Course options
Key information
Duration: 4 years full time
UCAS code: G403
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
Computer Science MSci (MSci)
This advanced four-year course offers a thorough grounding in all the latest trends and technologies in the rapidly evolving world of computer science. You will have the chance to complete an extended final year project on a topic of your choice and it is particularly recommended if you want to go on to postgraduate study or a high-level technical career. You will also gain a competitive edge over graduates from standard three-year BSc courses.
Our progressive curriculum will give you the knowledge and technical skills that employers need, and introduce you to pioneering ideas and technologies to help you to realise your ambitions. You will graduate with transferable skills such as problem-solving, programming, team working, analytical skills, time management and self-motivation, and the confidence and ability to tackle real-world problems in a wide range of application domains. We cover all the essentials of computing and application development, and introduce you to a host of advanced topics, from computer games, machine learning and digital sound and music, to intelligent agents and multi-agents, computational optimisation, advanced data communications, digital forensics and more. You will experiment with programming games, robots, Gadgeteer kits, Subversion, JUnit testing, Scrum-based Agile software and more.
The course’s modular structure gives you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests. At the end of year 1 you will have the option of transferring onto one of our specialist pathways (Artificial Intelligence, Information Security or Distributed & Networked Computing), or adding a year in industry to your degree. Transferring onto our Software Engineering pathway requires previous programming experience and early permission to take the Software Development course in year 1, rather than Object-oriented Programming.
We are a highly respected, research-focused department with award-winning teaching. We offer a summer work placement course and a dedicated personal adviser to guide you through your studies. You will also be welcome to join our thriving Computing Society. We are proud to be among the few departments in the UK to hold the Athena SWAN bronze award for our commitment to increasing female participation in computer science.
- A flexible degree structure allows you to keep your options open and follow your study interests and career ambitions.
- You will acquire problem modelling and analysis techniques, as well as knowledge of and practical experience in modern software-development methodologies and techniques.
- You will develop extensive team-work skills, excellent coding skills, good communication skills, and a strong professional ethos.
- You will have access to a very wide range of optional modules, including those highlighted in the specialist pathways.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the building of computer systems whilst also gaining a knowledge of the basic concepts of 2D game design, applying them to the development of simple games. This module brings together the lab components of robotics, games design and object-oriented programming, and will allow you to progress to a group project to apply the concepts you learn together.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how the internet works and its key protocols. You will look at the technologies used for web development, including scripting languages and their potential for adding dynamic content to web sites and applications. You will consider the role of web services and related technologies, and will examine the fundamental principles of network security.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the handling of large and infinite objects within a programming environment. You will learn how to use formal logic to design, reason about and minimise switching circuits, and write basic programs in assembly language. You will consider the binary representations of signed and unsigned integers and how to write regular expressions to describe sets and build deterministic automata to recognise these. You will also examine the use of automata machines in the design and reasoning of sequential flow systems.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the formal reasoning for sets, relations, functions and cardinality. You will look at the structures for program data and representation and learn to write and reason recursive definitions and prove results by induction and contradiction. You will consider the representation and reasoning of problems using graphs and the use of vectors and transformations for defining and manipulating graphical objects. You will also examine the usage of probability and statistics in analysing data.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of programming and object-orientation concepts. You will learn about program basics, control flow, data structures, objects, exceptions, and file input and output. You will consider how to solve basic programming tasks and the need for program documentation, testing, readability and modifiability.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of software design and engineering processes, including the Waterfall and Agile methodologies. You will learn how to identify common software requirements and see how these have been considered in existing systems. You will look the techniques of software design and how software engineers communicate their design ideas. You will consider the importance of documentation and the usage of current industry-standard notations such as user stories and the unified modeling language (UML). You will also analyse and critique the design of existing software looking at the user experience as a measure of its fitness for purpose.
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This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
Year 2
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the design of algorithms, with a focus on time and space complexity. You will examine basic algorithms, looking at the implementation and analysis of linear search, binary search, and basic sorting, including insertion sort, selection sort, merger sort, quick sort, and heap sort. You will consider alternative data structure representations, such as binary search trees, hash tables, and binary heaps, and will gain an insight into the basics of graph algorithms.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the basic concepts of database technology, including the need for database integrity and robustness, and the use of a modern database system in a web-based environment. You will look at database design and the theory of the relational view of data, learn to describe the crucial issues concerning database integrity and recovery from failure, and write search query language (SQL) queries. You will also consider the process of designing and implementing a database, from the user specifications to the final design, and implement an interface to an SQL database using an application programming interface (API).
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how information security may be influenced by real-world design and implementation decisions. You will look at the different cryptographic algorithms, considering their use, advantages and disadvantages. You will use these cryptographic primitives to review and evaluate cryptographic protocols, and examine the rational decisions in the design of tokens and secure elements.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the function and architecture of network operating systems. You will look at the role of an operating system, considering processes, memory and file systems. You will learn to write basic shell scripts, see how services are used at the operating system-level, and evaluate the theory and practice of existing operating systems. You will also examine the UNIX shell, including starting programs, input and output streams, pipes, filters, and utilities.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of software engineering techniques and the managerial discipline required to work as part of a team. You will look at basic object-oriented concepts and consider the need for effective program documentation, testing, readability, and modifiability. You will consider the tools used to support software development, such as version controllers, debuggers, and code style checkers, and see how these are integrated into an industry-standard development environment (IDE). You will deliver a small-scale project using test-driven development.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the role of the computer professional, gaining practical experience in developing medium scale software as part of a team using Scrum-based Agile development. You will apply managerial discipline and learn about the software lifecycle, team development, standard industrial software engineering, project management, use of version control, and integrated development environments (IDEs). You will see why project cost and effort is hard to estimate, and consider why project quality is hard to prescribe.
Year 3
- All modules are optional
Year 4
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In this module you will have the opportunity to plan and organise a large project, analysing complex ideas, identifying problems, and coming up with solutions. You will apply scientific principles and use a range of software and hardware techniques. You will analyse the effectiveness of your solutions and evaluate the results. You will also consider legal, social, ethical and professional issues. You can design your own project or choose a topic from a suggested list.
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
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All modules are core
Year 2
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In this module you will develop an understanding of computer and network security. You will look at software vulnerabilities, hands-on hacking-oriented attacks, memory errors, and web and network security. You will learn how to identify such vulnerabilities and consider the countermeasures that can mitigate their exploitation. You will also examine malicious software (malware) as a typical consequence of a successful software exploitation.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the principles of human-computer interaction (HCI) and the approaches that can be used to create interfaces matching users' needs and expectations. You will evaluate the usability and suitability of user interfaces, and build simple prototypes using different media and technologies. You will consider how perception and cognition influence HCI, and examine tests, such as web experiments.
Year 3
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the fundamentals behind cryptography and how it is deployed in real systems. You will look at a range of security services that can be provided by cryptography and the mechanisms behind them, such as symmetric and public-key encryption, hash functions, MACs, digital signatures and authentication protocols. You will consider the architecture of security systems using cryptography, including key management, implementation issues, cryptographic standards and crypto politics, and examine real-world applications such as 3G, EMV, and SSL/TLS.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of computer and network security. You will look at software vulnerabilities, hands-on hacking-oriented attacks, memory errors, and web and network security. You will learn how to identify such vulnerabilities and consider the countermeasures that can mitigate their exploitation. You will also examine malicious software (malware) as a typical consequence of a successful software exploitation.
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The module covers key areas of cyber security with the critical national (information) infrastructure forming its background. Fault and attack models for information systems and cyber-physical systems are covered in the form of multiple techniques including variants of attack trees allowing probabilistic attack and defence refinements. The module covers models of large-scale networks and their robustness properties to both random failures and particularly to deliberate attacks and discusses how key elements of the CNI such as the Internet but also other infrastructure sectors such as power and transport sectors can be captured by such models. The security of cyber-physical systems and particularly industrial control systems is another major component of the module, including case studies of attacks by state actors and analyses of control system protocols as well as properties peculiar to CPS.
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Year 4
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The module covers key areas of cyber security with the critical national (information) infrastructure forming its background. Fault and attack models for information systems and cyber-physical systems are covered in the form of multiple techniques including variants of attack trees allowing probabilistic attack and defence refinements. The module covers models of large-scale networks and their robustness properties to both random failures and particularly to deliberate attacks and discusses how key elements of the CNI such as the Internet but also other infrastructure sectors such as power and transport sectors can be captured by such models. The security of cyber-physical systems and particularly industrial control systems is another major component of the module, including case studies of attacks by state actors and analyses of control system protocols as well as properties peculiar to CPS.
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This module focuses on acquiring a deep understanding of foundational AI principles and techniques to model complex real-world problems as well as writing algorithms and problems to solve them. The module will start with an introduction to AI that will define core AI concepts, provide the philosophical foundations of AI and discuss ethical issues in this field. The module will continue by covering intelligent agents and classical search to then move to local search and optimisation algorithms. The module will end with adversarial search and constraint satisfaction problems. All these topics will be covered both from a theoretical point of view, during the lectures, and from a practical point of view during the labs.
Teaching & assessment
We firmly believe that how we teach you is at least as important as what we teach, and we know the importance of giving you the time and space to experiment and put theory into practice. We encourage you to use your creativity, both in project teams and independently, and to have fun while you learn. We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, small-group tutorials, supervised computer lab classes and problem-solving sessions. You will also be expected to complete guided independent study and group work. Our programming and software engineering teaching is very hands on, allowing you to learn at your own pace, whatever your previous level of experience. All students attend laboratory classes on games and robotics, giving you the chance to develop real applications with imagination and creativity.
We are proud of our award-winning teaching. Professor Dave Cohen won a College Excellence Teaching Prize for the re-design of our second-year software engineering courses, and he was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year. The British Computer Society (BCS) has distinguished our software engineering teaching as an exemplar of 'best practice' in computer science education.
Assessment is through a mixture of examinations and coursework. Most course units have a two or three-hour written examination taken at the end of the year in which they are taught, but around half of your final award will come from assessed coursework, including project reports, essays, oral presentations and software submissions.
Entry requirements
A Levels: AAA-AAB
Required subjects:
- Computer Science or Mathematics or Physics.
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and B/6 Mathematics.
For students taking the BTEC Extended Diploma please click here to see the specific modules you must take in order to meet the entry requirements for this course.
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 54. No subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
Country-specific requirements
For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here.
Undergraduate preparation programmes
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers following pathway programmes designed to develop your academic and English language skills:
- International Foundation Year – for progression to the first year of an undergraduate degree
- International Year One - for progression to the first year of an undergraduate degree
Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Your future career
Our MSci graduates are highly employable, with a depth of knowledge and practical skills that set them apart from BSc students. After four years of studying you will be confident at developing large and complex systems, solving technical problems, and analysing complex information. Your coursework will have honed your team work, communications, time management and self-motivation skills and allowed you to showcase your abilities as an independent researcher and IT professional. You will have the flexibility to adapt to changes in technology, to innovate, and to critically evaluate the implications of exploiting new technologies.
We work closely with partners in industry who advise us on our curriculum, to make sure it keeps abreast of the latest market needs and trends. This means our graduates are up-to-speed with the latest developments and ready to contribute to the next generation of computing systems. Computer scientists are required in a vast array of fields, including the arts, the media, finance, aerospace health and, of course, the IT sector, using the power of computing to solve real-world problems and build systems that can improve people’s lives.
In recent years, our graduates have successfully pursued careers in everything from network systems design and web development, to business management and finance. They now work in organisations such as: Amazon, American Express, Apple, Bupa, Capita, CGI-Logica, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Symantec, among many others. Find out more about what some of our graduates are doing, here.
We run jobs fairs and a short-term work placement scheme, and your personal adviser and the campus Careers team will be on hand to offer advice on career opportunities. We maintain strong links with our alumni, who can often provide advice, contacts and networking opportunities.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £28,900
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. The increase for continuing students who start their degree in 2025/26 will be 5%. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
