Study Computer Science in the UK

Computer Science is for people who strive to analyse and understand how computing fits into our lives and who want to influence the future of our increasingly technology-dependent world. Computer Science is about understanding computer systems and networks at a deep level.

The course at Oxford concentrates on creating links between theory and practice. It covers a wide variety of software and hardware technologies and their applications. It is designed to equip students with the fundamental understanding and practical skills needed by the future leaders of computing and related professions. Throughout the degree, you will develop a sound understanding of mathematical ideas, both for applications such as scientific computing, and for reasoning rigorously about the specification and behaviour of programs and computer systems. You will also gain practical problem-solving and program design skills; the majority of subjects within the course are linked with practical work in our well-equipped laboratory.

Computer Science is a dynamic discipline. What began with the curiosity of only a handful of academics has blossomed into a field with an impact on our lives that would have astonished most of the pioneers. In the past 50 years computers have contributed to numerous advances in almost every field, and Computer Science now provides the foundations for the information processing and communication systems that are at the heart of today’s world. Future changes in computing and communications technologies will depend on advances in this science and the rate of progress shows no signs of slowing down. During this course you will learn about the theory, design, development and application of computational systems from both a theoretical and practical perspective. The course includes in-depth coverage of programming languages, software engineering, artificial intelligence, operating systems, databases, nature-inspired computation, concurrent computing, robotics and the theory of computation as well as a strong practical programming element throughout the course. The degree incorporates concepts from fields as diverse as mathematics, engineering, linguistics and psychology.