Business Computing with Foundation BSc Honours

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Business Computing with Foundation BSc Honours

Overview

Our degree courses with Foundation year offer the opportunity to prepare you for advanced study before you progress onto a full honours degree at the University of Westminster. Whether you do not feel ready for degree-level study, don’t have the right qualifications, want to change your subject specialism or return to study after an absence from education, we aim to encourage a broad range of students to undertake our Foundation year in order to progress onto their full honours degree with us.

The Foundation year is designed to give you the opportunity to explore new ideas, opening up new perspectives on the key debates within your chosen field. During the foundation year you will explore a range of creative disciplines and get a chance to develop in your chosen field, benefiting from workshops in our high end facilities and working with leading academics who will encourage you to become a confident and creative thinker. Core modules accelerate your academic and professional development and you will also take modules within your chosen field, giving you the chance to develop a cross-disciplinary perspective on your course.

On successful completion of the Foundation year, you'll be able to move on to study for the Business Computing BSc Honours (formerly Business Information Systems BSc) over a further three years study.

Our Business Computing BSc combines key elements of computer science including, programming, databases, system analysis and design, analytics, and AI with business disciplines such as management, marketing, finance. The course emphasises the practical application of technology to solve real-world business challenges and improve digital business operations.

A career as an IT professional offers exciting and rewarding opportunities, especially as businesses increasingly rely on information systems and IT qualified managers to drive innovation, support daily operations and develop strategic plans to address future challenges and opportunities.

By studying the course, you’ll understand both the business environment in which computer systems operate, the technical aspects of how to design, build and select information systems applications to meet business needs and the value of artificial intelligence in business decisions and strategy.

Our course offers a short-term business-based learning experience that will give you the opportunity to work on a real-world business problem and put your new knowledge and skills into practice within the context of a business ecosystem, You’ll research, analyse and present a well-reasoned recommendation as a professional report or software utility to achieve certain organisational goals.

You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. This will help you gain work experience and enhance your employability.

The Business Computing BSc will prepare you for roles that bridge technology and business, including requirements and data analysis, IT management, cloud computing, entrepreneurship, information security, prompt engineering, AI and business innovation.

Top reasons to study with us

• Learn to use IT/AI management skills to help improve business efficiency and sharpen a company’s competitive edge
• Build the skills that will help you lead digital transformation, plan strategically and redesign business secure operations as well as establish business processes and direct digitalisation in big and small companies.
• You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a work placement year to develop your skills and enhance your employability
• Our course meets business and industry needs and ensures that you, as tomorrow’s business managers, are equipped with important IT, business, project management, personal and interpersonal skills
• You'll qualify for free British Computer Society (BCS) academic membership for the duration of your studies. The BCS supports those working in the IT industry and has a commitment to making IT good for society. The organisation has over 60,000 members in 150 countries, and a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers. Membership of the BCS will allow you to continue your professional development and enjoy a range of valuable networking opportunities. For more information, visit the BCS website.

Course structure

You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, practical tutorials, laboratory sessions and independent study.
In Year 1 you will be introduced to business computing and information systems fundamentals, concepts, components and architectures.

In Years 2 and 3 you will follow the Specialist Themes that interest you the most.

Specialist Themes

• Business Computing, Entrepreneurship and Business Management
  You'll focus on how value is created on cloud driven business activities through the use of IT to establish competitive advantage, and how the alignment between business strategy and technology can be managed in an efficient and effective way.
• Business Computing, Machine Learning and Business Analytics
  You'll focus on unlocking insights into data to improve business efficiency, financial performance and strategic management. You'll learn to interrogate information needs and transform information into knowledge, and knowledge to decisions and actions.
• Business Innovation and Artificial intelligence
  You'll focus on the transformative effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on business innovation and intelligence, finance, and e-commerce, on recent advancements and emerging trends in prompt engineering. In the financial sector, AI-driven solutions such as AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are revolutionizing risk management, fraud detection, and personalized financial services, leading to more secure and efficient systems
• Business Computing and Systems Security and Assurance
  You'll focus on IT security principles packed with real-world applications and examples for IT security, information assurance, and cybersecurity programs based on the Cloud paradigm.
• Foundation
• Year 1
• Year 2
• Placement Year
• Year 3

Subjects of study include:

• Computer Systems and Networks
• Critical Thinking in a Changing World
• Foundation Mathematics
• Information Systems and Data Representation
• Introduction to Academic Practice
• Programming

Credit Level 3

Subjects of study include:

• Business Computing Fundamentals
• Business Data Analysis
• Business Information Systems Concepts and Applications
• Business Requirements Analysis
• Database Technologies
• Web Design and Development

Credit Level 4

Subjects of study include:

• Agile Project Management and Professional Experience
• BIS Development
• Business Analytics
• Business Process Intelligence
• Cloud-driven Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
• Data Visualisation and Communication
• Human Computer Interaction and User Experience
• Machine Learning and Data Mining
• Elective Module choice

Credit level 5

This course gives you the opportunity to take a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. You can choose between professional experience or international experience.

The professional experience (work placement) year is planned in partnership with the Westminster Work Based Learning team. Typically, you will be assigned into roles involving tasks related to business information systems.

The international experience (study abroad) year offers one or two semesters studying at one of our overseas partner Universities. This is both an exciting experience and also one that helps you to develop a global outlook.

Find out more about the costs involved in taking a placement year.

Subjects of study include:

• Big Data Analytics
• Business Computing Final Project
• Business Innovation with Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Marketing, Social Media and Web Analytics
• Digital Strategy
• Financial Technologies
• Information Systems Security and Assurance (ISSA)
• Elective Module choice

Credit Level 6

Professional accreditation

This course is CITP (Chartered IT Professional) and partial CEng (Chartered Engineer) accredited by the BCS (British Computer Society).

Why study this course?

• Get ahead before graduating
• Fantastic central London location
• A supportive environment

Entry Requirements

• UK
• International
• A Levels – DDE (64 UCAS Tariff points)
• T levels – 64 UCAS Tariff points
• International Baccalaureate – 64 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• BTEC Extended Diploma – MPP
• BTEC Diploma – MM
• Access – 64 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course

In addition to one of the above, you should have:

• GCSE English Language grade 4/C – IB grade 4 Higher Level,GCSE Maths grade 4/C – IB grade 4

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.

We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combinations of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.

International

• International Baccalaureate 64 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You can refer to the UCAS calculator to determine your point score.
• Other international qualifications

We accept a wide range of international high school level qualifications. Please see information on Country-specific entry requirements.

• International Foundation courses

We work in partnership with Kaplan International College London who provide International Foundation Certificate at their College based in Liverpool Street. These courses are for students who don't meet our direct entry requirements. Upon successful completion, you can progress to your chosen degree at the University of Westminster. Find out about the different university preparation courses that are accepted for entry.

• English language requirements

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.

Please note we accept a wide range of English language qualifications and assessments. Find out more at English language requirements.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, then we offer online and on campus pre-sessional English programmes to help develop your English language skills to the required level before you start your course. Find out more about our pre-sessional English programmes.

Fees and Funding

• UK
• INTERNATIONAL

UK tuition fee: £9,535 (Price per academic year)

Please note that if you defer your place, the first year’s tuition fees will be those of the academic year in which you enrol, which may be higher than the fee shown for this year.

Fees are subject to UK Government Parliamentary procedure.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

• Funding

As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.

Find out about undergraduate student funding options.

• Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

International tuition fee: £17,600 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase International tuition fees.

Please note that if you defer your place, the first year’s tuition fees will be those of the academic year in which you enrol, which may be higher than the fee shown for this year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

• EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme

If you are an international student accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2024 orSeptember 2025 at level 3 (Foundation) or level 4 (first year) on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only , you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.

• International student funding

Find out about funding for international students.

Careers

With a growing global network of 3,000 employers, our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential.

• Transferable skills

You'll gain the knowledge and experience to work in roles such as business analyst, change manager, IT consultant, project manager, security analyst, system analyst, systems architect and web designer.

• Work placement opportunities

You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a work placement year to develop your skills and enhance your employability.

3,000

• Employers around the world

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

• Career development

Our course offers a short-term work-based learning experience by providing you with an opportunity to work on a real-life problem, which is normally set by an external organisation as a small-scale project.

This experience will allow you to put your new knowledge and skills into practice by addressing a real-life situation, usually within the context of a business-related problem.

This experience will also help you develop subject-specific technical skills as well as employability skills such as leadership, organisation and commercial awareness.

Our course also gives you the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study and gain work experience, enhancing your employability. You'll be offered help and support to find and secure placement opportunities through various workshops and events.

• Graduate employment

Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

• Citi Group
• GlaxoSmithKline
• HP
• IBM
• NHS
• Job roles

A fast-growing area of sustainable job growth, Business Computing prepares you for immediate employment opportunities in:

Business Analysis and Requirements Gathering

• Business Analyst
• Systems Analyst
• Data Analyst

Business Innovation and Artificial Intelligence

• Prompt engineer
• Financial analyst
• Business development manager

Application Development and Implementation

• Software/Web Developer
• Database Administrator (DBA)

Project Management

• Project Manager
• Business Project Manager
• IT Consultant
• Digital Marketing Analyst

Information systems security assurance

• Security Analyst
• Information Security Officer (ISO)

International Opportunities

Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for – so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.

Opportunities could include:

• Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
• Attending an international summer school or field trip
• Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad

International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.

Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.

Course Leaders

• Dr Panagiotis Chountas

Dr Panos Chountas's research expertise focuses on the areas of data and knowledge engineering, and intelligent systems and their application to businesses and public organisations for the purposes of maximising business profitability and achieving more efficient and proactive process management.

His research is focused on the following areas: business intelligence, Big Data analytics, health informatics, large databases and Big Data repositories, and digital media storage architectures.

His research has been supported by the Royal Society and Technology Strategy Board.

Dr Chountas chaired the 12th International Conference on Flexible Query Answering Systems FQAS 2017, and the International IEEE Conference-Intelligent Systems 2006 (IEEE-IS'2006 and EEaE IS'2010). For the 6th IEEE International Conference “Big Data, Knowledge and Control Systems Engineering” (BdKCSE’2019) he delivered the opening keynote talk on “Big Data and Change Analytics”.

More about meSee full profile of Dr Panagiotis Chountas

• Noam Weingarten

Noam Weingarten is a Senior Lecturer within the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Westminster. Noam is the Course Leader of the Foundation Level of all courses offered by the School, and teaches several modules.

He has been working at the University of Westminster since 2002 and is highly experienced at catering for the foundation level.

His research interests include cloud computing and the applications of such computing power such as bioinformatics.

More about meSee full profile of Noam Weingarten

Course Team

• Professor Tamas Kiss - Professor in Distributed Computing
• Dr Salma Chahed - Senior Lecturer
• Dr Francois Roubert - Senior Lecturer
• Dr Fang He - Senior Lecturer
• Vassiliki Bouki - Principal Lecturer
• Huseyin Dagdeviren - Senior Lecturer
• Frantzeska Kolyda - Senior Lecturer
• Dr Mohammad Shah - Lecturer
• Dr Mahmoud Aldraimli - Lecturer
• Rolf Banziger - Lecturer
• Noam Weingarten - Senior Lecturer

Teaching and Assessment

Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable. Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.

How you'll be taught

Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:

• Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
• Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
• Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision

Year

Year

F

24%Scheduled hours76%Independent study0%0% Placement

Year

1

28%Scheduled hours72%Independent study0%0% Placement

Year

2

24%Scheduled hours76%Independent study0%0% Placement

Year

P

1%Scheduled hours16%Independent study83%Placement

Year

3

18%Scheduled hours82%Independent study0%0% Placement

Scheduled hoursIndependent studyPlacement

How you'll be assessed

Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.

Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:

• Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts
• Written exams: end of semester exams
• Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation

Year

Year

F

0%0% Written exams33%Practical67%Coursework

Year

1

0%0% Written exams0%0% Practical100%Coursework

Year

2

0%0% Written exams0%0% Practical100%Coursework

Year

P

0%0% Written exams0%0% Practical100%Coursework

Year

3

8%Written exams14%Practical78%Coursework

Written examsPracticalCoursework

Data from the academic year 2024/25

Supporting you

Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.

• Study support – workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
• Personal tutors – support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
• Student advice team – provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
• Extra-curricular activities – volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more

Visit our student hub

Course location

With state-of-the-art science and psychology labs and refurbished computer suites, our Cavendish Campus offers our science and technology students a range of learning spaces that are both dynamic and inspiring,

Located in central London, our Cavendish Campus is just a five-minute walk from Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road.

For more details, visit our Cavendish Campus page.

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