Computing at Aberystwyth What we teach and how it is organised

1. Computing at AberystwythWhat we teach and how it is organised

3. Objective of this Talk • Tell you about our degrees • More details on a visit day once you have applied

4. Structure of Department • On main (Penglais) campus • 25 full-time lecturing staff • 500 undergraduates and MSc students • 35 support and research staff • 25 PhD students

5. Aim of our courses We seek to produce graduates who have: • a broad knowledge of Computing, • a wide skills base, • good intellectual skills, and • strengthened interpersonal skills. So that they …. can adapt and be relevant in 10 years time. Ideas Training

6. Do we succeed? • Our students get good jobs in the Computing industry • 87.5% of Aberystwyth first degree CS graduates who entered employment six months after graduation entered a graduate role, compared with 69.8% first degree CS graduates nationally

7. Do we succeed? • Degrees accredited by British Computer Society (BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT) • Top marks in last QAA assessment • Best research rating in Wales, top 20 in UK

8. Undergraduate Courses • Degree schemes offered: • Computer Science • Software Engineering • Internet Computing and Systems Administration • Business Information Technology • Degree ‘flavours’ linked to our research interests • Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence • AI and Robotics • Computer Graphics, Vision and Games

9. THE COMMON THREADS

10. Features of all our degrees Year 1 Mostly in common V O C A T I O N A L Year 2 Group project Year in industry (optional) Year 3 Final Year Project

11. Vocational • Activity weekend in first year - interpersonal and team skills • Professional skills weekend in second year - mock interviews • Encouraged to spend a year in industry • Hard work - project based

12. Year 1- Mostly Common • Flexible – you can change scheme or mix and match • Depends on background more than degree scheme

13. Year 2 - The Group Project • Year 2 • Team of about 10 • Whole product development process • Examples: • Stock dealing • Sky Digibox programmer • Android games development

14. The Group Project • 2D maze based game • Pacman-style for Android phones • The hero can fire bullets at the baddies • If hit, they split into weaker baddies • After being hit a few times, baddies die • If baddies run into you, then you die • New levels built on a PC • Levels can be loaded into the game

15. Other 2nd year individual games (from the Interactive web programming module): • Connor • Gideon • Natalia

16. Optional Year in Industrybetween years 2 and 3 • Practical experience for a year • Working with companies • Paid! • We help find jobs • Improves future performance • Makes it easier to get a job when you graduate

17. A few places that our students have worked Visualisation Centre Plymouth Marine Lab

18. Link to 2012-13 map

19. Year 3 - Final Year Project • Final year – 33% of your time • Individual working • Complete project • May be research led by staff member … • …or from your industrial year • Specify, develop, test, deliver a product • Personal challenge

20. THE DEGREES

21. BSc in Computer Science G400 - 3 years, G401 - 4 years • Provides core modules, most flexible • Covers core modules: • Programming, Unix and Windows, software design, software engineering, professional issues, telecommunications, database management systems, human computer interaction, and electives • Types of final year project: • A ticket booking system for the Department of Theatre, Film and TV • Types of job: • Any typical position in software industry

22. Sarah Burdett • From Cardiff • Computer Science • Worked for Information Services in Industrial Year in Design Studio • Final project: Knitting Pattern Generator • Went to work for spindogs in Cardiff as a programmer

23. BEng in Software Engineering G600 - 4 years • Emphasises professional engineering of large, high-quality software systems • More technical – almost all modules must be in CS • Compulsory industrial year • Covers: • Core modules plus: C and Unix, C++, distributed systems technologies and other electives • Types of final year project: • Instrumentation for a sailing robot, mobile augmented reality • Types of job: • Technical positions in software industry

24. Other Engineering Schemes • MEngG601 – 5 years • Our most prestigious scheme • (higher entry requirements: 340 points) • Final year all modules with MSc students • Extra modules such as Programming Mobile solutions, Autonomous Systems, … • Types of job: • Technical positions in software industry

25. Rob Yeates • From Somerset • Mature student (was a catering manager) • Industrial year at Goldman-Sachs, • Final Project: System using Transport for London data • Was on MEng but they offered him a job, so graduated with first class BEng!

26. BSc in Internet Computing and Systems Administration H602 - 3 years, H603 - 4 years • Building professional quality web sites, applications and networks • Covers: • Core modules plus: Web programming, website design, database driven web sites, E-commerce, commercial processes, E-commerce systems and internet security , web tools selection… • Types of final year project: • Multi-sport online league recording system for use by sports clubs • Types of job: • Building and maintaining professional web sites • Supporting computing users with networking skills

27. Adam Roberts • From Wrexham • Internet Computing • Industrial year at Compliance Control Ltd • Final year project: staff rostering for Corris railway • Now working for a consultancy firm as an Oracle database administrator

28. BSc in Business Information TechnologyG500 - 3 years, G501 - 4 years • Concerns methods and technologies that can be used to create effective IT systems as solutions to business problems • Covers: • Web programming, systems analysis, DBMS and commercial applications, professional issues, business process engineering, E-commerce systems and internet security, web tools selection. Some modules are taken in other departments such as Information Studies and Media Studies • Types of final year project: • Critique and redesign of multi-lingual website (Eisteddfod) • Types of job: • Providing database and web-enabled commercial solutions • Supporting computing users

29. Rachel Moss • From Wolverhampton • Switched to G501 after year 1 • Industrial Year at what is now Lloyds Banking, Marketing & IT • Became interested in accessibility of commercial info for visually impaired people • Final Year project: a system to investigate this • PGCE in IT – Teaching and part-time PhD

30. BSc degrees with Artificial IntelligenceCS & AI: GG4R - 3 years, GG47 – 4 years AI & Robotics: GH76 - 3 years, GH7P – 4 years • Artificial Intelligence (AI) explores artificial systems that can do things that are normally regarded as requiring intelligence • Covers: • Core modules plus: Practical application of AI, appropriate tools, theoretical understanding of AI, hardware, intelligent robotics, space robotics, electives • Types of final year project: • Cracking the Zodiac killer's cypher with AI techniques • Automatically steering an electric car • Types of job: • Any technical job in the software industry or related to AI or Robotics

31. Tom Blanchard • from Brighton • AI and Robotics • Industrial Year working for Dr. Mark Neal in the department • Final Year project: Development of an Autonomous Tethered and Submersible Data Buoy • Now: PhD

32. Tom on a project involved with automated 3D modelling of the calving edge of glaciers

33. BSc Computer Graphics, Vision and Games G450 – 3 years, G451 – 4 years Specific applications include games development, (medical) image understanding, movie special effects and industrial quality control • Covers: • Core modules plus: appropriate other modules such as: interactive computer graphics, visualisation, C++, AI • Types of final year project: • Graphics and games for mobile devices, medical image analysis, low cost Minority Report-style finger-tracking interface development • Types of job: • Any technical job in the software/games industry and specialised positions

34. How to get more information: Today: Please ask! cs-admissions@aber.ac.uk While making your decision about University: http://www.aber.ac.uk/schemes http://www.aber.ac.uk/modules After you apply: Visit Days Once you are here: Lots of support available – if you are worried ask!