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Computer Science with a Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

BBB (Only available to applicants who have not taken A Level Mathematics)

Considered on a case by case basis. For mature students returning to education, Pass Access Course with 60 credits overall to include 45 at level 3 and achieve 15 level 3 credits at distinction 15 at merit and 15 at pass

This qualification is accepted in combination with other qualifications. For details please contact Loughborough University

We recognise the benefit of the Extended Project in developing independent research and critical thinking skills. We would consider this as evidence of motivation to study a specific subject in more depth, and while we do not generally include it as part of our offer conditions, it may be used to further consider an application upon receipt of final examination results. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

GCSE/National 4/National 5

A minimum of 5 GCSE grades 9 - 4 (A*-C) including Maths grade 6/B and English Language grade 4/C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

32 points overall.

We accept a wide range of international qualifications for entry as outlined on our website – please view the individual course typical offers on our website and choose Ireland in the Country/region drop down field for more information.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: DDD. IT or Computer Science BTEC preferred.

Considered on a case by case basis. Please contact Loughborough University directly.

For 2024 entry, the following T Levels are currently being considered on a case by case basis. More information can be found on our website at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

Applicants taking the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma will be asked to achieve the A level requirements for their course as part of their qualification. The Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted alongside two A levels providing individual course entry and subject requirements are met. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

UCAS Tariff

120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Computer science

This course is primarily for candidates who have not studied the prerequisite subjects needed for first year entry, or have not met their expected entrance requirements due to adverse situations, or because of their sporting commitments, as well as mature students returning to education or care leavers.

Completing a foundation year will enable you to progress onto the first year of your chosen degree course, provided the relevant progression criteria are met. Successful completion of the course allows you to progress onto any of the courses offered by the Department of Computer Science.

Our foundation course is taught in-house by University staff. As a student on the course you will be a full member of the University, with the same access to the Students’ Union, clubs, societies, sports facilities and support departments.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. During the year you will undertake modules in Applicable Mathematics, and a choice of Physics, Sport Science, Business, Economics, Materials with Engineering Science, Biology and Programming with Electronics or Programming with Design.

Completing a foundation year can be a real attribute to your overall degree success. It not only opens doors to courses that may have previously looked closed, but also provides a sound base on which to establish a successful academic career. Many who have completed the foundation year have also said how beneficial it was to them in supporting their transition into University life.

The Foundation Studies course also offers the opportunity for students performing at a very high standard in their chosen sport, who wish to study at Loughborough, but do not have the required qualifications due to sporting commitments. It is ideal for students who wish to combine their sports training with academic study. If you think your sport profile qualifies you to be considered for the elite athletes programme, please contact [email protected] before applying.

Modules

For a full list of areas studied, see the 'What You'll Study' section of the course page on our website.

Assessment methods

Foundation modules are assessed via written exams and / or coursework assignments. Some modules are continually assessed throughout the year.

Typical coursework assignments include: laboratory reports, essays, presentations, assessed tutorials, workshops and peer review (review fellow students’ performance). It is expected that for every hour you are in a structured class, you should spend two hours of your own time researching, writing up, learning work or doing set questions etc.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Loughborough University

Department:

Computer Science

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

92%
Computer science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

75%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

89%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
95%
Course specific equipment and facilities
87%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

83%
UK students
17%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
85%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

72%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
7%
Business, research and administrative professionals
4%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Computer science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£30k

£30k

£39k

£39k

£51k

£51k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here