Program Overview

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Access to Computing

Course Overview

This programme is a pre-university access programme specially designed for Applied Computing at The University of Buckingham.

Start and Duration

• Sep, 3 months

Level

• Foundation

Qualification

• N/A

UK Fees

• £3,080

International Fees

• £4,928

Campus

• Buckingham

School

• School of Computing

About the Course

This programme is a pre-university access programme specially designed for Applied Computing. The overall aim is to equip students who have not achieved the minimum entry requirements for BSc (Hons) Computing with the fundamental knowledge and essential skills required for the intensive study of the BSc in Computing at Buckingham.

The 12-week programme consists of three modules in mathematics, fundamentals of computing and web computing. Students must pass all modules before being allowed on to the BSc degree programme. Successful students will be awarded a Certificate of Preliminary Studies for Computing.

At the end of the programme students will:

• have awareness of and familiarity with the University study environment
• understand the roles that computers systems now play in the modern world.
• understand the fundamental concepts of computing.
• possess knowledge in essential mathematics that is crucial for the study of a BSc computing programme.
• understand basic concepts of the WorldWide Web and skills in designing useful documents on the Web.

Course Modules

Sep 2025 (Full-time)

• Evolution of Computing (Core, 20.00 credits, Level 3)
• Introduction to Web Computing (Core, 20.00 credits, Level 3)
• Mathematical Methods (Core, 20.00 credits, Level 3)

Entry Requirements

• A-level or equivalent requirements: CCC / IB: 29 (or equivalent).
• Applicants are also expected to have achieved a Grade C / Grade 4, or above, in GCSE Maths and English (if not taken post-16).

International Students

We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country.

The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor.

English Levels

If English is not your first language, please check our undergraduate English language requirements. If your English levels don’t meet our minimum requirements, you may be interested in applying for our Pre-sessional English Language Foundation Programmes.

Selection Process

Wherever possible, you will be invited to the University to meet the Admissions Tutor for an informal interview and to have a tour of our campus. If you are an international applicant, it may not be possible for you to visit in person, so if the Admissions Tutor has any queries about your application you may be contacted by Microsoft Teams, email or phone.

Student Contract for Prospective Students

When you are offered a place at the University you will be notified of the student contract between the University and students on our courses of study. When you accept an offer of a place on the course at the University a legal contract is formed between you and the University on the basis of the student contract in your offer letter. Your offer letter and the student contract contain important information which you should read carefully before accepting an offer.

Teaching and Assessment

Quality Teaching

We offer high quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world. The standards of degrees and awards are safeguarded by distinguished external examiners – senior academic staff from other universities in the UK – who approve and moderate assessed work.

High Calibre Staff

Most of our academic staff teach for three terms out of four, with the remaining term used for research. Because of this, we have no difficulty in attracting high calibre, highly respected lecturers, many of whom also have a background in business or industry and can offer networking opportunities for students.

Teaching Methods

Teaching is carried out through a combination of lectures supported by seminars, workshops and tutorials. It is enhanced by virtual learning environments, online / stand-alone computer-based teaching, learning packages and software tools.

A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups which provide the most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal. It is also the philosophy of the University’s faculty to be available to students outside the scheduled tutorial times and to encourage good working relationships between staff and students.

Many of our Information Systems and Computing courses have supervised practical classes in the computer laboratories in which you can apply and practise the techniques you have learnt in the lectures. These practical sessions are usually two or three hours long. You will also be expected to study on your own, using the library for reading research and the computer laboratories to improve your practical skills.

Assessment Methods

The assessment of individual modules within each course varies according to the subject. Assessment is usually by examination, assessed coursework, or a combination of the two.

After Your Course

The successful completion of our Access to Computing course will allow you to progress to one of our Undergraduate Computing degrees.

Course Fees

The fees for this course are:

• UK: £3,080
• International: £4,928

The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.