Computer Science

Digital Technologies

This module extends your Staffordshire graduate skills set enabling you to explore the different areas of technology within computing and identify core elements within the field in order to make an informed choice for purchasing, designing, and developing systems. In addition to these core skills you will consolidate your mathematical skills in order to apply them to your chosen specialism.

Module code: COMP40001

Networking Concepts And Cyber Security

This course is intended to equip you with not only the knowledge but also the practical skills to be able to create and understand an enterprise grade network. The Syllabus incorporates the content of the Cisco ICND1 qualification (Network fundamentals and routing/switching fundamentals). It also looks at Cybersecurity which is a growing challenge, in which different stakeholders are involved ranging from individuals up to organizations and governments. Effective information security requires participation, planning, and practice. This part of the module is designed to teach you the essential concepts of cybersecurity which are considered to be a gate for more advanced topics related to information security.

Module code: COMP40002

Web Development And Operating Systems

This module will explore and build knowledge in areas such as web design, HTML, CSS and JavaScript, as well as discussing best practice in web development, security issues and hosting.

Module code: COMP40004

Software Development And Application Modelling

This module establishes a solid foundation in the basic principles of programming computers. You will learn the essential skills necessary to give you confidence in designing, implementing and testing procedural and object-oriented software solutions ranging from simple text-based command-line applications to more complex interactive applications with a graphical user interface. You will also be encouraged to develop your intellectual, communicative and problem-solving skills. You will also learn skills required for Business Analysts and System Analysts that are a key component in any company. This module also focuses on modelling software applications and implementing them in an Object-Oriented programming language.

Module code: COMP40003

Server-Side Programming

In this module you will learn about developing web applications using industry standard web application frameworks. You will learn by developing your own rudimentary framework, covering the main components that industry-standard frameworks offer to the web developer. You will then go on to gain practical experience of using a framework to develop an MVC web application. As part of this development you will be introduced to the standard developers’ toolkit of source control, a project dependency manager and agile practices.

Module code: COMP50016

Mobile App Development

In this module, you will be introduced to app development using a variety of technologies, considering different approaches to app development, including native and hybrid approaches. You will consider issues and techniques specific to the delivery of content and applications for mobile platforms and build interesting and innovative mobile applications which will run across multiple operating systems.

Module code: COMP50011

Web Development

In choosing this module you will further your existing knowledge in web design and development by using current technologies such as HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. You will also be introduced to current development environments and frameworks on both the client and server side. You will also use the latest API's and other emerging technologies.

Module code: COMP50017

Commercial Computing

You will work in a small team to produce an application in response to the needs of a third-party client. The module gives you the ownership of the project management as well as the development of a solution to the brief, within which not only must you aim to satisfy and exceed the clients’ needs, but you must also consider and apply the relevant Legal, Social, Ethical, and Professional Issues.

Module code: COMP50001

Databases And Data Structures

Relational databases are extremely common in the IT industry. This module will teach students how to manage a relational database and will provide and discuss issues relating to the management and control of replicated and distributed databases. The module will also concentrate on the design and the use of data structures, and emphasis will be placed on algorithmic design.

Module code: COMP50004

Cyber Operations And Network Security

This module will teach you about how today's organizations are challenged with rapidly detecting cybersecurity breaches and effectively responding to security incidents. Teams of people in Security Operations Centers (SOC’s) keep a vigilant eye on security systems, protecting their organizations by detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats.

Module code: COMP50002

Routed And Switched Architectures

On this module you will learn why routing and switching are considered as part of the core of networking. Once the network is designed well for these technologies other features such as security can then be built upon this. This course will look in detail at the choices within routing and switching to see why design decisions are made and for you to understand these choices. The switching will look at layer 3 switching which is now increasingly being used inside of networks due to the throughput and additional features which can be offered over the traditional layer 2 technology. The emphasis of this course will be from the viewpoint of a medium to large scale organisation. This course will embed in the Cisco CCNP SWITCH and CCNP ROUTE academy certifications.

Module code: COMP50015

Enterprise Cloud And Infrastructure Automation

This module looks at Cloud Computing and automation as an area of increasing importance within the enterprise environment. This module will look at the usage of Cloud Computing and using Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other suitable cloud solutions as a base for the practical work. Within this module you will look at the usage case of the different aspects of this technology and get to understand the impact of decisions which are made. For students studying this module in the UK, you will be learning how to use the Amazon Web Services cloud environment as a member of the AWS Academy program, and you will also be studying towards your AWS Certified Solutions Architect industry certification. Additionality we will look at automation techniques which allow an infrastructure to adapt quickly to the needs of the company. These changes can be simple upgrades or complete reconfiguration which needs to be carried out in a scalable and reliable manner.

Module code: COMP50008

Emerging Technologies

For this module you will be expected to undertake independent guided research in order to address an identified emerging technology area / challenge and present your findings as both a research paper and poster. This will extend your knowledge in a particular computing field to give you a cutting-edge advantage in the future workplace.

Module code: COMP60009

Troubleshooting And Future Technologies

This module will help you to appreciate that networks are becoming more complex with the number of components which make them up, and the potential for problems will increase. The majority of large and small commercial companies are now dependent upon the IT infrastructure that they use. This gives the problem that in the event of a disruption in service or even a reduced performance the problems need to be solved quickly. This course will look at problems within networks and their configuration to initially reduce the likelihood of these occurring with management monitoring. The course will look at industry systematic methods of fault finding and solving with applicable documentation. The module will also look at how this learning can be applied to future networks to reduce in rollout problems.

Module code: COMP60017

Multiple Devices And User Experience

Within this module you will explore what makes for a good user experience, and how that experience differs depending on the device of the user. Furthermore, you will discover usability testing methods and design guidelines used within the creation and design of applications, as well as any ethical, legal and social impacts of device interactions.

Module code: COMP60014

Advanced Networks And Operating System Security

Network and operating system security technologies are evolving rapidly and there is increasing demand for qualified security specialists. This module provides you with job-ready practical skills and best security practices used by industry. It embeds, partially, the knowledge required for the Cisco Edge Network Security Solutions (SENSS) (300-206) exam, part of the Cisco Certified Network Professional Security (CCNP Security) certification. Passing the exam demonstrates to potential employers a professionalism and expertise in the network security field.

Module code: COMP60002

Developing For The Cloud

This module will examine cloud based software development, exploring design techniques, evaluating services, and understanding portable code which can move between cloud providers.

Module code: COMP60023

Final Year Project

In this module you will prepare a project proposal at the end of Level 5 and complete the project itself in Level 6. This involves: identifying a topic of interest, conducting primary and secondary research, including a critical literature review, planning the residue of the work to be done in Level 6, modelling, creating and documenting an artefact that is relevant to your course of study and that is a solution to the problem set out in your proposal, writing a report describing the technical aspects of the project’s model and artefact, the processes involved in the performance of the project, and critically reflecting on the project’s findings and outcomes, and making a presentation of the technical aspects of the project, including a demonstration of the artefact and a critical evaluation of the project outcomes.

Module code: COMP60011

Clean Coding And Networks

This module addresses two key areas of computing. In it you will learn and practice the principles of clean code, clean architecture and various approaches to unit testing. This will add a degree of professionalism to the coding and testing practices you have already gained during your studies. You will also learn about concurrent programming in programming languages such as Java and C#. You will gain experience in writing multi-user multi-tier client-server applications that are distributed over a network

Module code: COMP60004

Cloud, Virtualisation And Communications

The world of computer operations and networking is an ever evolving field with new technology being developed and rapidly introduced into corporations. Additionally, the use of technologies is adapting as new models of usage change. Any graduate needs to be able to evaluate current and near future technology in context of the requirements of the industry they are working within. This module will look at current and near future technologies and provide the information so that you can further develop lifelong learning skills with being able to evaluate new technology in relation to their current understanding.

Module code: COMP60005

Web And Augmented Realities

This module will allow you to research the latest ‘cutting edge’ methods, tools and techniques in web, media and mobile development. Using this research, you will present your findings and show a small prototype to showcase those skills. You will also develop a deep understanding of the creation and distribution of immersive digital media as Virtual Reality (digital recreations of the real world) and Augmented Reality (adding digital content to our interaction with the real world) content using contemporary technologies for consumption via the web.

Module code: COMP60006

Enterprise Cloud And Distributed Web Applications

In this module you will learn Cloud Computing is an area of increasing importance within the enterprise environment. This module will look at the usage of Cloud Computing using Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other suitable cloud solutions as a base for the practical work. Within this module you will look at the usage case of the different aspects of this technology and get to understand the impact of decisions which are made. For students studying this module in the UK, you will be learning how to use the Amazon Web Services cloud environment as a member of the AWS Academy program, and you will also be studying towards your AWS Certified Solutions Architect industry certification. The second part of the module covers distributed web applications and will guide you through developing a RESTful Web API. You will learn about data interchange formats and how to plan and what factors influence the design of the data exchange between client and server. You will learn how to make proper use of HTTP verbs, HTTP Headers and server response codes in managing this exchange. You will also learn about securing your API and some of the pitfalls that you will need to be aware of as a Web API developer.

Module code: COMP60010

Web Technology And Programming

Module code: COMP30004

Networking, Statistics And Probability

This module introduces a variety of topics to build your skills and understanding of networking and maths. The course also introduces networking devices and the iOS operating system (other OS can be used). You will learn how networks are set up, how devices are configured, how communication takes place on a network, and the basics of implementing network security best practices. This will enhance your confidence in communicating your knowledge and with working with networking-related professions. This course includes activities that expand on the course material presented. The module also covers maths, statistics and probability in order to develop required skills for future degree study.

Module code: COMP30002

Study Skills And Professional Development

This module is designed to help you to acquire the skills you will need to develop and succeed both academically and as a professional practitioner. The focus is on your personal and professional development. You will be encouraged and supported in the creation of a portfolio to record aspects of your academic and personal skills. The module also identifies and explores ethical, legal, communication, and other non-technical factors that contribute to the success (or failure) of the development of IT systems in a professional environment. It introduces fundamental skills and knowledge that will help prepare you for professional employment or for business start-up.

Module code: COMP30003

Group Project

This module introduces you to key computing issues facing businesses, and examines how businesses can use computing to increase profits. You will further your knowledge in pitching for clients and contracts. The module will mirror the real-world practise of computing application development, where roles will be assigned to people in a group including designers, programmers, media creators and business specialists in order to solve an assignment-based problem.

Module code: COMP30001