Join the Global Classroom: The University of London

The University of London and member institution Goldsmiths have partnered with one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, Coursera, to offer a brand new suite of computer science degrees.

“One of the biggest advantages of online study is how flexible it is – take advantage of that.”

If you’re considering applying and wondering how online learning compares with traditional face-to-face teaching, then look no further – we asked some of our new BSc Computer Science students for their top tips on how to make the most of being part of the global classroom.

Be self-disciplined

“If you’re balancing your studies with work or other commitments, then make sure you set aside time each week to login and complete your assignments.” – Alexeia Wiesner, BSc Computer Science (Web and Mobile Development), South Africa

“The course is demanding and you must plan your week to fit it in. Personally, I have an hour’s commute to and from work each day and I listen to the classes on my phone in the car and then go back and review the materials when I get home.” – Marcello Pires dos Santos Ferreira, BSc Computer Science (Data Science), Brazil

“Read the University’s guidelines on how many hours you should spend studying per semester, per course and try to stick to that. Otherwise you could end up with a work debt and have to catch up.” – Dilpreet Singh, BSc Computer Science (Data Science), Canada

Take advantage of the flexibility  

“One of the biggest advantages of online study is how flexible it is – take advantage of that. At the beginning of the programme I was really busy with work and couldn’t start studying immediately but then I could spend a weekend working through a couple of weeks’ study to catch up. Just make sure you’re organised and manage your time.” – Amanda Maria Bizzinotto Ferreira, BSc Computer Science (Web and Mobile Development), Brazil

“This degree is a win-win for me. I haven’t had to quit my job and take time out of my career – I’m working and studying on my own schedule.” – Dilpreet Singh

“With traditional face-to-face teaching you can take notes but sometimes you might miss something. With online learning you can always watch the video again. And I like that I can travel around and still access my studies – it’s good not to be tied to one place.” – Ricardo Diaz, BSc Computer Science (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence), Peru

The more you put in, the more you get out

“If you’re new to online learning take time to watch some of the videos twice – that way you can layer your understanding and make sure you don’t miss anything.” – Dilpreet Singh

“I work full time and I don’t always have a lot of extra time to study so when I get the chance I like to dive right in and access as much content as I can. With this programme I can complete four or five weeks’ work in a few days, which is great.” – Ricardo Diaz

“Don’t just watch the materials and complete the assignments – partake in the discussions too. Slack is a great resource if you get stuck.” – Alexeia Wiesner

Remember that you’re part of a community

“My classmates all have different backgrounds and different levels of experience and I’m finding that people are really willing to take the time to explain things. No question goes unanswered on the slack channel.” – Amanda Maria Bizzinotto Ferreira 

“I always think you learn something better when you teach it to someone else. With the slack channels and the discussion forums there are lots of different ways to interact. And the teachers encourage you to engage with other students, setting team work. It’s a really good culture.”  – Ricardo Diaz

“I think a lot of my classmates have done some foundation study before this degree or are working in the field so they have a lot of knowledge, which is great for shared learning.” – Marcello Pires dos Santos Ferreira

Enjoy it!

“This course is great because they’ve put a lot of effort into making the content interesting and engaging. There’s one module that’s themed around working as a detective and solving puzzles using the skills you’re learning – so you’re having fun while you’re studying.”  – Alexeia Wiesner

“I’ve already completed around 30 courses on Coursera – it’s a really well-structured platform that encourages you to study every week. And the content from University of London and Goldsmiths is fantastic. I’m studying in a totally different way and really enjoying it.” – Marcello Pires dos Santos Ferreira

“The lectures are great. The videos are never too long so it’s easy to stay focussed. I’m looking forward to what’s still to come.” – Amanda Maria Bizzinotto Ferreira 

Find out more about studying our BSc Computer Science programmes online.

Ready Player One: Get Set for an Exciting Career in Gaming

From more traditional console and PC games to the explosion of mobile, tablet and online gaming, it is estimated that more than 2.5 billion of us play video games worldwide. That popularity looks set to continue: the global gaming sector is expected to be worth more than $180 billion by 2021. We spoke to industry experts about how game development courses in the new BSc Computer Science can open up new worlds of job opportunities.

“The nature of the industry is that it’s an agile environment and tasks can change from day to day, so you need to be a problem solver.”

The BSc in Computer Science, launched by the University of London and member institution Goldsmiths, is designed with the careers of the future in mind. One area of focus on offer is game development, a sector with global demand for talent.

“You’re working with really interesting, creative people and learning all the time – launching a game is obviously a massive high.”

Mike Allender has worked in the games industry for more than 15 years, moving from roles at UK-based companies Jagex and King to work in Spain and India. He has set up his own product strategy and design consultancy working with three separate games studios in London.  

“Everyone has their own journey into the games sector. I started at the bottom – in the Jagex customer support team – and worked my way up. It’s a great environment, you’re working with really interesting, creative people and learning all the time,” Allender says.  “Launching a game is obviously a massive high but for me, the best part is when you and your team all bond together and knuckle down to achieve a common goal. At the end of the week, you have something tangible to show for it and it’s a brilliant feeling to own the product you’ve created together.”

It is estimated that there are more than 220,000 jobs in the U.S. games market alone, and more than 47,000 in the United Kingdom. From producers to designers to data analysts, the roles are varied and opportunities continue to grow.

As well as designers and producers there’s a big demand for data analysts and scientists – especially in mobile gaming.

Georgina Felce is the Studio Operations Manager at Big Pixel Studios, which grew from just five employees to more than 20 in less than a year.

Felce said,

“As well as designers and producers there’s a big demand in the sector right now for data analysts and scientists – especially in mobile gaming. A lot of games have been operating without analysing performance and now they want to understand their data to monetise it. That’s a specialty that’s growing in the industry now.”

Lorchan Trapp is a 3D environment artist at Big Pixel. He predicts a trend for more mobile and home virtual reality games: “Working on virtual reality is amazing because you can build a world and then climb into it and see it from a first-person perspective. As an industry, gaming is exciting because it’s always developing. In six months’ time there’s going to be new things to lear. Your career will never be stagnant.”

In six months’ time there’s going to be new things to learn, new tech. Your career will never be stagnant.

The BSc Computer Science (Games Development) degree programme includes a number of project-based assignments, allowing students to develop a portfolio they can demonstrate to future employers.  

Mike Allender explained the key skills and attributes he looks for when hiring: “A degree gives you an important grounding in areas like coding and maths. But I’d also advise you play as many games as you possibly can and work out what really interests you. University is a great place to be exposed to lots of different areas but the people who really succeed are those who specialise. You need to discover what role you want and become world class at it.”

Find out more about the BSc Computer Science degrees.

Bringing Computers to Life

The new BSc in Computer Science will offer students the opportunity to learn core computing skills and apply those skills to any area or subject they feel passionate about. Music, art, sociology, education: the possibilities are endless. Through exciting project-based learning, the course encourages students to express themselves creatively and develop new links between technology and life.

“Our ethos is that we want students to demonstrate that they understand the theories and concepts we teach by applying them in whatever creative way they like.”

The new degree has been developed by the University of London and member institution Goldsmiths, whose academics have extensive experience in applying computer science to a wide range of fields.

Dr Rebecca Fiebrink is a Senior Lecturer in Computing at Goldsmiths. She is also a musician. She explained how she has never needed to choose between her two interests:

“One of the biggest reasons I came to Goldsmiths to teach is that all the people teaching here really look at computing as something that has strong links to society and to the arts, and many of us explore those links in our research. For me that’s one of the great things about Computer Science – you can apply it to anything that you care about and that interests you.

We don’t make students and staff choose between being technical people or creative people. We teach students who are studying creative computing and music computing and games programming right alongside students who are studying computer science.”

All the people teaching here really look at computing as something that has strong links to society and to the arts. One of the highlights of my career has been making software for machine learning in creative work – called Wekinator – that a lot people have used. It hit around 25,000 downloads this year and I recently had someone knock on my door who had put on an opera in Bristol about Frida Kahlo and had used my software.”

Dr Sarah Wiseman, Lecturer and Programme Leader at Goldsmiths, co-authored the Web Development module in the new BSc programme. She described how students will be encouraged to be creative within their computing practice:

“Our ethos is that we want students to demonstrate that they understand the theories and concepts we teach by applying them in whatever creative way they like. For example, students on the Games Development course won’t be asked to produce the exact same game – we will give them a brief and ask them to interpret it in an exciting and creative way. In some modules there are marks specifically for creativity and it’s a chance to add personality to the project.

Having this creative element in the degree gives students a chance to really care about their projects and their work. They want whatever they’re creating to be as brilliant as it can be because it’s something they own. If they hadn’t created it, it wouldn’t exist. Their projects are individual and unique to them and that gives them the enthusiasm to do it right.

With seven different specialisms on offer – from Games Development to Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality – students are able to build on their interests and develop the programming skills they need to innovate in any field.

Example projects produced by students studying the Goldsmiths on-campus degree include a DJ training system that uses machine learning to automatically rate scratching ability; an educational resource to teach physical computing and electronics to primary school students; a robot designed and controlled by a student as part of a play he produced; and an interactive games controller developed fora sensory game.

Dr. Wiseman adds: ”One of the best parts of my job is interacting with students: honest, enthusiastic, and unpredictable people. They challenge me and inspire me, and it’s great to be able to play a part in lots of different creative projects that are meaningful to each student.

Having this creative element in the degree gives students a chance to really care about their projects and their work.”

The University of London Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degrees are designed to provide those passionate about computing with instruction in computer science fundamentals. Whether you have high school qualifications or you’re already working in a computer science field, you can earn a valuable degree that will help move your career forward.

Careers Only You Can Dream Of

The UK tech sector is growing more than two and half times faster than the overall economy, while in the US more than 190,000 new tech jobs were added in the last year alone. With rising demand for talent to fill these new vacancies we look at just some of the roles that may be available to graduates from the new BSc in Computer Science.

From app developers to drone operators, the tech sector offers unparalleled opportunities for the next generation of technologists.

The first session of the new BSc in Computer Science, launched by the University of London, in partnership with member institution Goldsmiths and online learning platform Coursera, will start in Aprilthis year.

The new degree has been designed to give students not only the fundamentals of computer science but also skills in a number of specialisms that will be in high demand among employers. Industry experts predict that artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtual and augmented reality will be some of the biggest technology trends to take off in the coming years – all of which are specialisms on offer to students choosing the University of London degree.

“Because tech is always advancing – and the technology we use today will be improved again tomorrow – no matter what industry you go into there are endless opportunities.”

Tobias Cieslik, Director at Xult Group, has been working in tech recruitment for more than five years. He said, “Some of the big trends we’re seeing are in augmented and virtual reality, which have become hot topics within the sector. Other areas like autonomous and electric vehicles are developing year on year, while cyber security remains a priority for almost all industries. Because tech is always advancing – and the technology we use today will be improved again tomorrow – no matter what industry you go into there are endless opportunities.”

Sarah Trevelion, Talent Manager at consulting and technology company Techmodal, agrees. She said, “My role allows me to meet some really interesting people who have worked in IT for a number of years but have now moved into subsectors like sales, intellectual property rights and legal advice. Once you have a good grounding in tech there are so many other branches of work you could choose, and the breadth of roles is very exciting.”

“Once you have a good grounding in tech there are so many other branches of work you could choose, and the breadth of roles is very exciting.”

While many companies offer on-the-job training and development opportunities, industry experts agree that a degree in computer science will continue to be rated highly by recruiters.

Sarah Trevelion commented, “At Techmodal a lot of our recruits come in at a junior level and we offer training within the business. For me a good candidate doesn’t just have the basic skills but also has an aptitude for continuous learning. So having a degree not only demonstrates a certain level of ability and exposure, but it also tells me you’re at the right academic level to keep learning.”

“You will be expected to know a lot about a lot. Completing a degree gives you a mindset that’s ready to learn, adapt and deal with challenges.”

Rob O’Brien, Senior Technical Manager (International and Labels) at ITV Studios, knows the importance of a solid academic grounding. He said, “Whatever industry you work in, they are always going to want to use the latest trends and you will be expected to know a lot about a lot. Completing a degree gives you a mindset that’s ready to learn, adapt and deal with challenges.”

For those with a passion for computing, working with the most current tech offers its own rewards, but for others the incentives are more personal.

Phil Peters began his career three years ago and was quickly promoted to Senior Software Engineer at Ordnance Survey. He said, “I love being at the forefront of technology. As an engineer I’m given access to new programmes and new software at least six months before users. But what’s really rewarding is to think that the software and data I’m working on is being used by the police and the ambulance service to be able to find your house faster so they can help you. My work is genuinely benefiting people’s lives.”

Perhaps the most exciting thing about a future career in computer science is that many students beginning their degree now will be doing jobs that haven’t even been created yet. According to McKinsey Global Institute, a third of new jobs created in the US in the past 25 years were roles that did not exist before. From app developers to drone operators and from user experience designers to vloggers, the tech sector offers unparalleled opportunities for the next generation of technologists to create their own career path.

Find out more about the BSc Computer Science degree.

Correcting Misconceptions: Time to Close the Tech Sector Gender Gap

With latest workforce data revealing that women make up less than 20% of the IT sector in the UK, and just 25% in the US, the industry is working hard to encourage more diversity. We spoke to two senior computer scientists about why more young women should join the tech revolution:

“There’s a perception of the tech sector being full of young men wearing scruffy t-shirts and headphones and not talking to each other. The worst thing is when women are put off because they think it’s a club they’re not allowed to join.”

The University of London, in partnership with member institution Goldsmiths, University of London and online learning platform Coursera, has launched a new online BSc Computer Science programme, with courses starting in April 2019.

In addition to core computer science skills, the degree offers a choice of cutting-edge concentrations such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Online teaching is combined with practical activity and projects to give students the hands-on experience they’ll need for their career.

Dr Rebecca Fiebrink and Julie Allinson feel passionately that computer science is a career more women should consider.

Dr Fiebrink is a Senior Lecturer in Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. Despite an early interest in programming she didn’t consider a career in the field until she spoke to a careers counsellor.

“I grew up playing video games with my dad and learned how to programme for fun when I was in high school, making fan fiction websites and animations for my friends. And yet I didn’t see myself as a technologist. Just having someone give me permission to imagine myself in that role was life-changing.”

“A computer science degree will give you the technical skills to accomplish something that’s important to you. It’s never boring.”

She believes misconceptions about the tech sector can put some people off. “Technology is not just for geeks. You’re engaged in creative thought all the time and the most successful computer scientists are those who like working in social, dynamic environments – and who understand and can communicate with others.

“People wrongly assume that to love computer science you just have to love technology and nothing else. But computer science can be applied to anything. It can be applied to helping your community or saving the planet. A computer science degree will give you the technical skills to accomplish something that’s important to you. It’s never boring.”

After completing a degree in English Julie Allinson, Lead Developer at CoSector University of London, began her career as a librarian and now uses that experience in her role designing digital architecture for online collections and archives.

“As a librarian I was tackling increasingly more technical tasks and found I wanted to understand how to solve those problems myself. I thought about it for years before I decided to study for an MSc in Computer Science. The biggest challenge for me was probably my own lack of confidence, and research has shown that’s something that puts a lot of women off.

“There’s a perception of the tech sector being full of young men wearing scruffy t-shirts and headphones and not talking to each other. But there are skills used in almost all jobs that are applicable to IT – logic, problem-solving, communication skills. The worst thing is when women are put off because they think it’s a club they’re not allowed to join.”

“There’s no right fit for computing, it takes all different styles of personality and people and that’s what makes it a rewarding career.”

Research suggests that closing the gender gap could have huge financial benefits for the sector. A recent study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research found that increasing the number of women in IT could boost the UK economy by up to £2.6 billion.

Dr Fiebrink said, “Having more people with more ideas and more life experiences is important if we want to be making tech that’s useful to people and has a positive impact.”

Julie added, “Every profession benefits from having a diverse set of people working in it.

You can’t fix a problem from the outside – the only way to improve the gender gap is by having more girls come into the sector feeling able to challenge traditionally male structures. So if you’re worrying that you don’t fit then stop and give it a go. There’s no right fit for computing, it takes all different styles of personality and people and that’s what makes it a rewarding career.”

Find out more about the BSc in Computer Science.

University of London’s Computer Science Degree Combines Creativity and Computing

Whether you’re just out of school or high school and want to pursue a career in Computer Science or already working in the field and want to excel your skills and career, this programme will help you get there. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of London will teach you to be a creative problem solver using cutting-edge skills like Machine Learning, Data Science, AI, Virtual Reality, and more.

Programme Director Matthew Yee-King explains how you can take a creative approach to computing with the BSc:

What is so different about this new BSc Computer Science compared to other
programmes?

Computing is largely about understanding what computers are and how they work, and about using them as tools to solve problems. But at Goldsmiths, we are also about creativity and understanding and influencing society. Our work involves applying computer science to surprising areas, including computational art, virtual reality, music, digital sociology and education technology. We are looking for original and creative perspectives of what computing can be. We bring a unique hands-on project-based style of teaching. This applies to a diverse range of interests, from data scientists to artists and musicians to social scientists and journalists.

We have developed ways to deliver this through highly interactive online courses (MOOCs) that have been taken by many thousands of students on Coursera. Being able to take this to the next level and provide a full undergraduate course is thrilling to us.

Project work sounds exciting! What might students be able to work on?

You carry out several projects during the degree, including a group project and a final major project. You select the subjects for this yourself. Recent on-campus student projects include a DJ training system that uses machine learning to automatically rate scratching ability; a simulated mycelium to design fabric; a video sequence generator using deep neural networks; an automated graffiti generator using artificial intelligence, and so on. For us, the critical factor in the study of creative subjects is learning by making and experimenting. Computers are incredible tools and the best way to learn about them is to make things with them.

For anyone considering an online Computer Science degree, what should they know about the experience?

We aim to make studying computer science as accessible, engaging, creative and enjoyable as possible. The early stages of the degree cover all the basics of computer science, such as maths and programming. The later stages of the degree cover a range of cutting-edge, highly employable subject areas such as data science, machine learning and virtual reality. You will complete the degree with a solid grounding in Computer Science and a set of cutting-edge applied skills.

Do you need a background in IT, Computer Science, etc. to study this programme, or
can you begin from scratch?

Our flexible new Computer Science degree can serve a range of backgrounds. So even if you have little mathematics or computing experience, you can enter at the start and we will teach you the mathematics, programming and theory that you need. If you do not quite meet our standard entry requirements, we offer what we call a ‘performance-based’ admissions route, which begins with two of the degree modules and if successful the student can then progress onto the degree.

On campus, there’s a lot that happens in the hallways or on a whiteboard. How do
you create those spaces and interactions online?

The module leaders are developing a range of highly interactive learning activities for students to work with peers in formal and informal settings. We’re confident that as a student on this degree, you’ll be able to develop meaningful social relationships with each other through these activities. You may also have the option of studying at a local teaching institution, where you find a more traditional, on-campus experience. Transforming our style into a full degree course delivered with Coursera is thrilling to us!

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