BSc Computer Science with Industrial Year
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UCAS code
G401 -
A level offer
ABB -
Year of entry
2025/26 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
-
Year of entry
2025/26 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
Develop valuable computing knowledge and skills, and put them into practice with a year in industry, with our four-year BSc Computer Science with Industrial Year degree.
Computer science – with the application of data science – has a colossal impact on modern society and is the cornerstone of every digital technology used in our daily lives. You'll join the University of Reading’s Department of Computer Science, where 100% of our research impact has been classed outstanding or very considerable (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Computer Science and Informatics).
Reading has the fourth highest number of digital tech organisations in the UK ("UK’s Top Digital Tech Cities", March 2020, The Data City) and in 2023 ranked 2nd in The Data City’s list of UK AI hotspots.
Our BSc Computer Science degree is accredited by the British Computer Society – the Chartered Institute for IT.
Industrial Year placement
This degree includes the opportunity to apply for a one-year, paid work placement in industry, taken between your second and third years. It offers a valuable opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills, explore career options and build your network.
Over the years, we have built up relationships with major companies across the industry, many of which have their UK or European headquarters in the local area. Computer Science students have previously undertaken placements with a range of multinational, national and local companies, including:
- Urban Science
- Oracle
- Invesco
- Bayer
- Disney
- Eli Lily
- FunTech
- Veritas Technologies LLC
- Tink Engineer
- PepsiCo.
They have occupied a number of roles, including:
- Data Analyst
- Intern Cloud Developer
- Cyber Response Business Analyst
- Sharepoint Development
- Software Engineer; Business Analyst
- Full Stack Software Developer
- Design and Development Engineer
- IT Placement Programme Associate
- IT/Technical Support Analyst
- Information Security.
Find out more about how an industrial placement can enhance your employability.
What you’ll learn
You’ll study on our parkland campus at Whiteknights, which has been voted among the best and most popular green spaces in the UK for 14 consecutive years in the Green Flag awards. Reading is located in the heart of the 'UK's Silicon Valley', a hub for the computer science industry.
During this degree, you will explore a wide range of topics that include:
- complex computing systems
- big data analytics
- computer vision
- blockchain computing
- artificial intelligence and machine learning
- software systems development
- networking
- data security
- ethics.
Get to grips with several programming/scripting languages including:
- C
- C++
- Java
- Python
- JavaScript.
Our teaching approach
You’ll be taught by lecturers with expertise across a broad range of areas, with extensive experience in both academic and industrial applications, who will help you to develop and apply your technical skills. 94% of our students said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024, 94.44% of responders from the Department of Computer Science).
This degree has a strong focus on career management. A series of skills development opportunities allow you to develop valuable, transferable skills – such as teamwork and communication – aiming to enhance your employability and set you apart from other graduates.
Specialist computer science tools and expertise
We use a wide range of software packages to support your learning. These include:
- tools for software/apps development
- data analytics algorithms
- system modelling languages
- cloud and parallel computing platforms
- mathematical manipulation (eg MatLab).