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BSc Honours Computing and Information Technology VS Computer Science

Hi all!

I'm currently studying for my AS exams (year 13 in Northern Ireland where I live, year 12 in England) and I've been looking into computer based courses as I have to make my choices early next year.

Just to fill you all in, I'm currently studying Biology, Chemistry, ICT and Media Studies. I'm planning on dropping Chemistry and taking the other three onto A Level.

I was looking at the course offered by Queens Belfast called BSc Honours Computing and Information Technology. It seems to cover a broader area than Computer Science, which I believe is more maths based? I'm not overly mathematical so I thought the Computing and Information Technology course would be a good middle ground between the 'elite' Computer Science degree and the lesser computer based courses around.

However, is this a bit of a 'Mickey Mouse' degree? Would love to hear your opinions, and perhaps even some recommendations of courses to do at university to do with computers and ICT :smile: x
Reply 1
Reply 2
At my university (Surrey), the computing and information technology bsc shares 6 out of 8 modules with the computer science bsc, but takes 2 from the business school instead of a couple of the computing modules, so they take an accounting module and a management module instead of an assembly programming module and a mobile development module. Overall I actually think that the computing and information tech bsc is actually the better course, but of course this varies by uni. I doubt it'll make much difference which you really take, as long as you do well in it.
Reply 3
Thanks Josh, that was really interesting to hear. Does the computing and information technology have a lot of maths involved?


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Reply 4
Original post by RachaelC700
Thanks Josh, that was really interesting to hear. Does the computing and information technology have a lot of maths involved?


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hello are you doing this at surrey right now?
It depends on what area of computing you want to work in. Computer Science is as you said highly mathematical. You're looking at careers in software/hardware development and fundamentally learning how to solve problems through computation. It will be a world apart from you ICT class.

The Computing and Information Technology course you're looking at still covers programming but looks split between that and infrastructure and administration of computers.

I wouldn't call it a mickey mouse course from my quick look over it, if you do it with the year in industry placement you're going to come out of it with some very employable skills and experience.

If you want to do computer science realistically you need to be doing maths or computer science A levels. If you want to work in computing but don't have the head for maths and complex algorithms then that Queens course looks a perfectly good way to get into the field.
Reply 6
Original post by BigYoSpeck
It depends on what area of computing you want to work in. Computer Science is as you said highly mathematical. You're looking at careers in software/hardware development and fundamentally learning how to solve problems through computation. It will be a world apart from you ICT class.

The Computing and Information Technology course you're looking at still covers programming but looks split between that and infrastructure and administration of computers.

I wouldn't call it a mickey mouse course from my quick look over it, if you do it with the year in industry placement you're going to come out of it with some very employable skills and experience.

If you want to do computer science realistically you need to be doing maths or computer science A levels. If you want to work in computing but don't have the head for maths and complex algorithms then that Queens course looks a perfectly good way to get into the field.


Is it good in surrey? What possible jobs are available? Is it worse, equal or better than compsci?

Bsc + 1 year industrial


Thx
Original post by Myst0x
Is it good in surrey? What possible jobs are available? Is it worse, equal or better than compsci?

Bsc + 1 year industrial


Thx


Again much like the original posters choice, you're going to be taught employable skills, Surrey looks more heavily geared towards the computer science side of it though. Entry requirements are quite telling of that:

An A-Level in Maths or Physics or Computing is required.

With a year in industry and a degree accredited by BCS it looks fine.

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