BSc (Hons) Computer Science Bachelor's degree at the University of Portsmouth

Ever wondered how computers work and communicate this module introduces the essentials of computer architecture and networking. You'll explore how processors, memory, and hardware run applications, and how networks link devices using protocols and layered models. Through interactive sessions and hands-on labs, you'll gain practical skills building knowledge for learning advanced topics like cybersecurity and cloud computing. This is the perfect starting point to build your knowledge in designing, building, or securing the tech of the future.

You'll be introduced to the core principles of cyber security, learning how computer systems are protected, how security incidents are managed, and why security controls can sometimes fail. Alongside this, you'll develop essential computing, mathematical, and analytical skills, strengthening your ability to research, reason with data, and write in an academic style. You'll also build confidence in professional communication and problem-solving, developing the transferable skills needed to succeed in further study and a wide range of computing-related careers.

You'll design and implement relational database systems, learning how data is structured, stored, queried, and maintained to support effective analysis. Building on this foundation, you'll apply data analysis, visualisation, and introductory artificial intelligence techniques, including supervised machine learning, to extract insight and support intelligent decision-making. You'll develop practical technical skills, analytical thinking, and confidence working with data, preparing you for further study and roles in data, software, and ai-focused careers.

You'll learn how to break problems into logical steps and write programs using practical coding skills and industry-standard programming languages, building confidence through regular hands-on activities. You'll create, test, and refine programs, developing an understanding of how components work together in larger applications and how to improve program design. Through supported lab sessions, you'll also design and build interactive application software, developing a strong foundation in programming whatever your starting point.

You'll cover object-oriented polymorphism, exception handling, event-driven programming and user interface development in one stream of your study. In the other, you'll look at language evaluation, syntax specification, compilation, and abstraction mechanisms.

In this module, you'll study the problems of scale in software systems, and the industry's solutions to those issues. You'll then work in a team to develop a medium-sized software application, review each other's work, and engage in the thoughtful and reflective discussions that inform the professional software engineering process.

You'll learn how choosing the right structure impacts the efficiency of algorithms. Through coding exercises, you'll construct data structures from scratch and see first-hand how they enable solving complex problems. You'll review different implementation options and analyse the tradeoffs in memory usage, speed, simplicity, and more. By the end, you'll have developed core skills for designing optimized data structures tailored to algorithm needs. The module builds a strong foundation for writing efficient, scalable code that handles real-world data.

You'll study concurrency and communication in current processors, analyse advanced computer architectures and explore modern routing protocols in this module. As you dig into the foundational mechanisms of digital technologies, you'll learn to identify their principles and limitations, and to work with them directly through a system level programming language.

In this module, you'll learn to design, write and test in a functional programming language, and grasp the concepts that underpin it. You'll apply proof techniques and logic to verify solutions, use graph algorithms, and understand the use of mathematical notation for modern computer science.

You'll apply modeling, texturing and lighting skills as you learn the algorithms rendering each scene, and optimise your projects for real-time interactivity and visual fidelity. On completion, you'll be ready to apply your skills to areas such as medical imaging, autonomous transport UIs and smart city simulations.

You'll approach problems using classical and modern technology, using contemporary platforms, and evaluate current and emerging issues in the field.

Master an ethical hacker's mindset and toolkits to spotlight vulnerabilities before threats do. Evaluate insider threats, footprinting networks, exploiting, pivoting - and recommend defences to make systems watertight. Multiply your career options with high-demand penetration testing skills spanning web apps, networks, embedded devices and humans themselves.

In this module, you'll first synthesise a safety-critical system, then explore cryptographic techniques and attack vectors it could be vulnerable to. You'll use your vulnerability analysis to close weaknesses, and get ready to work in hostile digital environments.

In this module, you'll study industry theory and best practice, before using your knowledge to create a dynamic web application to meet client specifications. As you build your app, you'll gain experience with client-side and server-side programming, and API integrations.

With guidance from an expert supervisor, you'll identify a challenge that excites you and develop an approach to investigating it. As you apply your analytical and creative skills to the project, you'll build self-confidence and resourcefulness alongside your new engineering capabilities. You'll also learn to showcase your work professionally through reports and presentations that demonstrate your readiness for an engineering career after university.

Using case studies, you'll examine new and emerging designs in distributed systems, and consider access control techniques for security. You'll also analyse the impact of attacks on systems and data, and look at current research issues in digital ecosystems.

You'll study formal models like automata and Turing machines, plus topics including decidability, computability, complexity theory, and NP-completeness. You'll learn to categorize problems based on their inherent difficulty, develop approaches for tackling intractable problems, and identify tasks that computers cannot do.

Through group projects, you'll research and critique topics including wireless/mobile networks, network security, error control, and performance optimizations. You'll evaluate technologies like the Internet of Things, configure networks, analyse performance, and simulate solutions for real-world scenarios.

You'll examine the philosophy of AI, its methods of representing knowledge, and what this implies about the nature of learning. You'll also apply and evaluate different AI approaches in different situations, covering neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms.

You'll work in a team to analyse the issues, engage closely with the client to match your understanding to their needs, and bring your fresh insights to their problem. By the end, you'll have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to propose to your client, and demonstrable evidence of using team-based approaches to complex industry issues.

You'll gain fluency developing 3D graphics for emerging web frameworks, alongside use of computer vision tools and techniques for facial recognition and object tracking. When you complete the module, you'll be able to bring vision and graphics together to solve real world challenges.

In this industry-focused module, you'll evaluate multiple project management methods, their application to IT projects, and associated soft skills - from communication and risk planning to team leadership. You'll cover concepts, tools and techniques employed across the project management lifecycle.

You'll model and query cloud data warehouses, identify statistical outliers and patterns, and develop visually engaging reports that provide management recommendations.

In this future-focused module, you'll look at the effects of innovative technology in enterprise, the contexts in which advances are created, and frameworks for understanding future developments. You'll also prepare for your early career development as you appraise the current IT employment landscape.

Examine embedded systems and sensors powering smart watches, homes, cities and more. Evaluate networking protocols and data analytics techniques to realize value from machine information. Develop IoT applications while considering security, interfaces and human needs. With the ability to blend hardware, software and cloud services, you’ll be at the forefront as IoT transforms business and society.

You'll examine security devices and systems, and high-profile breaches, to understand the constantly evolving threat landscape and its far-reaching impacts. Upon completion, you'll be set to evaluate and recommend security systems to future-proof organizations against emerging cyber-attacks.

You'll work with real robotic systems as you implement practical programming skills, alongside study of various approaches to robot sensing and control systems. Through guest lectures, theoretical learning and practical challenges, you'll develop specialised knowledge of this rapidly developing field.

On this module, you'll integrate technical knowledge with project skills - proposing and implementing solutions that address real industry challenges. Your key activities span literature analysis, design, prototyping, testing, and critical evaluation against project objectives. Adhering to legal, ethical and professional standards, you'll produce high-quality artefacts and written reports that showcase your readiness for workplace application or postgraduate research.

Work closely with an external client to build an industry-standard computing solution. Apply a wide range of technical and soft skills - from programming expertise to communication, time management and teamwork. Manage objectives, divide responsibilities, assess risks and pivot when needed, using agile project management frameworks. Deliver a polished application along with client presentations. This end-to-end experience will showcase your ability to collaborate and develop products that meet business needs.

Using mathematical and heuristic techniques such as adversarial learning, genetic algorithms and advanced reasoners, you'll explore unreliable data sources and manage uncertainty. You'll learn to select appropriate machine learning tools for business demands and deliver optimized, trustworthy AI solutions.

Applying advanced techniques like semantic analysis and clustering algorithms, you will uncover hidden patterns across text, speech and multimedia to solve real-world challenges.

You'll explore multi-core CPUs, GPUs and national lab supercomputers, as you learn how parallel programming techniques interact with processor architectures. You'll identify which computational tasks parallel programming is appropriate for, estimate the improvements parallelism will bring, and deliver effective parallel programs that operate on the architectures available to you.

In this module, you'll explore and implement methods for simulating complicated systems. After looking at existing software platforms, available algorithms, and the use of high performance computers, you'll learn to build your chosen simulation. Depending on the needs of your simulation, you might learn formal mathematics, Monte Carlo methods or Fourier analysis - but throughout, you'll focus on visual results over pure numbers.