Core Modules

Year 1

• Programming laboratory

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the building of computer systems whilst also gaining a knowledge of the basic concepts of 2D game design, applying them to the development of simple games. This module brings together the lab components of robotics, games design and object-oriented programming, and will allow you to progress to a group project to apply the concepts you learn together. 

• Internet Services

  In this module you will develop an understanding of how the internet works and its key protocols. You will look at the technologies used for web development, including scripting languages and their potential for adding dynamic content to web sites and applications. You will consider the role of web services and related technologies, and will examine the fundamental principles of network security.

• Machine Fundamentals

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the handling of large and infinite objects within a programming environment. You will learn how to use formal logic to design, reason about and minimise switching circuits, and write basic programs in assembly language. You will consider the binary representations of signed and unsigned integers and how to write regular expressions to describe sets and build deterministic automata to recognise these. You will also examine the use of automata machines in the design and reasoning of sequential flow systems.

• Mathematical Structures

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the formal reasoning for sets, relations, functions and cardinality. You will look at the structures for program data and representation and learn to write and reason recursive definitions and prove results by induction and contradiction. You will consider the representation and reasoning of problems using graphs and the use of vectors and transformations for defining and manipulating graphical objects. You will also examine the usage of probability and statistics in analysing data.

• Software Design

  In this module you will develop an understanding of software design and engineering processes, including the Waterfall and Agile methodologies. You will learn how to identify common software requirements and see how these have been considered in existing systems. You will look the techniques of software design and how software engineers communicate their design ideas. You will consider the importance of documentation and the usage of current industry-standard notations such as user stories and the unified modeling language (UML). You will also analyse and critique the design of existing software looking at the user experience as a measure of its fitness for purpose.

• Academic Integrity

  This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.

   

• Object Oriented Programming I

  This module teaches programming and object-orientation concepts. Students will learn about program basics (variables, types, scope, lifetimes), control flow (if-constructs, for-loops, while-loops), data structures (strings, sets, lists, trees), objects (classes and inheritance), exceptions (throwing and catching) and file I/O (streams, file reading and writing).

• Object Oriented Programming II

  This module teaches programming and object-orientation concepts, (building on what is taught in Object Oriented Programming I). Students will reinforce their knowledge about program basics (eg variables, types, scope, lifetimes), algorithms (e.g. recursion, searching, sorting), data structures (eg sets, lists, trees), objects (eg classes, dynamic dispatch, interface, inheritance, generics), exceptions and I/O (eg streams, file reading, writing and copying). Furthermore, the course also teaches fundamentals of coding best practices.

Year 2

• Algorithms and Complexity

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the design of algorithms, with a focus on time and space complexity. You will examine basic algorithms, looking at the implementation and analysis of linear search, binary search, and basic sorting, including insertion sort, selection sort, merger sort, quick sort, and heap sort. You will consider alternative data structure representations, such as binary search trees, hash tables, and binary heaps, and will gain an insight into the basics of graph algorithms.

• Computer and Network Security

  In this module you will develop an understanding of computer and network security. You will look at software vulnerabilities, hands-on hacking-oriented attacks, memory errors, and web and network security. You will learn how to identify such vulnerabilities and consider the countermeasures that can mitigate their exploitation. You will also examine malicious software (malware) as a typical consequence of a successful software exploitation.

• Databases

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the basic concepts of database technology, including the need for database integrity and robustness, and the use of a modern database system in a web-based environment. You will look at database design and the theory of the relational view of data, learn to describe the crucial issues concerning database integrity and recovery from failure, and write search query language (SQL) queries. You will also consider the process of designing and implementing a database, from the user specifications to the final design, and implement an interface to an SQL database using an application programming interface (API).

• Introduction to Information Security

  In this module you will develop an understanding of how information security may be influenced by real-world design and implementation decisions. You will look at the different cryptographic algorithms, considering their use, advantages and disadvantages. You will use these cryptographic primitives to review and evaluate cryptographic protocols, and examine the rational decisions in the design of tokens and secure elements.

• Operating Systems

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the function and architecture of network operating systems. You will look at the role of an operating system, considering processes, memory and file systems. You will learn to write basic shell scripts, see how services are used at the operating system-level, and evaluate the theory and practice of existing operating systems. You will also examine the UNIX shell, including starting programs, input and output streams, pipes, filters, and utilities.

• Small Enterprise Team Project

  This module aims to assist students in appreciating the role of the computer professional through the practical experience of developing medium scale software as part of a team. You’ll study: The software lifecycle, including: software development, planning and documentation. Team development, communication, managing risks and conflicts. Practical experience of standard industrial software engineering. Agile project management, use of version control in a team, IDEs, etc. A medium scale agile software development project, conducted by teams of students. Meetings with an external customer to determine the requirements for a product.

• Software Engineering

  In this module you will develop an understanding of software engineering techniques and the managerial discipline required to work as part of a team. You will look at basic object-oriented concepts and consider the need for effective program documentation, testing, readability, and modifiability. You will consider the tools used to support software development, such as version controllers, debuggers, and code style checkers, and see how these are integrated into an industry-standard development environment (IDE). You will deliver a small-scale project using test-driven development.

Year 3

• Individual Project

  This module provides the opportunity to demonstrate independence and originality, to plan and organise a large project over a long period, and to put into practice the techniques taught throughout the degree course.

• User-Centred Design

  This module introduces user-centred design aspects and challenges in interactive traditional, augmented and virtual reality contexts, and addresses the approaches that can be used to create displays and interfaces to enhance user experience.

Year 4

• Year in Industry

  You will spend this year on a work placement. You will be supported by the Department of Computer Science and the Royal Holloway Careers and Employability Service to find a suitable placement. This year forms an integral part of the degree programme and you will be asked to complete assessed work. The mark for this work will count towards your final degree classification.

Year 5

• MSci Team Project

  The main aim of the Team Project is to give extensive experience to students in working in projects for real clients, as part of a team and operating as a company. Teams of students will: work in the context of a company where they have specific responsibilities; engage with real clients and determine their requirements for a significant piece of software; devise, estimate, design, implement, test, document and critically evaluate software; present their work and communicate their findings to the client.

Optional Modules

There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Year 1

• All modules are core

Year 2

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Mathematical Methods for Computer Science
• Human-computer Interaction

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the principles of human-computer interaction (HCI) and the approaches that can be used to create interfaces matching users' needs and expectations. You will evaluate the usability and suitability of user interfaces, and build simple prototypes using different media and technologies. You will consider how perception and cognition influence HCI, and examine tests, such as web experiments.

Year 4

• Computational Finance
• Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Systems
• Machine Learning
• Semantic Web
• Data Visualisation and Exploratory Analysis
• Advanced Data Communications
• Concurrent and Parallel Programming
• Interconnected Devices
• Applications of Cryptography

  In this module you will develop an understanding of the fundamentals behind cryptography and how it is deployed in real systems. You will look at a range of security services that can be provided by cryptography and the mechanisms behind them, such as symmetric and public-key encryption, hash functions, MACs, digital signatures and authentication protocols. You will consider the architecture of security systems using cryptography, including key management, implementation issues, cryptographic standards and crypto politics, and examine real-world applications such as 3G, EMV, and SSL/TLS.

• Critical Infrastructure Security

  The module covers key areas of cyber security with the critical national (information) infrastructure forming its background. Fault and attack models for information systems and cyber-physical systems are covered in the form of multiple techniques including variants of attack trees allowing probabilistic attack and defence refinements. The module covers models of large-scale networks and their robustness properties to both random failures and particularly to deliberate attacks and discusses how key elements of the CNI such as the Internet but also other infrastructure sectors such as power and transport sectors can be captured by such models. The security of cyber-physical systems and particularly industrial control systems is another major component of the module, including case studies of attacks by state actors and analyses of control system protocols as well as properties peculiar to CPS.

• Digital Forensics
• Smart Cards, RFIDs and Embedded Systems Security
• IT Project Management
• Software Language Engineering
• Bioinformatics
• Compilers and Code Generation
• Computational Optimisation
• Digital Audio and Applications
• Functional Programming and Applications

Year 5

• Methods of Computational Finance
• Data Analysis
• Deep Learning
• Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Systems
• Machine Learning
• Online Machine Learning
• Semantic Web
• Data Visualisation and Exploratory Analysis
• Advanced Data Communications
• Advanced Distributed Systems
• Large Scale Data Storage and Processing
• Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks
• Critical Infrastructure Security

  The module covers key areas of cyber security with the critical national (information) infrastructure forming its background. Fault and attack models for information systems and cyber-physical systems are covered in the form of multiple techniques including variants of attack trees allowing probabilistic attack and defence refinements. The module covers models of large-scale networks and their robustness properties to both random failures and particularly to deliberate attacks and discusses how key elements of the CNI such as the Internet but also other infrastructure sectors such as power and transport sectors can be captured by such models. The security of cyber-physical systems and particularly industrial control systems is another major component of the module, including case studies of attacks by state actors and analyses of control system protocols as well as properties peculiar to CPS.

• Digital Forensics
• Secure Business Architectures
• Security Management
• Security Testing Theory and Practice
• Smart Cards, RFIDs and Embedded Systems Security
• Running a small business
• Standards, IP and Technology seminar series
• Technology Entrepreneurship
• Computational Optimisation
• Digital Audio and Applications
• Artificial Intelligence Principles and Techniques

  This module focuses on acquiring a deep understanding of foundational AI principles and techniques to model complex real-world problems as well as writing algorithms and problems to solve them. The module will start with an introduction to AI that will define core AI concepts, provide the philosophical foundations of AI and discuss ethical issues in this field. The module will continue by covering intelligent agents and classical search to then move to local search and optimisation algorithms. The module will end with adversarial search and constraint satisfaction problems. All these topics will be covered both from a theoretical point of view, during the lectures, and from a practical point of view during the labs.