ugcs brochure x

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Undergraduate study

in Computer Science

School of Computer Science

Our Universe is made of matter, energy

and information. Computer Science leads

the study of mechanisms that acquire, store,

manipulate and use information. Join us

and help us push the frontiers.

Professor Aaron Sloman

Challenge what you know.


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2 School of Computer Science

Contents

3 Welcome

4 What is Computer Science?

6 Why Birmingham?

8 Birmingham city

10 Why Computer Science

at Birmingham?

12 Studying Computer Science

at Birmingham

14 Overview of year one

16 Overview of year two

18 Overview of year three

22 Overview of year four

24 Articial Intelligence explained

26 What can you do with a degree

in Computer Science?

28 Joint Honours undergraduate

programmes

29 Year in industry

30 International study opportunities

32 Applications and admissions

34 Money matters: Fees, funding,scholarships and bursaries

Come along to an Open Day:www.birmingham.ac.uk/opendays

Learn more

Sign up for your personalised

Birmingham VIP webpage and

keep up to date with all the latest

news about life and learning at

the University.

Visit www.vip.bham.ac.uk

to register now.

KEEP UP TO DATE!

Follow us on facebook

www.cs.bham.ac.uk/go/acebook

Follow us on twitter @uobcompsci

Undergraduate Student Admissions Team

Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742

Email: [email protected]

www.cs.bham.ac.uk

SCAN ME


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School of Computer Science 3

Welcome

I am delighted that you are considering

undergraduate study at Birmingham and

I hope you find this guide useful when

making what is, undoubtedly, a life

changing decision.

The School of Computer Science provides

specialist teaching and conducts cutting-edge

research in fundamental and applied computer

science, artificial intelligence, optimisation,

computer security, and robotics. Led by

academics at the forefront of their fields,

we deliver outstanding education and offer

comprehensive careers support to ensure

an exciting range of career opportunities

for our alumni.

We are eager to receive applications fromhighly motivated and well-qualified students

and hope that this guide will provide you

with adequate information on the variety

of computer science degrees offered, and

the opportunities available to you after you

graduate. It is important that you choose a

degree programme to suit your future career

aspirations and that you choose a university

and school where you will be happy and able

to fulfil your potential. One of the best ways

to make this decision is to visit the universityto explore, enquire and listen first hand to

what life is really like at Birmingham and we

very much hope you will be able to attend

one of our admissions events.

The Schools admissions team are here

to support you in your decision of whether

to join us, and there will be a number of

occasions when you will have the opportunity

to visit the school and to talk to us. University

Open Days are scheduled throughout the

year and, as a Computer Science applicant,

you will be invited to attend an informativeApplicant Visit Day to assist your decision-

making. If you have any questions in the

mean time however, please do not hesitate

to contact our admissions team, and they

will do all they can to help.

I wish you every success with your studies

and hope to welcome you to Birmingham in

the near future.

Proessor Jonathan RoweHead o the School o Computer Science

The University of Birmingham is a great university in a great city.Founded as Englands first truly civic university over a centuryago, in a glorious campus close to the centre of Englandssecond city, the University of Birmingham is now not only oneof Britains leading universities, but internationally acclaimedand globally recognised.

Coming to Birmingham was the best thing that couldhave happened to me. I have secured a better job thanI could have ever hoped to have got, I have really enjoyed

my degree, and I have had such a fantastic student lifeexperience all because I came to Birmingham!

Selina Tindall

Graduate Trainee in Global Markets (Technology), Royal Bank of Scotland

BSc Computer Science


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I started at Birminghamwith a blank sheet oncomputing. My degreeallowed me to begina successful technicalcareer in the industry.

Caleb Kam Kong TangAdvisory IT Specialist

IBM China/Hong Kong

BEng Computer Science

and Software Engineering

Computers are a core part of our lives: social networking, mediastreaming, computer games, office applications and onlineshopping are all obvious examples of things that computerscience has brought us that many people are very familiar with.

What is Computer Science?


It is a popular view that Computer Science

is about developing and building new and

improved consumer products and technologies,

and of course it has a vital role to play in this

area: computer science is at the heart of 21stcentury commerce and industry, with almost

every business using computers in some way.

Large businesses will often devote a substantial

proportion of their operating budget to the

development of computer systems that aid in

the management of the company; for example,

by keeping track of stock levels or managing

delivery schedules.

But Computer Science is about so much more

than this: at its most fundamental level, it is

about information and how to represent, store,

communicate, manipulate, understand, and makeuse of it. This can have a far more signicant

impact than the use of computers to perform

comparatively simple housekeeping tasks.

Computational Thinking

Information is a tremendously valuable

commodity, and there is a vast industry

dedicated to making sense of it: from

generating adverts specic to your interests

on social networking sites to identifying trends

in nancial markets. Computer Science is at

the heart of this industry. The role of the

computer scientist in this process is notjust about writing computer programmes to

perform a particular task (although this can

be a signicant part of what computer

scientists do), it is about developing new

ways of thinking about information, and what

you can do with it. This can have a profound

impact on other areas of science and

engineering, and also on the humanities,

social sciences and business.


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Thinking about problems from a computationalperspective is leading to fundamental new

insights in other areas and allows us to:

o Extract the crucial features from very large

datasets such as those generated in the

search for the Higgs boson at the Large

Hadron Collider

o Use computer simulations to work out how

the ocking behaviour of birds emerges from

the actions of intelligent individuals

o Develop new designer drugs for cancer

o Understand how the brain works, through

the analysis of articial neural networks, and

by drawing on our knowledge of informationprocessing to formulate a Computational

Theory of Mind

o Analyse data from social networks and

mobile systems in order to understand the

movements and motivations of people

o Model and analyse business processes to

understand how to improve the efciency

of a company's operations

So, at its most fundamental level ComputerScience is about understanding, analysing,

and designing information processing systems.

This is a complex multi-faceted process that

can involve mathematical analysis, engineering,

human factors and ethical considerations.

A Computer Science degree could lead to

a tremendous variety of careers: you could

be helping to develop the next generation

of social networks; writing a sophisticated

motor racing game (or even a Formula 1

simulator); working out the structure of

proteins; developing software for nancialtrading; predicting the weather; modelling

the effect of brain injuries, amongst many,

many other possibilities. The proliferation of

information, and the pressing need and desire

to understand it will only lead to an increase

in the demand for skilled computer scientists

to develop new ways of thinking.


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Why Birmingham?

Birmingham has a long history of research excellence,a stunning campus with exceptional facilities, and offersstudents a culturally diverse academic experience, setwithin one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.

Situated in the heart of England, the

University was founded over 100 years

ago and has a long tradition of discovery,

invention and design across all of the major

academic subjects. The University has strong

links with industry and we are one of the top

six universities that major companies target

when they are recruiting. If you join us, you

will enter a community of more than 16,000

undergraduate students; almost 70% of

which receive a first or upper-second-class

degree every year.

We understand that choosing the right

university is one of the most important

decisions you will make, so here are a

few more reasons why the University

of Birmingham may be right for you:

o We are an internationally-recognised,

research-led institution, with over 100

years of achievement. The recent Research

Assessment Exercise 2008 confirms we are

12th in the UK*, leading the way across a

broad range of disciplines.

o

We offer teaching from academics who areglobal experts in their field, with five Nobel

Prize winners amongst our alumni and

academic staff.

in the country, as well as professional

coaching and imaginative health and

fitness programmes, which offer a range

of sporting opportunities to suit all tastes

and ability levels.

o Our students benefit from living in one of

Europes most vibrant cities: Birmingham

has been transformed in the last 20 years

to become a confident, modern commercial

regional capital and one of the most

culturally diverse cities in Britain.

* Using the Research Ranking Fortnight Power Ranking


o Our students have access to excellent

study facilities (including one of the UKs

largest academic libraries) and we invest

an impressive 1 million each week on

developing the campus and improving

our students learning experience.

o Ranked as one of the top three campus

environments in the country, our beautiful

243-acre parkland campus offers students

a safe, friendly environment with all the

facilities of a small town including bars,

cafs, shops, banks, an art gallery,museums, a doctors surgery and a

railway station. source: Opinion Panel, June 2005

o Our Freshers Guarantee Scheme for

first-year students means that we offer

guaranteed University accommodation

to all new students. (For the conditions

of the Freshers Guarantee Scheme see

www.housing.bham.ac.uk).

o With 4,500 overseas students from

nearly 150 different countries, we are

home to one of the largest communities

of international students in the UK, with

a network of 150,000 alumni throughoutthe world.

o We are a top three sporting university

and have some of the best facilities


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An oasis of green spaceand red brick amid thebustle of Englands secondbiggest city. Set in 250acres of parkland, themain campus is largelyself-contained with lawns,

trees and a lake.

The Independent


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Birmingham city

Birmingham has been transformed into a city for youngprofessionals and is one of Europes most exciting destinations.It is more than somewhere to study; it is somewhere to build asuccessful career.


Birmingham is a modern, fascinating city: on

his visit here in 2002, former US president Bill

Clinton described it as an extraordinary jewel

of a city. Famous for its historical industrial

past it is now a centre of arts and culture,commerce and entertainment, with a vibrant

and diverse community. Birmingham is home

to the largest nancial services and creative

sectors outside London. The thriving business

community offers you a wealth of opportunities

when you join the job market, and around 40%

of Birmingham graduates choose to make their

home here after leaving university.

For more information on student life in

Birmingham, visit www.visitbirmingham.co.uk

where real Birmingham students will give you

their opinions on everything from nightlife tolibraries. View photos, read blogs, watch

lms and sign up for the newsletter.

Modern city

Around 9 billion has been ploughed into

the city centre over the past 20 years and

Birmingham continues to attract signicant

investment. The landscape of the area has

changed, and stylish apartments and ofces

have replaced factories and warehouses.

Birmingham is home to one of Europes largest

shopping centres, the award-winning Bullring,with over 160 shops, restaurants and bars,

including the iconic Selfridges building. It is

also home to the Mailbox, a unique development

that brings together designer fashion and

lifestyle shops, luxury apartments, hotels and

an array of restaurants and caf bars. The

Mailbox is also home to BBC Midlands

television and radio.


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Factle: The city of Birmingham

o Birmingham is the safest major city

in England and Wales according toa recent report by the Reform group

www.reform.co.uk

o The NEC Group welcomes over ve

million visitors to its Birmingham venues

each year, staging more exhibitions than

any other European centre

o The Lord of the Rings author, JRR

Tolkien, grew up in Birmingham, and the

protected natural habitats that inspired

The Hobbit can still be seen at Moseley,

just minutes from the city centre and

university campus

o Sherlock Holmess creator, Sir Arthur

Conan Doyle, also lived in the city

o The creation of the Football League in

1888 is credited to William McGregor,

then a director of Aston Villa FC

Shopping, entertainment and culture

in Birmingham

Although Birmingham is facing the future,

it is still proud to showcase its past. The city

was the hub of the industrial revolution and

areas such as the historic Jewellery Quarter

keep traditions alive. The canals are nowfringed with bars and restaurants, and

many visitors are excited by the citys

bustling nightlife.

There are more than 500 restaurants offering

a vast range of international cuisine. After

enjoying a meal, you could go for drinks or

watch some of the best comedians on the

circuit at the Glee Club. If you prefer live

music, Birmingham has a number of leading

venues for bands and local talent, including

the National Indoor Arena and the NEC.

Birmingham is also home to one of the UKs

nest concert halls, Symphony Hall, where the

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is

based, and Birmingham Hippodrome, where

the Birmingham Royal Ballet is based. The

city centre also has three other theatres and

a number of cinemas, including the 30-screen

'Vue' at Star City, which shows the latest Asian

and mainstream lms under one roof.

Sporting city

Birmingham is home to Premier League

football clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham Cityand in recent years it has staged more sporting

championships than any other UK city. The

Warwickshire County Cricket ground, close

to the University in Edgbaston, regularly hosts

test matches and international tournaments

including the Cricket World Cup. The city also

boasts many golf courses, including The Belfry,

which has hosted the Ryder Cup four times.

Welcoming city

There is something for everyone in Birmingham

and you will get a warm welcome in one of

the most culturally diverse cities in Britain.People from all over the world live, work and

play here as part of a citywide community

which has been harmonious and tolerant over

many years. Our long record of industry and

innovation contributes to the exciting and

dynamic atmosphere of our historic city.


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Why Computer Scienceat Birmingham?

Birmingham is one of the top universities for studying computerscience in the UK, with a strong international reputation forexcellence in teaching and research. We offer a broad rangeof flexible courses giving the opportunity for a challengingacademic experience.

Teaching and research excellence

Our academic community consists of people

working at the forefront of their subject. This

benefits you directly as their cutting-edge

research feeds into our undergraduate teaching;and gives you the chance to learn from innovative

developments as they are being made.

Our impressive profile of world-leading

academic staff means that we constantly

feature as one of the top ranking computer

science departments in the UK. Our School

of Computer Science is ranked 5th out

of 106 UK institutions offering courses in

Computer Science and IT, as stated by the

Guardian University Guide 2012. We have

the highest possible rating for our computer

science teaching (from the QAA QualityAssurance Agency for Higher Education)

and are currently ranked in equal 7th position

by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise

(RAE) for the quality of our world leading

research. We are also home to the Centre

of Excellence for Research in Computational

Intelligence and Applications (CERCIA).

Rewarding excellence

If you choose the School of Computer Science

at Birmingham, you will be choosing one of the

top ranking computer science departments in

the UK and, as such, we want to attract thebest students. We recognise and reward

excellence, with competitive school-specific

academic scholarships available for our brightest

students. Our level of financial investment made

per student is amongst the top ten computer

science departments in the UK, according

to the 2010 Guardian League Tables.

Course fexibility

At this point in time, the most important

thing is for you to choose a programme that

meets your future career aspirations. Once

you have selected an undergraduate degree

programme, you will find that it is carefullystructured to allow you as much choice as

possible, while making sure you take core

modules to achieve a solid base in the

subject. There is considerable flexibility

built into the system with the core modules

of the first year being shared between the

BSc Computer Science, MEng Computer

Science and Software Engineering, and

BSc Artificial Intelligence and Computer

Science. This flexibility lets you decide

which programme best suits you before

making a final choice. It also allows your

course and career direction to be mouldedas your ideas and interests evolve.

Student support

Within our school we are dedicated to

ensuring that our students have an enjoyable

and beneficial time with us. Our comprehensive

support structures are designed to meet the

needs of our students. In terms of overall

satisfaction, we are ranked joint sixth among

all computer science departments nationally

and third within the Russell Group, as stated by

the National Student Survey 2010. To help you

settle in your first-year, all students are pairedwith an existing student on a mentor-scheme

and a member of staff is also allocated as

your personal tutor for academic-related

issues. In addition, the student/staff committee

provides a useful forum for raising issues and

the student-lead Computer Science Society,

CSS, offers support and organises varied

social events. We also have three welfare

tutors who provide a welfare session each

day during which time any student can drop

in and have a chat.

School acilities

As a student in the School of Computer

Science you will be based within a

purpose-built multi-million pound building,

which offers 24-hour swipe card access

to an impressive range of state-of-the-art

facilities. These include:

o Dedicated laboratories for Computer

Science students

o Teaching laboratory for robotics

o Research laboratories for Medical

Imaging and Intelligent Robotics

o Full wireless networko Subject-specific library

o Student common room and five

departmental seminar and meeting rooms


I treasure my time at Birmingham. My degree equippedme with the computer science theory as well as the more

practical software engineering skills. Birmingham providedan excellent foundation for my career.

Ernest Wong, Senior Web Developer, Yahoo! Holdings,

BSc Computer Science and Software Engineering


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Employer opinion

A University of Birmingham degree is an

excellent qualification for securing a good

job. A survey commissioned by the Guardian

showed that Birmingham is one of the top six

universities targeted by personnel managers

when looking for new employees. So while

the end of your degree may be a while off,

it is worth considering that the University

of Birmingham will give you the specialist

knowledge and transferable skills that willmake you attractive to potential employers in

what is an increasingly competitive job market.

Proessional Exemption and Accreditation

All our computing courses are accredited by

the British Computer Society (BCS) and give

you exemption from all of the educational

requirements for the award of Chartered

Information Technology Practitioner (CITP).

BCS Membership is recognised by the

Engineering Council. As a member, after

completing the prescribed minimum period ofexperience as a professional engineer, you can

then apply to register as a Chartered Engineer

(CEng), an internationally accepted qualification.

Some of our courses are accredited as

meeting some or all of the educational

requirements for CEng registration.

Deciding to study at the University

o Birmingham was one o the best

decisions Ive ever made. While

attending an open day, I instantly

elt at home. The campus was

beautiul and the people were

so warm and riendly. I knew then

that this was where I wanted to

spend the next three years o my lie.

The course has been rigorous

and challenging, but immensely

gratiying. At the University o

Birmingham, students are taught

by brilliant minds which inspires

you to be the best you can be.

Ater my second year, I completed

a year out in industry. This enabled

me to apply the knowledge gained

during my studies in the real world.

This placement led to securing an

excellent graduate job in the city.

Abisola AdefuyeIT AnalystDeutsche BankBSc Computer Scienceand Software Engineering

Award-winning development

At the School of Computer Science we are

not just renowned for teaching and researchexcellence. We also produce award-winning

software for the real world. The Autotrain

project at Birmingham develops e-training

for the automotive sector and has won an

award for best practice in Europe by the

Bertelsmann Foundation and AOL Time

Warner. We are also proud to have developed

a revolutionary award-winning method for

diagnosing skin cancer.

Business and industry links Helping

you to achieve

At the School of Computer Science weorganise events and support services to help

you refine your career options. Support is

tailored to your chosen subject area and draws

on our excellent range of resources. We have

taken time to build strong local and national

relationships with major industry players from

the public and private sector. Just a few of

these include Accenture, Goldman Sachs, HP,

IBM and Logica. It is a wide network of links

that can secure you a year out in industry or

even a graduate position. Plus, senior speakers

from these organisations give lectures

throughout the year, with our CommercialProgramming module offering a series of

22 lecturers from leading IT companies.

We also boast research partnerships with

many blue-chip companies, including BT

Exact, Honda, HP, IBM, Marconi, QinetiQ,

Rolls Royce, Severn Trent and Sony.


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Studying Computer Scienceat Birmingham

Some 50 years later, we now provide

specialist teaching and conduct world-leading

research in fundamental and applied computer

science, articial intelligence, optimisation,

computer security, and robotics.

As an undergraduate student within

the School of Computer Science you

will be taught by academics at the forefront

of their fields and will benefit from an industry-

informed curriculum that is appropriately

accredited by the British Computer Society

(BCS) and the Institute of Engineering

Technology (IET).

You will develop a high level of practical

skills and will have the opportunity to build

significant specialist knowledge in applied

computer science, whilst maintaining the

flexibility to follow your interest through thearray of optional modules on offer.

Below you will nd an overview of the

programme and application details for all

four of our undergraduate programmes.

Please do not hesitate to contact our

Undergraduate Admissions Team should

you require any further information.

Learn more

Undergraduate Admissions Team

School of Computer Science

Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742

Email: [email protected]

Computer Science at Birmingham dates back to the late 1950swith the School of Computer Science becoming one of the firstacademic departments in the UK to undertake research andteaching in this field.

Programme title Computer Science Computer Science and

Sotware Engineering

Articial Intelligence

and Computer Science

Computer Science with

Business Management

Award BSc MEng BSc BScUCAS code G400 GG46 GG47 G4N1

Duration 3 years; 4 years with a

year abroad or in industry

4 years for a MEng;

5 years with a year

abroad or in industry

3 years; 4 years with

a year abroad or in

industry

3 years; 4 years with

a year in industry

Proessional accreditation British Computer Society

(BCS)

British Computer Society

(BCS) and the Institute of

Engineering Technology

(IET)

British Computer

Society (BCS)

British Computer

Society (BCS)

Teaching quality QAA: Excellent QAA: Excellent QAA: Excellent QAA: Excellent

Entry requirements

A level grades AAB AAB AAB AAB

A level/GCSE subjects Mathematics GCSE

grade B if not at A level

Mathematics GCSE


Mathematics GCSE


Mathematics GCSE


At least one A level or

equivalent in a science

subject is required

(Mathematics, Physics or

Computing preferred)

At least one A level or

equivalent in a science

subject is required

(Mathematics, Physics or

Computing preferred)

At least one A level

or equivalent in a

science subject is

required (Mathematics,

Physics, Computing or

Psychology preferred)

General Studies accepted? Yes No Yes Yes

IB grades required 3436 points 3236 points 3034 points 3436 points

IB subjects required Mathematics, Physics

or Computer Science

at HL; SL Mathematics

if not at HL

Mathematics, Physics

or Computer Science


if not at HL

Mathematics, Physics

or Computer Science


if not at HL

Mathematics at SL


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Undergraduate degreesin Computer Science

BSc Computer Science (G400)

The BSc Computer Science will provide

you with a balance of computer science,

artificial intelligence and practical software

engineering. It will focus on analyticalmethods and technical skills and offer you

the opportunity to combine knowledge and

personal skills to undertake the research

and development of software solutions to

problems. You will learn about all kinds of

computational systems, their theory, design,

development and application. This includes

programming languages, software engineering,

artificial intelligence, operating systems,

databases, nature-inspired computation,

concurrent computing, robotics and the

theory of computation.

MEng Computer Science and

Sotware Engineering (GG46)

Software engineering is concerned with how

to build the very large software systems that

are used throughout commerce and industry.

Software engineers are the professionals

behind this industry. As a software engineer

you would lead the development of these very

large systems so that they are delivered on

time, within budget, and are both reliable and

maintainable. Software engineering covers not

only the technical aspects of building these

software systems, but also managementand teamwork skills.

In this degree, you learn all the fundamentals

of computer science, with an emphasis on

the skills required for successful software

engineers. You begin with the fundamentals

of computing, and progress to comprehensive

courses in software engineering, computer

architecture, logic, and the mathematical

theory of computation.

BSc Articial Intelligence and Computer

Science (GG47)Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a fascinating

subject in which you build intelligent machines

and study the nature of the mind. On the

engineering side, this field is especially

relevant in todays world because of the

benefits of making computers perform tasks

that normally require human intelligence. From

a scientific viewpoint, artificial intelligenceis a multidisciplinary field that connects

with computing, psychology, neuroscience,

philosophy, mathematics and linguistics.

As a result, this degree programme will give

you all the computing skills you need to enter

industry, while also allowing you to acquire

scientific skills in order to pursue research.

We are one of the leading centres for AI

teaching and research in Europe, which

enables us to offer an unusually rich and

innovative programme for undergraduate

study. In year one you will learn about theoriesof mind and techniques for generating

intelligent behaviour, and will experiment

with the techniques by implementing them as

computer programs. In the second year you

take more advanced modules in specific areas

of AI, including an Introduction to Natural

Computation, Machine Learning, Computer

Vision and Natural Language Processing.

In the Computer Science half of your degree

you learn to program in a language called

Java (which is widely used in business) and

will apply your Java skills to building systemsinvolving databases, graphics and human

computer interaction.

For more on the AI technologies being

developed and how they can be applied

in the real world, turn to page 24.

BSc Computer Science with Business

Management (G4N1)

Computing has already transformed

business. Technologies that have had

significant impact include computer-aided

manufacturing, just-in-time manufacturing,data mining and data warehousing in the

retail sector, e-procurement, internet

banking and online shopping.

There is a real demand for managers who

have a thorough grasp of computer science as

well as a clear understanding of management

principles. This programme is designed to

give you both.

This degree is taught jointly between

the School of Computer Science and

the Birmingham Business School. It will

prepare you not only for the technical

side of computing but also for a career

in management, sales or marketing,

especially one related to IT. In each year,

you will spend one-third of your time in

the Business School and two-thirds in

the School of Computer Science.

Degrees in computing

with another subject

Joint Honours Degrees with Computing and

another subject are an increasingly popular

choice. For details of our joint honours

programmes, go to page 28.

Degrees with a year in industry

All programmes, including joint honours

degrees, can be combined with a Year

in Industry. This extra year is typically

taken between years two and three of

a three-year degree, or between years3 and 4 of a four-year degree and if

successful leads to your degree title

including with a Year in Industry.

See page 29 for more details.

Degrees with International

Study Opportunities

All students enrolled on the BSc Computer

Science and BSc Artificial Intelligence and

Computer Science are entitled to pursue

the opportunity to Study Abroad between

years two and three of their degree. To

learn about the benefits of choosing toStudy Abroad see page 30.

Full details on all undergraduate degrees in computer sciencecan be found at www.cs.bham.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate


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Foundations of Computer Science

Introducing the fundamental concepts such as the

von Neumann machine, the representation of data

in computer memory, programming constructs,

data models and data structures, and the analysis

of algorithms. The ideas are presented abstractly,

although examples are given in the language usedin the related programming workshop modules.

Software Workshop One

A rst module in imperative, object-oriented

programming with a strong emphasis on

practical program development skills.

Introduction to Software Engineering

Covering the software lifecycle and

methodologies for software development.

Language and Logic

Provides some of the knowledge and skills

necessary for the rigorous communication

of information via natural language as well

as formal languages.

Introduction to AICovering its techniques and main subelds,

and providing a foundation for further study

in specic areas of articial intelligence.

The principal focus of this module is on

the common underlying ideas, such as

knowledge representation, rule-based

systems, search and learning.

Introduction to Financial Analysis

The aim of the module is to introduce

nancial analysis techniques related to the

appraisal of company nancial performance.

It will cover: The content and format ofaccounting statements, accounting concepts

and valuation approaches; appraising company

nancial performance using ratio analysis

and management accounting techniques

of planning, operational control and decision

making; and the uses, strengths and limitations

of accounting information.

Business Organisation and ManagementThe aim of this module is to acquaint

students with the theory and practice

of managing organisations.

Introduction to Economics

The aim of the module is to provide a

thorough grounding in microeconomics. It

will cover: An introduction to alternative

approaches to economics and socio-

economics; demand and supply; elasticity;

intervention in the market; marginal utility

theory; production and cost analysis; market

structure; perfect and imperfect competition;analysis of monopoly and oligopoly; and

alternative theories of the rm.

Module title BSc Computer

Science

MEng Computer

Science/Sotware

Engineering

BSc Articial

Intelligence and

Computer Science

BSc Computer

Science with Business

ManagementCompulsory Modules

Foundations of Computer Science

Software Workshop 1

Introduction to Software Engineering

Language and Logic

Introduction to AI

Introduction to Financial Analysis

Business Organisation and Management

Introduction to Economics

International Economy

Information and the Web

Robot Programming

Optional Modules to a total of 20 credits

Modules outside the main discipline

Mathematics

Overview of year one

We understand the pressures that many students can feel when facedwith the prospect of deciding upon one specific route of study. Thereforeall of our programmes have been carefully constructed to allow you asmuch flexibility as possible. Based around the study of core computerscience principles, our year one structure allows your course and careerdirection to be moulded as your ideas and interests evolve.

Year one syllabus


15/36

When I started my degree I really

liked the act that they teach you

programming rom scratch. I had

never programmed beore coming

to the department and I was worriedthat I would get let behind but that

couldnt have been urther rom the

truth. Admittedly about two thirds o

the class had some prior programming

experience, but there was so much

help available that I never elt

overwhelmed.

Also a very unique aspect o the

department is the riendliness o the

sta; rom speaking to my riends in

other degree disciplines, unlike their

lecturers, you can actually talk to these they are not just a ace at the ront

o the lecture theatre, but really people

you can have a conversation with.

Graduate proile

Selina TindallAward gained:2.1Pre-University qualiications:A levels in Mathematics, Informationand Communication Technology, French,Drama and General StudiesDegree:BSc Computer Science


International Economy

This module will cover: National income

accounting; macroeconomic theory; theory

of monetary and scal policy; exchange rate

regimes; purchasing power parity and interest

rate parity; and European monetary union.

Information and the Web

This module introduces some of the key

technologies used on the internet, and uses

them to reinforce important concepts related

to the representation and management of

structured data. A team project allows students

to really demonstrate their skills in a substantial

piece of software development.

Robot Programming

Teaches basic AI and robotic programming

skills through a series of team exercises using

small, mostly prebuilt, robots. Regular exerciseswill give each team the skills to build up a robot

capable of tackling a competitive, arena-based,

task that includes a variety of AI-requiring

sub-problems.

Mathematics

Provides a solid grounding in mathematics

sufcient to understand a range of computer

science topics.

This module takes all the relevant topics

covered at GCSE and builds upon themto act as a foundation for further study of

mathematics relevant to computer science.

Without the skills I gained from my course at BirminghamUniversity and the reputation of the school I wouldnt be

where I am today.

Ali Alauoubiy, Analyst, Hierarchy Manager IT, Dresdner Kleinwort

BSc Hons in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science


16/36


Software System Components 1

This module presents more advanced software

development techniques, enabling the design

and development of programs of medium-scalesize and complexity. Through a series of lab

exercises, students apply concepts taught in

lectures and at the same time practice the

design and development of medium-scale

programs. Together with its companion module,

Software System Components 2, it is designed

to equip students with programming abilities

which may be needed in an individual nal

year project. The module covers the three

topics of HCI, i/o and parsing, and graphics.


This module presents more advanced softwaredevelopment techniques, enabling the design

and development of programs of medium-scale

size and complexity. Through a series of lab

exercises, students apply concepts taught in

the lectures and at the same time practice

the design and development of medium-scale

programs. Together with its companion module,

Software System Components 1, it is designedto equip students with programming abilities

which may be needed in an individual nal year

project. The module covers the three topics of

databases, web programming and concurrency,

and distributed computing.

Computer Systems and Architecture

Introduction to Hardware Engineering: outline

of digital circuits, basic computer organisation

and architecture (CPU, memory, i/o); control

of peripherals; basics of networking.

Communication Skills and Professional IssuesThe module introduces students to ethical,

social, legal and professional issues in

computing in combination with report writing

skills. Student participation is an important

component of the module, both in researching

and presenting material. Some lectures are

given by external speakers with appropriate

professional experience.

Software Workshop Team Java

A large programming project using Java.

Students work in teams of about ve people.

Models of Computation

The module will introduce various automata

theoretic models of computation and discuss

their practical and theoretical signicance.

Finite automata, grammars and stack automata

and Turing machines will be introduced. The

fundamental ideas of (non-)computability and

complexity will be presented. There will alsobe a section on the Lambda Calculus and its

connection with Functional Programming.


Science

MEng Computer

Science/Sotware

Engineering

BSc Articial

Intelligence and

Computer Science

BSc Computer


Management

Compulsory Modules



Communication Skills and Professional Issues

Software Workshop Team Java


Mathematical Techniques for Computer Science

Software Engineering

Introduction to Natural Computation Software Workshop Prolog

Machine Learning

Computational Vision

Natural Language Processing 1

Financial Decision Making

Introduction to Marketing

Human Resource Management

Global Marketing


Software Workshop Haskell

Software Workshop Prolog


Introduction to Natural Computation

Machine Learning




L2 language modules

Computer Systems and Architecture


Year two syllabus

Overview of year two


17/36

Mathematical Techniques forComputer Science

Computer Science makes use of a variety

of mathematical techniques to describe and

solve computational problems. Often, these

techniques are quite deep and outside the

scope of standard mathematical syllabuses,

for example, the use of structural recursion

in the analysis of data structures and

programming languages. The module aims

to present a core of mathematical techniques

in a sample computational context, and tries

to strike a balance between systematic

introduction and an application-orientated'maths-by-need' approach.


Management of the software development

process, including: how projects arise,

choosing the right project, software life cycles,

human factors in project management, basic

project management techniques (eg. planning,

estimating, monitoring progress), advanced

project management techniques (eg. risk

management, conguration management,

quality management, process improvement).

Overview of requirements engineering,requirements elicitation and analysis,

requirements denition and specication,

requirements validation, requirements

management, overview of specication

techniques. Object-oriented analysis and

design using Unied Modeling Language

(UML) and patterns.

Introduction to Natural Computation

Natural computation is the study of systems in

nature that lend themselves to a computational

interpretation. This module provides an

introduction to the eld, emphasising commonthemes, principles and techniques. It lays the

foundations for further advanced study of

specic areas (such as neural networks

and evolutionary algorithms).

Software Workshop PrologThe module consists of taught material

and practical work. The taught material

introduces the fundamentals of the Prolog

programming language. Practical work

consists of programming exercises in Prolog.

Early exercises are designed to develop a

core understanding of programming in Prolog,

especially: the importance of unication in

the understanding of Prolog; the nature

of search in Prolog and alternative search

strategies; common recursive program

structures, especially for list processing;

design of Prolog programs. Later exercisesare designed to develop skills in applying

Prolog in practical situations.

Machine Learning

The module will provide a good foundation to

machine learning. It will compare and contrast

human learning with machine learning. It will

examine the limitations of machine learning,

the role of hypothesis bias and hypothesis

representation.


The module provides an introduction tocomputer vision, intended for students with

some prior background in AI. Appropriate

computational models, techniques and

algorithms will be introduced, so that students

can both understand the relevant literature

and construct simple software systems.


The module presents an overview of Natural

Language Processing and its applications,

followed by introductions to morphology,

syntax and semantics. These topics are

used to introduce some linguistic theory andappropriate algorithms for their computational

implementation. Examples are mostly given

using Prolog.

Financial Decision MakingExamines investment projects using

discounting methods under the conditions

of certainty and risk using both traditional

and portfolio methods. Demonstrates how

to calculate and use cost of capital for

geared companies, and how to evaluate

leasing projects.

Introduction to Marketing

Introduction to marketing and the marketing

environment; marketing functions; the 4 Ps

of marketing.

Human Resource Management

Processes of planning for acquiring and

utilising human resources in organisations.

Global Marketing

The module aims to provide an introduction

to the issues involved with global marketing

management, and to critically analyse business

topics and develop their own informed views.

Software Workshop Haskell

The purpose of this module is to present the

basic ideas of the pure functional programminglanguage Haskell, to demonstrate the main

elements of good programming style and to

illustrate some of the used and applications

of Haskell.

L2 Language Modules

Language modules (at Level 2 or above) may

only be chosen in order to continue study of

a language successfully passed in Year 1.



18/36


Software Project

The nal year project enables the student

to demonstrate competence as a computing

professional and to apply material learned in

other components of the degree programme.

Projects are chosen from staff suggestions

or are developed from the student's original

idea. The project normally includes writing a

substantial piece of software or developing

some hardware. Occasionally it can consist

of conducting research other than bywriting software.

Commercial Programming

Guest speakers present seminars on topics

relevant to the work in which Computer

Science/Software Engineering (CS/SE)

graduates are frequently involved on entering

Industry or Commerce. The speakers are

chosen to have particular experience in

industrial/commercial application of CS/SE,

employing or working with graduates in CS/SE

or related areas, or legal or managerial aspects

of work that requires such graduates. Eachspeaker provides handouts on his/her chosen

topic (usually available either from the School

Library or online via the syllabus web page for

the module a few days before the speakers

lecture) and a technical report title (available

online via the syllabus web page near the

end of the semester).

Software Design Study

The software design study gives the student

the opportunity to work in a team (typically 5

or 6 students) on a challenging and substantial

software design project. This will normallyinclude mainly the early phases of the software

lifecycle (requirements analysis and software


Science

BEng Computer

Science/Sotware

Engineering

MEng Computer

Science/Sotware

Engineering

BSc Articial

Intelligence and

Computer Science

BSc Computer


Management

Compulsory Modules

Software Project

Commercial Programming

Software Design Study

Corporate Finance

Strategic Management A

Strategic Management B

Supply Chain Management

Optional Modules to a total of: 80 credits 70 credits 80 credits 80 credits 40 creditsCommercial Programming

Compilers and Languages

Databases 2

Computer Networks and

Distributed Systems

Evolutionary Computation

Graphics 2

Human Computer Interaction 2

Individual Study 1

Intelligent Data Analysis

Intelligent Robotics

Natural Language Processing

and Applications


Nature Inspired Design (A)

Neural Computation

Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Planning

Principles of Programming Languages

Operating Systems and Systems

Programming in C/C++

L3 language modules

Year three syllabus

Overview of year three


19/36

design), but may also include the further

development of prototype software and/or

demonstration software. The nal report

must include a fully costed proposal for the

development of a complete software product.

Corporate Finance

Attention is given to important aspects of

corporate nance, with the main emphasis

placed on understanding how technical

methods can be applied. Topics include:gearing; dividend policies and nancial options.

Strategic Management A

In the rst semester work will primarily

be in the form of attending lectures to

cover the underlying theories of strategic

management. The second semester will

be concerned with lectures, writing a case

study of a company of your choice in small

teams, making presentations and answering

questions of your analysis in front of larger

groups. A high level of personal and

collective effort is required.

Strategic Management B

In the rst semester work will primarily be

in the form of attending lectures to cover the

underlying theories of strategic management.

The second semester will be concerned with

lectures, writing a case study of a company

of your choice in small teams, making

presentations and answering questions

of your analysis in front of larger groups.

A high level of personal and collective

effort is required.

Over the 3 years while I was reading

CSBM, I gained signicant knowledge

in dierent programming languages

that improved my analytical thinking,

important or my current role at

Goldman Sachs. The businessdisciplines that I studied as part o

my degree introduced me to the

world o nance. For example, I

eel comortable to perorm various

strategic analyses o companies and

industries globally. These skills are

very important to me because I work

in the nancial sector and need to

be able to deal with various nancial

problems everyday. Working in a team

and presenting the team ndings to

large audiences have been a big part o

several modules that I studied, such asStrategic Management and Robotics.

Additionally, extra curricular activities

at university such as being a Computer

Science Ambassador improved my

communication skills signicantly and

made it easier

or me to settle

into a new

environment

and work closely

with other team

members.

Graduate proile

Marija SmirnovaPosition:New Associate ProgrammeAnalyst in the Technology DivisionEmployer:Goldman SachsQualifcation:BSc Computer Sciencewith Business Management



20/36


Supply Chain ManagementIn their attempts to achieve superior protability

for their rms, managers need to consider two

critical tasks. First, rms need to position

themselves by matching their internal

capabilities with external market opportunities

to maximise the revenue owing into the

organisation. Second, rms need to organise

themselves so that as little of that revenue as

possible ows out of the organisation and into

the pockets of their suppliers. This module

discusses how managers might undertake

these critical tasks in an effective manner and

also shows that the two tasks are inter-related.

Compilers and Languages

The module describes the structure of a typical

compiler. The phases of compilation, from the

front end to analysis and code generation,

as well as the main techniques used in each

phase will be covered.

Databases 2

The module begins with a swift recap of

the standard database canon: SQL and

ER modelling, albeit from a more advanced

perspective. This is followed by a discussion ofrelational algebra and functional dependencies,

and their role in verifying and improving the ER

model (towards Boyce-Codd normal form). In

the second part of the module, the inner workings

of a database management system are presented

and it is discussed how they impact on query

evaluation efciency. In the nal part, transactions

and transaction processing will be discussed.

Computer Networks and Distributed Systems

This module introduces the basic concepts,

technologies, architecture and standards

involved in computer networks and distributedsystems, together with methods for their

design and implementation. This will include

discussion of data transmission protocols,

TCP/IP, LANs and WANs, communication

mechanisms and synchronization issues.

Evolutionary Computation

Evolutionary computation is the study of

computational systems that use ideas and

get inspiration from natural evolution. Its

techniques can be applied to optimisation,

learning and design. Example topics covered

in this module include natural and articialevolution, evolutionary, chromosome

representations, search operators,

co-evolution, constraint handling techniques,

niching and speciation, genetic programming,

classier systems and theoretical foundations.

Graphics 23D constructive graphics (co-ordinate

systems, object and scene design, graphics

transformations in 3D translations, scaling,

rotation, viewing); Animation; 2D raster

graphics (algorithms for efcient drawing

of lines and curves); Images and colour

(image representations, image arithmetics,

image enhancement, colour models).

Human Computer Interaction 2

The module will explore some major themes

in HCI, such as the concept of task analysis,

the absence of relevant design formalisms,the cognitive basis of a proposed interaction

taxonomy, the notion of self-explanatory tools,

and the use of AI techniques in human-

computer interaction.

Individual Study 1

This module exists to allow particularly

strong students to study, at their own initiative,

material that is outside what can be found

in other modules that are available in the

School of Computer Science. Learning is by

self-managed study under the direction of a

supervisor (a member of the academic staff ofthe School). The topic for a particular student

is by negotiation between the student and

supervisor early in the semester.

Intelligent Data Analysis

The module introduces a range of state-of-the-

art techniques in the elds of statistical pattern

analysis and data mining. The 'information

revolution' has generated large amounts of

data, but valuable information is often hidden

and hence unusable. Pattern analysis and

data mining techniques seek to unveil hidden

patterns in the data that can help us to reneweb search, construct more robust spam

lters, or uncover principal trends in the

evolution of a variety of stock indexes.

Intelligent Robotics

Articial Intelligence is concerned

with mechanisms for generating intelligent

behaviour. When this behaviour occurs in the

everyday physical world, with its uncertainty

and rapid change, we nd that all kinds of new

problems and opportunities arise. We will try

to understand some of these in the context ofrobotics. In a series of lectures we will look at

some theories of how to sense the real world,

and act intelligently in it. In a series of labs

you will build your own robots to see how

well (or badly) these theories actually work.

Natural Language Processing and ApplicationsThe module will cover: levels of NLP, speech

(phonetics, phonology); grammar (morphology,

syntax); meaning (semantics, pragmatics);

applications (text-to-speech, speech-to-text,

parsing, MT, NL interfaces). The emphasis will

be on the background needed to understand

practical applications of speech and natural

language processing.


Topics covered provide an overview of

current research in language processing.

Nature Inspired Design (A)

This module introduces the basic ideas

of nature-inspired design techniques.

Different algorithms and their applications

will be presented. Similarities and differences

between these techniques/algorithms and

other classical techniques will be discussed

whenever appropriate. The design domain

ranges from architectural, engineering and

graphics design to electronic circuit design and

evolvable hardware. Examples of such techniques

include evolution and knowledge discovery, circuit

design by evolution, novel architectural designby evolution, creative design, interactive evolution,

evolutionary graphics, knowledge extraction

from evolution, extrinsic evolvable hardware,

intrinsic evolvable hardware, on-line adaptation,

and implementation issues.

Neural Computation

This module introduces the basic concepts

and techniques of neural computation, and

its relation to automated learning in computing

machines more generally. It covers the main

types of formal neuron and their relation to

neurobiology, showing how to construct largeneural networks and study their learning and

generalization abilities in the context of

practical applications.

Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Some of the fascinating philosophical

problems thrown up by cognitive science

and related disciplines will be presented.

Philosophical problems are notoriously difcult

to solve, so a methodology will be presented

to enable students to tackle them. Students

will be shown the advantages of pluralism,

proliferation and pancritical rationalism.

Planning

The basic notions and problems of planning

are presented, including plan-space and

state-space planners, the frame problem,


21/36

I credit the University o Birmingham or giving me the knowledge and

conidence to start my own business. I am charged with several roleswithin the company spanning both web and sotware development inaddition to sales and accounts. Since we began Ive oten ound mysel

drawing on skills acquired rom nearly all aspects o my study and beyond.

Tariq El-HossWeb Media Works, BSc Computer Science


and hierarchical task networks. The modulelooks at a range of different planning problems,

and a number of algorithms for solving them.

These include STRIPS, UCPop, Graph Plan,

SAT Plan, and HTN planners. In addition, some

recent advances in planning will be looked at.

These may include decision-theoretic planning,

robotic architectures for planning, scheduling,

and planning under uncertainty. The advantages

and disadvantages of the different approaches

are discussed.

Principles of Programming Languages

The module explains some fundamentalprinciples of programming languages, such

as stack, environment, store and type. We

do this for a toy language called call-by-push-

value, in which we represent various familiar

programming idioms. We see how the meaning

of language features can be described

precisely using abstract machines.

Operating Systems and Systems

Programming in C/C++

This module covers basic operating system

concepts including memory management, le

systems and threading, and introduces the toolsand techniques required to modify and develop

operating systems kernal software in C/C++.

L3 Language Modules

Language modules (at Level 3 or above) may

only be chosen in order to continue study of

a language successfully passed in Year 2.


22/36


Software Project

The MEng nal year project enables the

student to demonstrate competence as

a software engineer and to apply material

learned in other components of the degree

programme. Projects are chosen from staff

suggestions or are developed from the

student's original idea. The project results

in a product related to one or more stages

of the software life-cycle.

Compilers and Languages (Extended)The module describes the structure of a

typical compiler. The phases of compilation,

from the front end to analysis and code

generation, as well as the main techniques

used in each phase will be covered.

Component-based Software

Building on previous knowledge of object-

oriented programming, the module introduces

students to the concept of building software

systems from independently developed

components. Current technologies and

standards will be reviewed. Exercises andother coursework will be used to give practical

experience of constructing component-based

software systems.

Computational Modelling with MATLAB

This module introduces practical computational

techniques used for modelling dynamic

(especially biological) systems. The module

covers both equation-based and individual-

based modelling techniques and students learn

how to apply them (using the MATLAB

computational package) to simulate and

understand dynamic systems such as animal

swarms and gene regulatory networks.

Computer Networks and Distributed SystemsThis module introduces the basic concepts,

technologies, architecture and standards

involved in computer networks and distributed

systems, together with methods for their

design and implementation. This will include

discussion of data transmission protocols,

TCP/IP, LANs and WANs, communication

mechanisms and synchronization issues.

Computer Security

The module will introduce a range of topics

in computer security, including attacks

and vulnerabilities, and defences andcountermeasures. Both theory and practice

are covered, through lectures and seminars.

CryptographyThe module will present the fundamentals of

cryptography, as well as its applications and

issues of how cryptography is used in practice.

Distributed Systems (Extended)

This module introduces the fundamental

characteristics of distributed systems, their

models and architectures, together with the

methods and technology used during their

design and implementation. The issues to

be discussed will include topics such as

distributed system architecture, communication

mechanisms, protocols, consensus algorithms,real-time and synchronization issues, storage

organisation access control, object-based

distributed systems, fault-tolerance, naming,

security and code mobility.

Intelligent Data Analysis (Extended)

The module introduces a range of state-of-the-

art techniques in the elds of statistical pattern

analysis and data mining. The 'information

revolution' has generated large amounts of

data, but valuable information is often hidden

and hence unusable. Pattern analysis and

data mining techniques seek to unveil hiddenpatterns in the data that can help us to rene

web search, construct more robust spam

lters, or uncover principal trends in the

evolution of a variety of stock indexes.

Network Security

The module introduces the threats and

attacks which may be perpetrated on computer

networks, and some of the mechanisms

designed to address them. Some technology

case studies are presented and evaluated.

Operating Systems and SystemsProgramming in C/C++

This module covers basic operating system

concepts including memory management, le

systems and threading, and introduces the tools

and techniques required to modify and develop

operating systems kernal software in C/C++.

Secure Programming

The module covers the basics of software

security. Classic design principles for the

protection of information in computer systems

are introduced. Some of the most important

vulnerabilities in current software systems andthe corresponding attacks are reviewed. It is

then shown how to defend code against these

attacks, both by means of careful programming

technique and automated machine support.

Module title MEng Computer Science/

Sotware Engineering

Compulsory Modules

Software Project

Optional Modules

Compilers and Languages (Extended)

Component-based Software

Computational Modelling with MATLAB

Computer Security

Cryptography

Computer Networks and Distributed Systems

Intelligent Data Analysis (Extended)

Network Security

Operating Systems and Systems Programming in C/C++

Secure Programming

Software Testing

Individual Study 2

Intelligent Robotics (Extended)

Introduction to Evolutionary Computation

Introduction to Neural Computation

Machine Learning (Extended)

Nature Inspired Design

Nature Inspired Optimisation

Planning (Extended)

Year our syllabus

Overview of year four


23/36

Software TestingThe module presents a systematic approach to

software testing, in context of the software life

cycle and as a branch of software engineering,

building on students' prior knowledge of

software engineering (to at least Level 2/I).

Through both the breadth and depth of its

coverage, the module prepares students to

make an effective contribution to software

testing as professional software engineers.

Behaviour of Complex Systems

The module gives a hands-on introduction into

the Science of Complexity, and investigateshow simple rules applied to system

components create the richness and

diversity of natural and man-made systems.

Individual Study 2

This module exists to allow particularly

strong students to study, at their own initiative,

material that is outside what can be found in

other Level M modules that are available in the

School of Computer Science. Learning is by

self-managed study under the direction of a

supervisor (a member of the academic staff of

the School). The topic for a particular studentis by negotiation between the student and

supervisor early in the semester.

Intelligent Robotics (Extended)

Articial Intelligence is concerned

with mechanisms for generating intelligent

behaviour. When this behaviour occurs in the

everyday physical world, with its uncertainty

and rapid change, we nd that all kinds of new

problems and opportunities arise. We will try

to understand some of these in the context of

robotics. In a series of lectures we will look at

some theories of how to sense the real world,and act intelligently in it. In a series of labs

you will build your own robots to see how

well (or badly) these theories actually work.

Introduction to Evolutionary Computation

Evolutionary computation is the study of

computational systems that use ideas and

get inspiration from natural evolution. Its

techniques can be applied to optimisation,

learning and design. Example topics covered

in this module include natural and articial

evolution, evolutionary, chromosome

representations, search operators, co-evolution,constraint handling techniques, niching and

speciation, genetic programming, classier

systems and theoretical foundations.

Introduction to Neural ComputationThis module introduces the basic concepts

and techniques of neural computation, and

its relation to automated learning in computing

machines more generally. It covers the main

types of formal neuron and their relation to

neurobiology, showing how to construct

large neural networks and study their learning

and generalization abilities in the context of

practical applications. It also provides practical

experience of designing and implementing a

neural network for a real world application.

Machine Learning (Extended)The module will provide a good foundation

to machine learning. It will compare and

contrast human learning with machine

learning. It will examine the limitations of

machine learning, the role of hypothesis

bias and hypothesis representation.

Nature Inspired Design

This module introduces the basic ideas

of nature-inspired design techniques.

Different algorithms and their applications

will be presented. Similarities and differences

between these techniques/algorithms andother classical techniques will be discussed

whenever appropriate. The design domain

ranges from architectural, engineering and

graphics design to electronic circuit design

and evolvable hardware. Examples of such

techniques include evolution and knowledge

discovery, circuit design by evolution, novel

architectural design by evolution, creative

design, interactive evolution, evolutionary

graphics, knowledge extraction from

evolution, extrinsic evolvable hardware,

intrinsic evolvable hardware, on-line

adaptation, and implementation issues.

Nature Inspired Optimisation

This module introduces a range of nature-

inspired algorithms for both real-valued and

combinatorial optimisation. Examples of such

algorithms include: Evolutionary Algorithms,

Ant Colony Algorithms, Simulated Annealing,

Tabu Search. The study of these techniques

and the problems for which they are designed

will take place within the broader context of

established optimisation theory. Such theory

as currently exists for the new techniques

will also be presented.

Planning (Extended)The basic notions and problems of planning

are presented, including plan-space and

state-space planners, the frame problem,

and hierarchical task networks. The module

looks at a range of different planning problems,

and a number of algorithms for solving them.

These include STRIPS, UCPop, Graph Plan,

SAT Plan, and HTN planners. In addition, some

recent advances in planning will be looked at.

These may include decision-theoretic planning,

robotic architectures for planning, scheduling,

and planning under uncertainty. The advantages

and disadvantages of the different approachesare discussed.



24/36

Artificial Intelligenceexplained

As an A level or equivalent student, artificial intelligence isprobably one of the areas of computer science that you mayknow least about. Thats perfectly understandable given thatit is surrounded by so much Hollywood hype. Here you willfind more about what AI is and what it can be used for.

AI is the study of the nature of intelligence

by building computer systems, and the

application of these insights in solving

real-world problems. New AI technologies

are being developed constantly but a fewexamples include:

o Neural Networks simulating the work

of neurons in the brain

o Natural Language Processing producing

computer systems that can understand,

translate and communicate in human

languages

o Theorem Provers allowing computers to

solve mathematical problems and discover

new mathematical concepts

o Genetic Algorithms solving problems by

a loose analogy with biological evolution

by natural selection

o Knowledge Based Systems encoding

human expert knowledge in such a way

a computer can reason with it

o Case-Based Reasoning simulating

how humans reason from past experienceo Robotics focusing on constructing intelligent

robots that adapt to their environment

o Vision focusing on tasks such as

face recognition

The applications o AI

There are a huge number of uses for AI

technology, including:

o Fraud detection systems which use neural

networks to detect stolen credit cards

o Genetic algorithms which are used in

scheduling to find the most efficient way

to roster staff or allocate resources


o Medical Knowledge Based Systems which

can advise on medical treatment

o Call centres and help desks which

often use case based reasoning to

provide instructions on how to dealwith common problems

o Forensic analysis of CCTV images using AI

vision technology which is being developed

to recognise criminals

o Financiers using neural networks to predict

stock market trends and genetic algorithms

to optimise their portfolios


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Robot cars become realityUntil now the fully self-driving car has been

the stuff of fantasy: Herbie and K.I.T.T. from

Knight Rider spring to mind. But with AI,

anything is possible. German car giant

Volkswagen recently reported that they

had turned fantasy into reality with a fully

automatic car.

The VW Golf GTI 53 plus 1 has sensors

built into the grille that monitor the road. They

feed information back to an onboard computer

which works in conjunction with the satellite

navigation system. The end result means theGolf can be navigated along any road, with

pinpoint accuracy. On the race circuit, the

VW Golf GTi 53 plus 1 drove itself faster

and more precisely than the VW engineers did

and accelerated independently up to 150mph.

So it seems the potential for self-driving

cars to be available to buy one day is not as

unlikely as once though. Plus, you can be sure

that many of the separate AI elements which

make up the self-driving Golf will be finding

their way into car showrooms within a few

years, just like sat nav and anti-lock brakeshave done in recent years.

Source: Volkswagen

NASA Planetary Rovers get AIScientists at NASA Ames Research Center

are developing very complex AI software that

enables a higher level of robotic intelligence.

In the past, very simple AI systems on board

rovers allowed them to make some simple

decisions, but much smarter AI will enable

them to make many of the decisions currently

made by mission controllers.

Future robotic rovers will have enough

intelligence to navigate the Martian landscape

without detailed instructions from scientists

on Earth. Rovers with additional artificialintelligence will be able to avoid hazards

including holes, impassable rocks or

steep grades.

According to Dr Richard Dearden, Senior

Lecturer in Computer Science at the University

of Birmingham and former NASA computer

scientist involved in the application of AI

techniques in Mars Rovers: Creating strong

AI software is a very exciting and challenging

problem, and it inspires us and our students

to work on this bold effort.

Source: NASA



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What can you do with adegree in Computer Science?

There is so much potential in the real world for Birminghamscomputing graduates. A survey commissioned by The Guardianshowed that Birmingham is one of the top six universities targetedby personnel managers when looking for new employees. So whilegraduation may seem a long time away, it is worth considering thecompetitive advantage you will gain with a Birmingham degree.

Studying an undergraduate degree in

Computer Science will develop management

skills such as communication, teamwork,

time management and report writing.

It will give you a disciplined approach to

analysing problems; with the ability to design

creative solutions and critically evaluate the

results. Employers are impressed by the

combination of technical and transferable

skills offered by computing graduates, and

as such, you might find yourself in a variety

of environments in academia, industry,

research and commercial organisations,

in such areas as:

o Artificial Intelligence Developing

computers that simulate human learning

and reasoning ability.o Computer Design and Engineering

Designing new computer circuits,

microchips, and other electronic

components.

o Computer Architecture Designing new

computer instruction sets, and combining

electronic or optical components to provide

powerful but cost-effective computing.

o Information Technology Developing and

managing information systems that support

a business or organization.

o Software Engineering Developing

methods for the production of softwaresystems on time, within budget, and with

few or no defects.

o Computer Theory Investigating the

fundamental theories of how computers

solve problems, and apply the results to

other areas of computer science.

o Operating Systems and Networks

Developing the basic software computers

use to supervise themselves or to

communicate with other computers.

o Software Applications Applyingcomputing and technology to solving

problems outside the computer field

in education or medicine, for example.

Source: Adapted rom IEEE Computer Society

What skills will I develop?

Your course will give you a disciplined

approach to analysing problems, and the

ability to design creative solutions and

critically evaluate the results. Plus, you

will develop management skills such as

communication, teamwork, time management

and report writing. Future employers willbe interested in your technical skills, in

particular the ability to program in multiple

languages, and the transferable skills

youve developed, such as innovation

and the adaptability to cope with rapid

change in technology.

Where can I work?

You can go to a technology consultancy

like Accenture, CHP Consulting, Logica

CMG or PA Consulting, or one of the

global IT giants, such as Microsoft, Oracle,

Hewlett Packard and IBM. There is alsoa huge number of smaller IT-focused UK

companies, not to mention opportunities

in investment and retail banking,

telecommunications companies,

retail businesses, public sector

organisations and research.

Neural networks are a airly

recent development: designed

using the human brain as a

template, they are actually able

to learn rom their environment.

They are currently being used in

a variety o applications, or example

University o Birmingham alumnusDaniel Birks is working with West

Midlands Police to create sotware

to predict where crimes are likely

to occur.

Since joining the Jill Dando

Institute lab at its inception in

November 2002, Dans work

has ocused on crime analysis

techniques, especially in the areas

o domestic burglary and car crime,

criminal networks analysis and

the use o Geographic InormationSystems (GIS) in analysing spatial

and temporal patterns o crime.

Currently, Dan is working on creating

a sotware test-bed or predictive

crime-mapping techniques. His

research interests include such

predictive models o crime, data-

mining applications in crime and

agent-based simulations o crime.

Graduate proile

Daniel BirksPosition:Crime Science ResearcherEmployer:West Midlands Police/Jill Dando Institute of Crime ScienceDegree:BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligenceand Computer Science


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What types of job can I get?

96% of our Computer Science graduates are

in graduate jobs, six months after graduation,

as stated by the recent Destination of Leavers

of Higher Education (DLHE) Survey 2011.

The following job titles and their definitions

are not standardised within the industry, but

they have been chosen to give you a flavour

of the variety of opportunities that exist.

o Applications Developer, writes programs

for technical, commercial and business

users; usually works in a team to create

a program to agreed specifications and

produce detailed supporting documentation

o Database Administrator, responsible for

the usage, accuracy, efficiency, security,

maintenance, administration anddevelopment of an organisations

computerised databases

o Information Systems Manager, works with

a staff of technical specialists to provide

and maintain an organisations hardware

and software technology infrastructures.

Al

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