90% student satisfaction in the most recent National Student Survey.
Whether they are operating at the macro level – in industry, commerce and politics – or at the micro level – as in, how best to travel from A to B – decision making is a constant process in people’s lives. These decisions are based on knowledge; knowledge requires access to information and information emanates from data. Ours is a data-driven society with information systems at its heart. So, those of us who can use and develop these systems are highly valued and rewarded.
With its combination of theory and practice ensuring a broad skills base, this course gives a superb grounding in the subject; introducing you to the application of computer systems in an organisational context much welcomed by potential employers. You will study the role of computers in commercial environments and their adopted technologies and techniques; information systems design and analysis; decision making; and the role of information in a data-driven society.
Ours is a small, friendly team with an 'open door' policy for students. Our computing labs are fitted with state-of-the art PCs.
Accreditation
The BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, is the foremost professional and learned society in the field of computers and information systems in the UK.
The Single Honours BSc course in Information Systems gives full accreditation by the BCS for the educational requirements of Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP) registration, which is the professional member level of the BCS. Further experience is required for full registration.
Entrance requirements
Year 1
Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.
Year 2
A-levels or Advanced Highers ABB to include Computing and relevant experience of Java (other programming languages may be acceptable) and Business Studies / Management. HND in related subjects with Bs in graded units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.
General entrance requirements apply.
International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to Year 1 of an undergraduate degree course.
Other information
If examinations are taken over two sittings, or there are repeats or upgrades, the entrance requirements may be higher.
Required subjects
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.
Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.
Mathematics Standard Grade (3), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.
Funding
Modes of study
Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
Alternative routes
Find out more
http://www.stir.ac.uk/natural-sciences
Degree course
There are four computing-related degrees on offer at Stirling: BSc (Hons) Computing Science, BSc (Hons) Software Engineering, BSc (Hons) Business Computing and BSc (Hons) Information Systems. During the first three semesters students on all related courses are required to take the same core modules in Computing Science. Students take Computing Science plus two other subjects in Year 1.
Semesters 1 - 3
You will take core modules, encompassing study in the following areas:
- Computational Thinking
- Programming Using Java
- Social and Professional Issues
- Usability and Accessibility of Interfaces
- Data Structures, Objects and Algorithms
You will take the following core Business modules:
- The Firm
- The Business Environment
- Business in the 21st Century
In Semester 1, we understand that students have a variety of backgrounds, and we can adapt the course to suit your previous experience and qualifications.
Semesters 4 - 8
In Semesters 4 – 8 the degree comprises core modules and optional modules, giving you a chance to explore your particular interests further.
Current core modules include:
- Information Systems
- Software Engineering (involving group work)
- Database Principles and Applications
- Multimedia and Human Computer Interaction
- Communications and Networks
- Management and Information Technology
- Managing Information
- Technologies for E-commerce
Options are drawn from the range of Computing Science topics and include:
- Web Services
- Technologies for E-commerce
- Computer Security and Forensics
- Telecommunications Systems and Services
- Computer Game Technologies
- Computing and the Brain
- Artificial Intelligence
The final-year project is also a core element of the course. Typically this involves independently developing a major piece of software from initial requirements through to final delivery.
Module titles
Year 1
- Introduction to Computing Science
- Programming and User Interface Design
- The Firm
- The Business Environment
Year 2
- Objects and Information Systems (changing to Data Structures, Objects, Algorithms from September 2013)
- Systems I
- Programming Language Paradigms
- Managing Information
- Business in the 21st Century
Year 3
- Software Engineering I
- Database Principles and Applications
- Multimedia and Human Computer Interaction
- Software Engineering II
- Computer Game Technologies
- Communications and Networking
- Information Systems
- Management and Information Technology
Year 4
- Operating Systems Concurrency and Distribution
- Language Implementation
- Computer Security and Forensics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Technologies for E-commerce
- Telecommunications Systems and Services
- Web Services
- Computing and the Brain
- Computer Hardware Design
- Internetworking on the Wide Scale
- Modelling for Complex Systems
- Computing Science Project
Teaching and assessment
You will learn about Information Systems through lectures, small tutorial groups and most of all through laboratory work. Information Systems is taught as a very practical subject, and almost all modules include practical assignments. Typically these count for 50 percent of the assessment grade, with the remainder given to the examination.
For the Honours degree, the grades for all advanced modules taken in Semesters 5 – 8 are combined to give the final classification.
Related degrees
Computer Science at Stirling was top in UK, scoring 100% student satisfaction for the quality of the course (National Student Survey, 2011).
Study abroad
Rating
In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), 90 percent of the research in Computing Science and Mathematics was graded as ‘Internationally Excellent’, with the top five percent judged to be ‘World-leading’.
Strengths
Computing Science and Mathematics has strong links with Scottish industry through its Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) – with members from both Scottish and international industries such as IBM, HSBC and Adobe. Through the IAB we:
- Maintain links with potential employers, giving students an insight into the types of job they may find and giving employers a chance to find the right employees now and influence what is taught in the future
- Transfer knowledge and technology from the University to a wider user base
- Make our research relevant to the user base
- Collaborate with the user base on joint research and development projects
Academic Strengths
We are very active in research. We have funded research from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), from the European Community and from other sources.
We provide a stimulating and lively environment for all students. Final-year Honours projects can be associated with active research projects. Research areas of particular interest are Applied Formal Methods, Medical Informatics, Computational Intelligence, and Communications and Services.
