Questions
about
university
Computing
courses
There are hundreds
of different Computing egrees at many universities. How do you find the one that is right for you?
Here are some questions that you might ask when looking at the prospectuses of different universities, or even better, in person when you visit them.
Many of the questions do not have one correct answer - you need to think what kind of a career you want and what kind of things interest you, and then select a course that fits your needs.
Where do course graduates typically get jobs?
If you want to work for a software supplier, and all the graduates work for ICT users (or vice versa), then is probably not the right degree for you. This is a question you can actually ask a university if you are visiting them. If the staff aren’t able to answer the question, then that is a bad sign...
Do the staff have industrial experience?
If you intend to work in the Computing industry after graduation, then at least some of the people teaching you should have experience of that industry. I’d look for at least a third of the staff with at least three years experience of industry, and some with senior experience (running project teams or companies). That is enough of a percentage that the Department will be able to run the practical part of the degree properly, and will understand professional issues thoroughly.
Is this degree an education or just training?
A university education in Computing is a difficult balance. On the one hand, we could just teach you guru-level use of Access and Java, and you might be unemployable in 5 years as the popular skills change. On the other hand, we could teach you the Lambda calculus, Church’s thesis and complexity theory, and you would be unemployable as soon as you complete the course (or at least need further training).
The ideal course will fit you for useful work as soon as you finish (by including state of the art tools and practical work), but give you the theoretical underpinnings to adapt to change in a rapidly-changing Computing industry.
Does the course include any team working?
Much work in the Computing industry is done in teams. This means that realistic team working during the degree course, where you can point out how you fitted in the team and how well you fitted in, may well help you get a better job afterwards.
How easy is it to change courses if I choose wrongly?
Some degree schemes have more flexibility than others. For example, if you are not sure how much programming you want to do, or whether you want to specialize in internet-related topics, then is it possible to change between courses once you have started? What is the range of courses between which you can change?
How easy is it to change courses if I choose wrongly?
Some degree schemes have more flexibility than others. For example, if you are not sure how much programming you want to do, or whether you want to specialize in internet-related topics, then is it possible to change between courses once you have started? What is the range of courses between which you can change?
How much Maths is there?
There is no right answer to this question. Some Computing degrees can have quite a lot of Mathematics, and even ask for Maths A-level. If you like Maths and want to do more of it, then go for those courses (or even a joint degree in Maths and Computing). My own opinion is that the Maths needed by the average Computer practitioner is only one or two modules, so if you are not a Maths enthusiast, choose your course appropriately. LS
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