Year in Computing
Are you keen to learn the tech skills that will make you stand out to a graduate employer, or to learn more about computing for your own interests?
The School of Computing offers a ‘Year in Computing’ for all Kent undergraduate students. This extra year can be taken after stage 2 or the final year of your degree, and you will not only learn coding and web skills, but also how to analyse data and how to make computer systems that people will want to engage with.
The Year in Computing will be an addition to your current degree and it should be possible to extend your student finances for an extra year.
The Deadline has now passed for Stage 3 applicants, however we do have flexibility for Stage 2 applicants, so please contact cemsyearin@kent.ac.uk
How does the Year in Computing fit into my degree?
During the year you will work exclusively within the School of Computing, returning to your home School and registered degree and ultimately graduating (if successful) with your current degree title augmented with the words with a Year in Computing.
The Year in Computing is suitable for you if you are a current Kent undergraduate and if:
- You are interested in studying computing AND your degree.
- You would like to get prepared for a career in tech
- You are interested in exploring the frontiers of your subject and computing
- You want to learn how to be creative with computing
What would I learn?
This is a specially designed, self-contained, one-year programme which will take you further than simply being able to ‘code’. By concentrating teaching around web technologies you will work with both back-room, business-focussed, and front-end, user-focussed, software: you will not only learn to drive the car, but also how it works.
Working with web technologies means you will be exposed to an entire collection of software. In the back room, this means understanding computer operating systems and networks, learning a programming language, storing and manipulating data, and integrating with a Web server. At the front-end it means producing web pages using HTML, CSS and Javascript that work well, look good and are easy to interact with.
The Year in Computing is taught separately from the undergraduate Computer Science programme.
What skills would I gain?
By the end of the year you will be able to:
- Understand the role of technology and how it is used in the contemporary world.
- Have a good foundational knowledge of coding that is focused on the ideas of programming, not just learning a specific language.
- Build dynamic, modern web-based systems.
- Understand how data can be used to tackle complex problems.
- Have a practical grasp of methods for presenting data and designing interactions with computer-based systems.
What will this cost me?
The Year in Computing should be viewed simply an additional year of study, making a three-year degree into a four-year degree. If you pay your own tuition fees, then you will have to pay for an extra year. For those eligible, student loans should normally be available for all four years. However it is your responsibility to check with the Loan Authority that they will continue to give you financial support on the new programme.
What qualification does this lead to?
Students who successfully complete the Computing year and their home degree will graduate ‘with a Year in Computing‘. The full transcript of your degree results will include your marks for the Year in Computing, as evidence of your achievement for potential employers.
How does this affect my current degree?
Your degree classification will depend on your main degree subject and not the Year in Computing which is a pass/fail year. If you pass the year, you will get ‘with a Year in Computing‘ added to your degree title. If you fail, you will drop back to your current degree. You do not risk your current degree classification by doing the year.
How does this affect my current degree accreditation?
Please talk to staff in your home school about whether adding a Year in Computing will affect your accreditation or not.
Can I extend my visa to do the Year in Computing?
International students wishing to add the Year in Computing course will be approved on a case by case basis in accordance with UK immigration regulations and the University’s Tier 4 policy on Academic Progression and Change of Course. Students also need to be aware that they may need to return home overseas to apply for a new visa to add the year to their degree.