Computer Science with Industrial Placement MCompu (Hons)

Newcastle University

Equipping you with a breadth and depth in knowledge as well as practical work experience gained from an industrial placement, this integrated master's Computer Science degree prepares you for a professional career in this fast-moving sector.

Course overview

This accredited degree provides training in key and emerging topics such as cyber security, data science and bioinformatics. This ensures you graduate prepared to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

Taught by world-leading experts, you'll study a broad curriculum in your first two years, developing knowledge in different aspects of computing science. You'll gain highly desirable skills in problem solving, program design and implementation.

Your paid work placement in Stage 3 will provide practical experience and industry contacts benefiting your academic study and long-term career goals.

From Stage 4 you can specialise in a particular area of computer science or build your own broad based degree.

In Stage 5 you can choose master's-level modules from the MSc in Advanced Computer Science. You'll receive comprehensive research training to help develop your skills in computer and information systems.

Professional accreditation

Following a curriculum review, we are seeking British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation for our degrees so you can be assured that you will graduate with a degree that meets the standard set by the IT industry.

BCS is the Chartered Institute for IT. Studying a BCS-accredited degree provides the foundation for a chartered IT professional, engineer or scientist.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include:

• lectures – including guest lectures by visiting IT professionals
• tutorials – from our expert staff
• supervised practical work – which accounts for a significant amount of your time
• project work – to help you develop real-world business skills such as teamworking and project management

Project work includes a team project in Stage 2 to develop a substantial software product and a major individual project in Stage 5, combined with a dissertation.

Industrial placement year

Your paid placement year takes place in Stage 3 and provides you with the experience of seeking and securing a job. You'll also gain practical experience, key business skills and industry contacts that will benefit your academic study and longer-term career.

We assess your placement by a short report and presentation, though the assessment will not count towards your final mark.

Preparing you for career success

In the present job market, computing science graduates are better placed than many others to obtain employment in a challenging and fulfilling career, and the employability of Newcastle graduates is particularly high.

An increasing number of employers require digital skills, meaning our graduates are highly sought after. They move into bespoke software development roles in software houses and computer manufacturers and also into corporate organisations that use computers on a larger scale, such as banking, insurance and manufacturing companies and public sector institutions.