Computing Online Degree Pathway

Examine the full systems development lifecycle, from requirements gathering through to presenting solution proposals to a client. You learn to apply structured analysis techniques to investigate existing systems, identify user needs, and document viable solutions using standard industry methodologies. The unit develops both the technical and interpersonal competencies required to work as a computing professional on real development projects.

Develop a working understanding of computer programming principles and apply them to create software to a client brief. You design, build, test, and evaluate a functional program with attention to user interface considerations, learning to structure code logically and debug systematically. The unit covers fundamental programming concepts applicable across multiple languages and development environments encountered in professional computing roles.

Explore the nature and value of data in modern organisations, from raw information to structured databases. You learn the principles of database design, including entity-relationship modelling and normalisation, and apply them to design a functional relational database system. Basic SQL querying is introduced alongside an understanding of how data architecture supports organisational decision-making and operational efficiency.

Build a grounded understanding of how hardware, software, and network components interact within modern computing environments. The unit examines the risks facing computer systems and data – from hardware failure to external cyber threats – and introduces the principles of layered security that underpin professional IT practice. You develop the analytical vocabulary needed to assess technical infrastructure and communicate risk to non-specialist stakeholders.

Investigate the legal and ethical landscape within which IT professionals operate, including data protection law, intellectual property rights, computer misuse legislation, and the role of professional bodies such as the British Computer Society. The unit develops your ability to apply ethical reasoning to realistic technology scenarios and to design organisational policies that meet regulatory requirements, ensuring you can operate responsibly in any computing environment.

Develop practical skills in extracting and manipulating data using SQL queries, combining datasets from multiple sources, and identifying quality risks inherent in real-world data. You learn systematic approaches to data cleaning, transformation, and validation that are fundamental to analytics, business intelligence, and software development roles. The unit also introduces common data quality frameworks and the organisational impact of poor data hygiene.

Examine how organisations structure, store, and govern their data assets at a strategic level. You explore a common data analysis lifecycle, analyse entity-relationship models, and understand how data architecture decisions affect everything from operational databases to enterprise-wide analytics platforms. The unit equips you to contribute meaningfully to discussions about data infrastructure at both technical and managerial levels.

Understand the principal technologies that underpin the modern web – HTML, CSS, JavaScript, hosting platforms, and content management systems – and apply client-side development principles to build functional, accessible web pages. The unit covers the relationship between front-end design and user experience, and introduces the standards and best practices that professional web developers follow when building sites for clients and businesses.

Explore the mobile development landscape, from understanding user experience design principles specific to small-screen devices through to designing, building, testing, and publishing a mobile application to a defined client brief. You gain familiarity with the key tools and frameworks used in mobile development, and develop the skills to evaluate your own application against usability, performance, and accessibility criteria.

Introduce yourself to the essential concepts of cyber security: the threat landscape, attack vectors, incident response procedures, and the translation of client security requirements into defined security objectives. The unit develops awareness of the major risk categories facing organisations – from phishing and ransomware to insider threats and supply chain vulnerabilities – and the practical frameworks used by security professionals to manage and mitigate those risks.

Build on your Year 1 introduction to security by examining the operational impact of cyber threats on organisations, exploring industry-recognised security standards such as ISO 27001 and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and developing the ability to recommend practical, cost-effective network improvements that address identified vulnerabilities. The unit involves a detailed technical analysis exercise centred on a realistic organisational case study.

Deepen your database skills through a rigorous examination of database management systems and their underlying architectures. You design a relational database to a detailed client brief, implement it using industry-standard tools, and critically review both the design process and the quality of the resulting system against defined performance criteria. The unit prepares you for the data engineering responsibilities encountered in software development and business intelligence roles.

Extend your web skills into server-side development, exploring how back-end technologies work alongside client-side code to create dynamic, data-driven web applications. You examine e-marketing techniques for promoting businesses online, create a web-based solution to a defined business problem, and evaluate it against usability, performance, and business requirements. The unit bridges the gap between technical web development and the commercial context in which it is applied.

Develop professional-level skills in IT network design by understanding networking fundamentals – including TCP/IP, routing protocols, switching, and wireless technologies – and applying them to design and build a network that meets a specified client brief. You produce a design document, implement the network in a simulated or physical environment, and evaluate it against the original requirements, developing both technical and project management competencies in the process.

Re-examine ethical, legal, and professional issues at an advanced level, with particular focus on the complexities that arise in real organisational settings: AI bias, algorithmic decision-making, GDPR compliance at scale, whistleblowing, and the professional obligations of IT practitioners under BCS codes of conduct. The unit develops your ability to analyse nuanced ethical dilemmas and to communicate your reasoning clearly in a professional context.

Explore the relationship between information systems and organisational strategy, examining how CIOs and senior technology leaders align IT investment with business goals. You analyse case studies of information systems strategy in practice, formulate a proposed IS strategy for a defined organisation, and evaluate the implementation challenges that typically arise during large-scale system change programmes. The unit provides a bridge between technical computing and business management thinking.

Survey the current frontier of technological innovation in computing, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud-native architecture, quantum computing, the Internet of Things, and edge computing. You analyse how these developments are reshaping the computing industry and creating new professional roles, and evaluate their social, economic, and ethical implications. The unit equips you to engage with rapid technological change as a knowledgeable, reflective professional.

Develop the research skills required for academic study at degree level and beyond: literature searching, critical evaluation of sources, quantitative and qualitative research design, ethical research practice, and academic writing conventions. You plan and carry out a small-scale research project on a topic within computer science, producing a structured research report that demonstrates your ability to apply rigorous methodology to a computing problem.

Apply project management principles and tools – including Gantt charts, risk registers, scope management, and stakeholder communication – to plan, execute, and review a computing project from initiation to closure. The unit develops the organisational and interpersonal skills that computing professionals need alongside their technical expertise, and mirrors the kind of self-directed project work expected in final-year degree study and professional practice.

Examine the major software development methodologies – including Waterfall, Agile (Scrum, Kanban), and DevOps – and evaluate their suitability for different project types and organisational contexts. You apply a chosen methodology to design an information system, demonstrating your understanding of how structured development processes improve quality, manageability, and stakeholder outcomes in real software engineering environments.