a sense of the field's trajectory. National earnings data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) show starting salaries in the region of £25,000–£35,000 fifteen months after graduation, £23,375–£33,000 after three years, and £29,750–£42,000 after five years, figures that reflect the labour market for the sector broadly, not a guaranteed outcome for any individual graduate. Continuation into second year nationally sits at 85%, an indicator of how many students stay the course once they've started. With specialisation routes spanning areas such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning and Cyber Security, graduates of this joint degree are positioned for a range of technical and analytical careers, with the mathematics component offering additional grounding for roles that demand quantitative rigour.
University & format
Durham University is a public, research-intensive institution and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1832 and home to around 19,520 students in total. The university holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and was. This BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics (UCAS code G411) is a three-year, full-time course delivered on Durham's campus, taught in English, and leads to a nationally recognised degree.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 97% |
| Other | 3% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code G411). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Computer Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £34,000 | £30,000 – £40,000 | 95 |
| 3 years after | £35,000 | £28,000 – £43,000 | 285 |
| 5 years after | £44,000 | £32,000 – £61,500 | 345 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 95; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / Junior DeveloperFirst engineering role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Software EngineerShipping features end-to-end · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Lead EngineerOwning systems and mentoring · 5–9 yrs
- 4Principal / Engineering ManagerArchitecture or leading teams · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Computer Science nationally
National figures for Computer Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 95; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Computer Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,820 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 21% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 205; response rate: 54%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Computer Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Boilerplate and scaffolding code
- First-pass tests and docs
- Routine debugging and refactors
- Standard data wrangling
More human than ever
- System design and architecture trade-offs
- Reviewing and owning correctness & security
- Translating fuzzy problems into software
- Leading delivery and mentoring
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Computer Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Tech companies
- Banks & fintech
- Consultancies
- Government (GDS) & startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Computer Science graduates.
Software Developer Placement Programme No experience neededIT Online LearningSoftware Developer - .NET & Azure for Green Energy ProjectsOfgemSoftware Developer Backend (SFIA5)ZaiziSoftware Developer (Mobile Apps) in Guildford - ECM Selection (Holdings) LimitedJava Script WorksSoftware Developer (Contract) – Higher Education Projects (UK)Burman RecruitmentSoftware Developer – Distributed Scheduling & Workload OrchestrationCGG Services (UK) LimitedIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
88% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £34,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.1 out of 10: NSS 88% · in work or study 88% · continued 97%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Computing across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Computer Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £34,400 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
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