BSc, 3 years, UCAS: G400
Typical A level offer: AAB-ABB

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Subject overview

Why computing?

Computing is an essential part of 21st-century life, and is an exceptionally fast-moving subject that gives rise to a range of interesting and challenging problems. The complexity of today’s computing systems requires the skills of knowledgeable and versatile scientists who have a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts as well as in-depth knowledge of specific areas. These range from digital media, distributed systems, networks, web services and the internet – each with their individual technologies – to business models and problem-solving inspired by natural systems.

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Why computing at Sussex?

We are a leading centre for teaching and research in many aspects of computing, including computer science, digital media, human-computer interaction, AI and cognitive science.

Computing at Sussex has excellent teaching and facilities and was ranked 21st in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2014, 22nd in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and 30th in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2014.

Our degrees are based on a common first year, offering you the flexibility to change course if you wish. They provide a firm foundation in the core topics and, in addition, allow you to take options that reflect your particular interests (for example, computer graphics and animation, intelligent systems, robotics, or web technologies).

We offer cutting-edge modules informed by our internationally recognised research – computing at Sussex was rated in the top 15 of UK universities for the quality and volume of our research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, with 70 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher, and one-fifth rated as world leading.

We teach core technical skills such as Java programming, software design and relational database management, while also covering professional issues with a focus on employability.

We offer attractive, well-equipped computer laboratories with modern high-spec PCs, a state-of-the-art media technology laboratory, two special-purpose broadcast studios with digital video-editing facilities, and laboratories with PA and recording equipment for sound-based modules.

Our BSc courses in Computer Science, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Computing for Business and Management, Computing for Digital Media are accredited by the BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT, as contributing to the requirements for professional registration.

We have strong links with industry, including a groundbreaking partnership with one of the world’s leading financial services companies, and an advisory board that assists in shaping course content to ensure our graduates are highly employable.

For information about industrial placement opportunities during your studies, refer to Department of Informatics: Placements year and internships and Professional placements.

Also refer to Department of Informatics: Which degree is right for me?

Dan's faculty perspective

‘My research centres on the technology that enables computing, whether that be mobile phones, smart environments or the internet, to blend into our lives. The sheer number of devices and the complexity of their interconnection alone raise challenges but to blend effectively, computing must reflect our social relations: what is acceptable, who we present ourselves as in different situations and the trust reflected from evolving relationships between people.

‘To study these issues often requires collaboration with other branches of computer science, sociologists, artists and companies. We explore possibilities by developing prototypes, simulating behaviour and deploying real systems.

‘My research is very strongly reflected in my teaching, where mobile phone programming, developing large web-based systems and analysing social networks all feature as topics. And the connection between research and teaching is two way: often students undertaking final-year projects and internships suggest new approaches and challenges as they become technically creative and expert in their own right.’

Dr Dan Chalmers
Senior Lecturer in Informatics,
University of Sussex

Programme content

We are in the midst of a revolution in the world of computing that will have far-reaching implications for all of our lives. Within a few years we will be surrounded by many thousands of (mostly invisible) microprocessors pervading our homes, offices, hospitals, classrooms, cars and even outdoor environments. The emergence of this new digital era will bring with it many scientific, technological and social challenges. This course has been designed to prepare you for a career at the forefront of these exciting developments.

Year 1 concentrates on programming and program design, and introduces the fundamental principles of the science of computing.

Year 2 builds on these programming skills in the context of software engineering and the construction of large systems. You will undertake a team project and also learn about the inner workings of computers, including the main hardware subsystems and software subsystems such as operating systems, programming language compilers, and databases.

Year 3 offers a range of more advanced topics, such as alternative programming paradigms and computational complexity theory, and gives you the opportunity to specialise in the area of web computing, computer graphics and animation, robotics and adaptive systems, or intelligent systems. You will also work on a major software project of your choice.

Computing
2012 modules

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

Core content

Our courses offer breadth and flexibility and are designed around module themes, including:

Computer Systems focuses on the inner workings of the main subsystems supporting computing, operating systems and networks

Computing Foundations lays the basis for an understanding of the logical and mathematical principles underlying computing

Graphics and Animation focuses on image modelling and rendering, and bringing computer-generated images to life either programmatically or using industry-standard software tools

Intelligent Systems examines the design and implementation of intelligent computer systems that reason and learn from data

Management covers the uses of information technology in business, with more specialised topics including financial planning and marketing

Music and Audio explores the application of computers in music creation and analysis, such as automatic composition and programmatic control of audio from within software applications

Professional Issues helps you develop your communication skills, deepen your understanding of your role in society as a scientist and manage your professional development

Programming equips you with the skills necessary to create computer programs, starting with object-orientation and progressing to the study of other programming paradigms

Robotics and Adaptive Systems focuses on autonomous systems that modify their behaviour according to their environment, also exploring relationships with neuroscience, psychology and biology

Software Engineering covers the theory and practice of building large computer applications, from analysis of required functionalities to deployment

Video Production gives practical experience of both the technical and creative issues in producing live video

Visual Effects covers the techniques for generating synthetic productions that look real, including 2D and 3D graphics, camera tracking and compositing

Web Computing introduces the technologies underlying the internet, including web architectures, web services, and distributed computing

How will I learn?

We teach by a combination of lectures, seminars, exercise classes, individual and small-group supervision and computer-based practical work. Some teaching is by means of group projects, linked to particular modules, while studio work provides a team-based environment for technical development and implementation.

We also run a peer-assisted learning scheme, which has non-compulsory additional classes to provide extra support for particular modules. These classes are run by students who have already taken the module.

Assessment is by a combination of exams, coursework (such as software exercises, reports, oral presentations and essays), group projects and a large-scale individual project.

For more information, visit Studying at Sussex.

Also refer to Department of Informatics: Final-year projects.

What will I achieve?

You can expect to develop a firm foundation in your chosen area that will provide a solid basis for your future career development. Our degrees also provide a range of invaluable transferable skills, including those of presentation, organisation, communication, problem-solving, time-management and teamworking.

You learn to apply appropriate theories and techniques to the design and development of computing systems, and to use the correct criteria and tools for the planning, development, documentation, testing and evaluation of software systems.

You also learn to manage your personal professional development in preparation for further study or the world of work, and beyond.

In the computer science modules, you gain an understanding of the hardware and software that support computer systems and the internet, and the fundamental principles underlying computing, independent of their current technological manifestation.

In the artificial intelligence (AI) modules, you discover how AI supports the design of intelligent computer systems, and study adaptive behaviour, reasoning, creativity and learning in both humans and machines.

In the business and management modules, you gain an understanding of the uses of information technology in business, and you also learn about financial planning, marketing and strategic management.

In the digital media modules, you gain practical experience in using computers to create and communicate digital content, including video, 3D graphics, audio and web-based multimedia.

Please note that these are the modules running in 2012.

Year 1

Core modules

Data Structures & Algorithms
Further Programming
Introduction to Computer Systems
Introduction to Multimedia
Introduction to Programming
Mathematical Concepts
Professional Skills
Programming Concepts

Year 2

Core modules

Compilers and Computer Architecture
Computer Networks
Databases
Machine Learning
Natural Language Engineering
Operating Systems
Program Analysis
Software Engineering

Year 3

Core modules

Comparative Programming
Computer Science Project
Human-Computer Interaction
Limits of Computation
Web Computing

Options

Advanced Natural Language Engineering
Multimedia Design and Applications
Neural Networks
Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments
Web 3D Applications
Web Applications and Services

Back to module list

Data Structures & Algorithms

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module provides an introduction to data structures and algorithms for computer scientists. The module introduces a number of fundamental data structures, including arrays linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, hash tables and graphs. These are presented both abstractly, via the notion Abstract Data Types, and concretely in terms of their implementation in an object-oriented framework. The data structures are discussed and analysed in terms of efficiency of the basic operations they support and their application to program design problems. Consideration is given to important, fundamental algorithms for searching and sorting data.

Further Programming

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module follows on from "Introduction to Programming" and provides an introduction to more advanced programming concepts and techniques. This module covers Java programming, including the use of subclasses and library classes to create well-organised programs, the choice and implementation of appropriate algorithms and data structures (e.g. arrays, lists, trees, graphs, depth- and breadth-first search, the minimax and A* algorithms), and the construction of graphical user interfaces for Java programs.

Introduction to Computer Systems

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

Topics covered on this module include: the key elements of a computer; how information is stored - from transistors to files; how information is processed - from logic circuits to programmes; how information is transferred - from buses to the internet; computers and the physical world - peripheral devices and embedded computers; operating systems and virtual machines; and the history and future of computing.

Introduction to Multimedia

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

The module will provide you with a basic understanding of human perception and how this relates to the capture, display, storage and transmission of multimedia. It will introduce you to the technical principles and hardware underlying the capture, display, storage and transmission of sound, video, image and graphical based multimedia.

Topics covered include: perception; the internet and networked multimedia; multimedia and web design; digital capture and image formats; digital video; display systems; digital audio systems; laboratory work, such as multimedia systems investigations, and Flash and HTML based multimedia applications.

Introduction to Programming

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

The module introduces you to a collection of basic programming concepts and techniques, including designing, testing, debugging and documenting programmes.

For both absolute beginners and those with prior computing experience, the module introduces the programming language Java, a language used for other components of undergraduate modules. Java will be the primary language used for programming assignments in nearly all first year modules taught by the department of Informatics.

You do not need previous experience of programming to take this module, but you will need basic knowledge of NT/Windows2000/XP.

Mathematical Concepts

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

A refresher mathematics module covering sets and functions, vectors and matrices, proof by induction and simple numerical integration.

Professional Skills

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module will cover important professional skills in 4 categories: Technical communication, technical and academic writing, professional conduct, and IT law.
Topics include:
Technical communication skills (2 lectures)
1. Giving effective oral presentations
2. Graphical aids for oral presentations
Writing skills (12 lectures)
1. Report writing
2. Reviewing
3. Correct attribution of credit and referencing
Professional conduct (6 lectures)
1. Codes of professional conduct
2. Computers and Society, including the workplace and education
3. Ethical implications of the internet, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and emerging new technologies
IT law (4 lectures)
1. Digital evidence: Information retrieval, retention and protection
2. Privacy and data protection
3. Contract law and employment law for IT
4. Intellectual property in the IT sector

Programming Concepts

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module introduces algorithmic problem solving. It will answer the following questions: what is a problem specification, an algorithm, and a computation? What are their properties? How does one develop an algorithm? How can one rigorously argue that an algorithm computes correct solutions to a given problem? How can one measure the efficiency of an algorithm and the complexity of a problem?

For the sake of writing algorithms, a simple algorithmic language (pseudo code) is used. The focus is on algorithmic thinking, not coding. Basic data structures will be used to provide some elementary examples. Searching, sorting and other simple (and intuitive) algorithms can then be specified and developed. Principles like divide-and-conquer will be applied and explained.

Two important properties of algorithms are correctness and complexity. Algorithms should only compute correct solutions of a problem, and to establish correctness, you will consider relevant (propositional and predicate) logic, focusing on logical reasoning principles rather than logical calculi. Finally, you will discuss the concept of the time complexity of an algorithm and asymptotic complexity classes.

The exercise classes and coursework are based on a series of examples. The algorithms developed in this module should be implemented in Java concurrently or at a later stage in the further programming module.

Compilers and Computer Architecture

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Topics on this module include: low-level versus high-level languages; an introduction to language implementation techniques, compilers and interpreters, grammars and parsing; hardware implications, instruction set design and implementation; lexical analysis; the relevance of finitestate automata and regular grammars; implementation techniques; problems for particular languages, syntax analysis overview of grammars and parsing techniques; top-down and bottom-up parsing; predictive parsing, shift-reduce parsing; implementing hand-coded top-down predictive parsers; semantic analysis and code generation from trees and from flat intermediate codes; symbol tables; type checking; handling of specific high-level language constructs; runtime storage allocation and scoping; instruction set consequences; hardware aspects of performance enhancement caches, pipelining and parallelism; recent developments in processor design; code optimisation and an introduction to flow analysis.

Computer Networks

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module provides an introduction to the basics of packet switching technologies as used in the Internet. Emphasis is placed on core Internet protocols such as IP and TCP. Subjects covered include: network access technologies; design of network protocols using layering, local area networks, TCP/IP routing and switching, congestion control. This module introduces the Internet with a top-down view: the accent is on layer abstractions and the associated protocols (and how to program with them). Particular attention is paid to questions of network security.

Databases

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module provides an introduction to the concepts of database software, database design, management and programming. This includes conceptual database design (using the entity-relationship approach), logical database design and physical database design. The module focuses on the relational data model only. SQL is presented as data manipulation language to implement the physical design. It is explained how SQL can be used to create and manipulate relational databases. Database normalisation is motivated and presented (in a restricted form using primary keys only). Security via permission rights and indexes fortuning database queries are briefly addressed. Database programming is explained and demonstrated using Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) libraries. The exercise classes and coursework are based on a series of examples that are used to elucidate the theoretical principles. You will acquire practical experience by implementing these examples in a database management system.

Machine Learning

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module provides you with an introduction to the important field of machine learning that aims to present a diverse range of concepts and techniques without losing sight of the unifying principles of the field.

Machine learning approaches will be considered in terms of three key ingredients: tasks, models and features. You will be introduced to binary classification and related tasks and issues in the evaluation of classifier performance. The concept of learnability will be considered.

A number of machine learning approaches will be introduced, including: linear regression, the perceptron classifier, decision tree models and rule induction, instance-based learning, the naïve bayes classifier and the k-means clustering algorithm.

Throughout the module, an applied, example-based approach will be adopted in presenting the material. Where mathematics is needed to understand a particular technique or concept, it will always be reviewed in advance.

Natural Language Engineering

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Natural Language Engineering introduces techniques and concepts involved in analysing of text by machine, with particular emphases on various practical applications that this technology drives.

Topics covered on the module will include both a variety of core, generic text processing models (e.g. , segmentation, stemming, part-of-speech tagging, named entity recognition, phrasal chunking and dependency parsing) as well as problems and application areas (e.g. document classification, information retrieval and information extraction).

We will be making extensive use of the Natural Language Toolkit which is a collection of natural language processing tools written in the
Python programming language.

Operating Systems

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module studies the system-level structures that underpin operating systems and networks. The primary focus is on processes, showing how they contain dynamic threads and address spaces, and on understanding how both shared memory and messages can be used to communicate between processes. Concepts covered will include: process management; memory management; file systems; synchronisation primitives; communication abstractions and their implementation over packets switched networks, using TCP and IP as examples. Particular emphasis will be on showing how to make these structures secure.

Program Analysis

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Part 1: Foundations

The first part of the module introduces the idea of the asymptotic analysis of algorithms, and in particular we will consider the following: specifying a problem; the notion of an algorithm and what it means for an algorithm to solve a problem; the upper, lower and tight asymptotic bounds associated with an algorithm; the best-, worst- and expected-case analysis of an algorithm; the lower bound for a problem.

In the remainder of Part 1 we consider a number of important data structures, with particular emphasis on priority queues and the generic graph data structure. Several basic graph algorithms will be considered, in particular: depth-first search of graphs; breadth-first search of graphs; and topological sorting of directed acyclic graphs.

Part 2: Generic Design Paradigms

In Part 2 we will consider four of the most important methods used as the basis for algorithm design: greedy methods; divide and conquer approaches; dynamic programming; and network flow.

In considering these generic design paradigms we will look at a number of well-known problems, including: interval scheduling; single source shortest path; minimum spanning tree; Huffman codes construction; weighted interval scheduling; subset sum; sequence alignment; network flow; and bipartite matching.

Software Engineering

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module studies large-scale software production. Emphasis is placed on the whole life-cycle of a software product: requirement analysis, software architecture and design, implementation, quality assurance and maintenance activities. The module also investigates social issues in software engineering such as team-structures and conflict management. Other issues covered include agile software engineering methods, testing, test-driven development, coding practice and standards, design and code reviews, and version control.

Coursework will be team-based and involve the production of a significant software deliverable such as an interactive gaming application.

Comparative Programming

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module introduces you to the basic techniques of declarative and functional programming, using languages such as Prolog and Haskel as a practical basis. You will consider the suitability of these paradigms - and those already learnt on the course - in addressing various problems; in AI, data processing, mathematical reasoning, etc. You will consider issues including data representation, algorithm design, efficiency, clarity and tool support in comparisons between the declarative, functional and imperative paradigms. This module introduces you to the basic techniques of functional programming, using a language such as Haskell as a practical basis. Additional paradigms, such as declarative programming, are briefly introduced. The process of learning a new language and paradigm will allow you to explore the process of choosing a language based on its fit to issues and of the learning of languages. Alongside the particular issues in Haskell, we will discuss more general issues in programming languages through illustrations of various languages including Java, C, assembler, Haskell, PHP and SQL.

Computer Science Project

45 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 3

Prerequisites: Projects should be related to modules taught in the first two years. Independent study resulting in a dissertation. Tutorials are to support this activity.

Human-Computer Interaction

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Human computer interaction (HCI) is concerned with understanding and designing interactive technologies from a people-centred perspective. This HCI module will give an introduction to the basic principles, methods and developments in HCI, with the objective of getting you to think constructively and analytically about how to design and evaluate interactive technologies, with opportunities to apply the principles and methods in practice. Topics include: principles of design, evaluating interactive technologies, understanding users, generating requirements, prototyping and iterative evaluation.