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Degree Programme Specification

BEng Computer Science & Electronics (Degree Programme Table)

This degree is offered in collaboration with the School of Engineering & Electronics and shares the broad aims and outcomes of the Electronics MEng Programme. This document should be read in conjunction with the Programme Specification for that degree.

 1. Awarding Institution: University of Edinburgh

 2. Teaching Institution: University of Edinburgh

 3. Programme Accredited By: British Computer Society, Institution of Electrical Engineers

 4. Final Award: BEng Honours

5. Programme Title:

BEng (Honours) Computer Science & Electronics

 6. UCAS Code: GHP6

 7. Relevant QAA subject benchmarking: Computing, Engineering

 8. Mode of Study: Full time

9. Educational aims of programme:

Many of the advances in computer and communications technology over the past five decades have resulted from the interaction between Electronics and Computer Science. These two disciplines therefore form a natural combination for a joint honours course and in today's world of complex high-speed devices, it is vital that there are engineers who understand how to design and implement both the hardware and software of general purpose and embedded computer systems. Increasingly, the importance of using software engineering methods in the design of systems is being recognised and this is reflected in the degree in Electronics & Software Engineering.

Each course in the Honours years is normally taught by a subject expert who is also undertaking related research, so research inevitably influences the courses. Students undertake a wide variety of practical exercises and projects which reinforce and build on lecture material. Communication skills, initiative, professionalism and the ability to work with others are developed as integral parts of the learning process.

Students taking the joint honours degrees in Computer Science & Electronics and Electronics & Software Engineering are constrained in the sense that they must take the same Informatics and Engineering/Electronics courses (together with an appropriate maths course) as single honours students taking the corresponding single honours degrees, but at the end of their first year they can choose either to proceed with the joint degree or to change to Computer Science or Electronics as a single honours degree.

In the third year the programme is divided equally between the two disciplines whilst in fourth year students take six courses, at least two from each discipline, together with a project based in one discipline, but which normally includes elements of both, and a dissertation based in the other. This means that all students have the opportunity to select courses from across parts of both the QAA Computing and Engineering Benchmarks and that 80% of the material they do study forms part of the Benchmarks.

10. Programme Outcomes

The programme provides opportunities for learners to achieve the following outcomes:

(a) Knowledge and understanding

• have a knowledge and understanding of the principles of operation of computers from application programs down through system software to hardware
• understand the concept of abstraction and its importance in the design of computer based systems
• understand the nature of algorithms
• understand the software development process
• understand the mathematical concepts underpinning computer science, electronic circuit design and signal processing
• have a knowledge and understanding of the principles of operation of microelectronic devices used in computing and communications systems
• have an awareness of the social, professional, ethical and legal issues involved in the use of computing systems

(b) Intellectual skills

• the ability to specify and design computer based systems
• the ability to apply formal design procedures to the design of computer based systems
• the ability to derive an abstract representation of a problem from from its detailed description
• the ability to reconcile the difference between strict theory and practice and to appreciate how mathematical, numerical and software methods may be used to relate and apply scientific theory to engineering practice

(c) Professional/subject/specific/practical skills

• the ability to develop and implement computer based systems
• the ability to use appropriate support tools during the development process
• the ability to operate computing equipment and software systems effectively
• the ability to apply engineering skills to the design, simulation, synthesis and test of hardware, systems or processes

(d) Transferable skills

• the ability to deploy analytical and problem solving skills and to synthesise solutions
• the ability to work effectively as part of a development team
• the ability to communicate effectively through a variety of media including oral, visual, written, diagramatic and on-line
• the ability to make effective use of learning materials and to aquire and apply knowledge from a variety of sources

11. Programme Structure and Features

For formal definitions, including details of compulsory and optional course choices, consult the Degree Programme Table. Consult the List of Informatics courses or the DRPS course section to discover which courses belong to which subject area.

12. Entry Requirements

Please consult the current University Undergraduate Prospectus.

13. Degree Classification

The final degree classification is based equally on performance in third and fourth years. Degrees are classified according to the University's standard marking scale with boundaries at 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%. Students who fail final year can be awarded an Ordinary Degree on the basis of their third year marks.