Computer Science MEng, BSc | University of Leeds

Course details

We are currently reviewing our curriculum as part of a university-wide process. As a result, we are unable to publish module information for this course at this time. The information below provides an overview of what you’ll study and our approach to teaching and assessment. We will update this page as soon as the changes are confirmed. Read more in our terms and conditions.

This content was last updated on 3 April 2023.

In this course, you’ll develop industrially relevant skills which will aid you in a successful career of your choosing. You’ll gain a fundamental understanding of computer hardware, software engineering and the underpinnings of mathematical principles. Alongside, you’ll also have opportunities to develop critical thinking and creative skills that’ll transfer into your career once you graduate.

You’ll develop your commercial and industrial awareness by completing real-world problem-solving tasks, building up a portfolio of work to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in analysis, communication and teamwork to prospective employers.

Throughout this course, we work closely with you to develop personalised learning plans to ensure you are progressing towards the goal of becoming an outstanding computer science graduate ready to apply your skills.

This course will develop you into a well-rounded computer scientist with an awareness of the global challenges and opportunities available to you, ready for a challenging and rewarding career and equipped to continue learning to stay at the cutting edge of developments.

You’ll study computing ethics as part of your course. This is taught using real-life case studies, with input from specialist ethicists as well as your tutors and lecturers. The team responsible for the ethics taught in computing has produced educational material used to stimulate debate in class about topics such as ethical hacking, open-source software and the use of personal data.

Each academic year, you’ll take a total of 120 credits.

Years 1 and 2

You’ll learn about the core topics in computer science and how they can be applied in a variety of real-world scenarios. You’ll learn about programming and software engineering ensuring that you have a good grasp on contemporary programming languages and software engineering design principles. You’ll also develop a good understanding of computer hardware, which is essential to being able to design software and algorithms.

Learn how to exploit hardware to your advantage to produce systems which meet customer requirements. In order to be able to justify that your software behaves as expected, with particular performance guarantees you’ll learn about the theoretical foundations of computer science.

Through these topics, you’ll develop into a holistic computer scientist capable of problem identification, solution design, consideration of impact, implementation and evaluation. You’ll develop an understanding of sustainability in computing and appreciate how your professional behaviour can help to develop a more equitable future for all. You’ll work collaboratively with your fellow students in group projects and will have an opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences with students in different years.

Throughout years 1 and 2, you’ll study topics relevant to artificial intelligence, data science, computer graphics, robotics, algorithms and complexity and distributed systems.

Year 3

In your third year, you’ll complete an individual project showcasing your accumulated skills and knowledge. You’ll work with a member of academic staff to define, refine and complete a project related to your interests. You’ll also study professionalism, innovation and enterprise ensuring you are well equipped to enter the workplace or continue your journey in education.

In year 3, you also have an opportunity to branch out and shape your learning journey by selecting from our advanced topics modules in subjects such as computer graphics, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, algorithms and complexity and distributed systems.

Year 4

In your fourth year, you’ll complete a group project. Working as part of a small team you will be paired with an academic to tackle a problem related to your interests and the School of Computing’s research expertise. You will also complete a research skills/seminar module where you will develop your skills to engage with cutting edge academic literature.

In year 4, you also have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the advanced topic modules you studied in year 3. You will be taught by our world-leading research academics and develop an appreciation for the tools and techniques that they apply as part of their research.

One-year optional work placement or study abroad

During your course, you’ll be given the opportunity to advance your skill set and experience further. You can apply to either undertake a one-year work placement or study abroad for a year, choosing from a selection of universities we’re in partnership with worldwide.

Learning and teaching

In the School of Computing, you’ll be part of a large and welcoming learning community where academic staff and your fellow students work collaboratively together. Our expert academic staff bring a wealth of industrial and research experience meaning you’ll have awareness of the forefront of developments when you graduate.

You’ll be joining a diverse community of computer scientists from a range of backgrounds, where you’ll be encouraged to share your experiences with and to learn from others in order to develop a university culture where our differences are our strengths. Our research feeds directly into our teaching, meaning you’ll learn about the very latest developments in your subject while gaining the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of your graduate job.

To help you benefit from our expertise, you’ll be engaged in a mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars and practical labs, complemented by online learning resources and project-based learning. This mix of activities will develop you into a flexible and agile learner, suitable for keeping up with the fast pace of development in graduate careers. The approach is inclusive by design, and you’ll be supported to develop the skills to best benefit from each type of activity.

Our personal tutorial system will provide you with academic and pastoral support. You’ll be assigned to an academic personal tutor who will mentor you throughout your studies at Leeds. Everyone will have a different set of experience, interests and motivations for studying the subject, and your personal tutor will help you to understand what these are and how you can best leverage your experiences to make the most of your time at Leeds.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Specialist facilities

You’ll study in the Sir William Henry Bragg Building which offers a wealth of facilities to support your learning. It has two custom-built teaching laboratories containing high-specification Linux machines – sufficient to complete all work asked of you on our programmes. In addition, the Sir William Henry Bragg Building houses our state-of-the-art research laboratories which are used by our internationally leading researchers and postgraduate students – and are available to students as part of their final year individual project.

There’s also a number of social and collaborative study spaces which are available for you to use whenever the building is open. Whether you require a quiet place to work, or you thrive being in a busy stimulating environment there is a space suitable for you.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a variety of methods which are chosen to emulate real-life tasks or activities you are likely to encounter in a graduate career. This may include time-constrained assessments, laboratory practicals, reports, problem-solving worksheets, projects and presentations.

Where possible, assessment is designed to be contemporary with recent events and developments in computer science – making them interesting and relevant.

We use summative assessment, which contributes to your degree outcome, as well as formative assessment, which does not contribute to your degree outcome but provides an indication of performance. This combination allows you to become comfortable with the style of assessment and allows us to provide targeted additional support where it is required. Your work will be assessed by a member of academic staff who’ll provide feedback on what you did well, areas of improvement and stretch goals. This feedback may be in written or verbal form.

Our assessment approach is designed to be inclusive by default, however, we also make reasonable adjustments where required.