University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2017/18 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Centre for Innovation > Computer Science with Innovation (MEng) > Specification
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Programme code | 1INOV006U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Kirsten Cater
David May |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Centre for Innovation |
Second School/department | Department of Computer Science |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Computing (2019) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The digital and creative innovators of the 21st Century will bring together arts and humanities, design, science, engineering and enterprise to deliver new products, services and ways of working and living. This degree combines an in-depth subject specialism in Computer Science with interdisciplinary breadth, creative teamwork and entrepreneurial skills. Students undertaking this course will spend half their time studying Computer Science to gain a solid discipline strength whilst spending the other half of their time applying that knowledge to innovate and translate their ideas into plans for digital and creative enterprises, both social and commercial.
This programme aims to create computer scientists who can apply their discipline to innovate and have the skills to see those innovations through to create successful enterprises. It aims to develop the student’s interest in and knowledge and understanding of…
Students studying across the different specialisms on the innovation degrees come together as a cohort to learn and apply design and systems thinking for digital and creative innovation and put it into practice their working in transdisciplinary project teams. Students will learn from past and present success and failure case studies to help students think about future opportunities. The transdisciplinary project work in the second year works with real world clients where students develop empathy for the people they are designing for, explore solutions, iterating to develop an unexpected range of possibilities, and create prototypes to take back to the client to test with real customers or users. In their third year students explore innovative and disruptive ideas, potentially designing things that people don’t yet know they want by exploring the potential of new technologies to enable disruptive innovation, changing the way people live and work. Students will learn about different ways to generate ideas, ranging from brainstorming to crowd-sourcing, exploring project opportunities and creating prototypes to test with real people. Alongside this students will learn about different kinds of enterprise that can be used to take forward their ideas supported by mentors and coaches. The final year pulls together all the students have learnt to create an enterprise which may be an innovative digital and creative product, service or social innovation.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Acquisition of knowledge through lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions. Independent learning is achieved through written coursework and research projects.
Acquisition of knowledge and understanding for innovation, design and entrepreneurship occurs through lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials (6-9). Workshops and demonstration to develop student practical innovation skills acquisition (6, 9). Innovation challenges to develop students’ skills in practical innovation and entrepreneurship (6, 7 & 9). Innovation project supervision and design challenge mentoring meetings to provide formative feedback (6, 7 & 9). |
Methods of Assessment | |
The knowledge base is largely tested through traditional unseen written examinations (which include hypothetical problems and short answer questions). Many units are assessed partly through written course and laboratory work, which requires a more detailed and expansive treatment of certain topics. Individual and group innovation coursework portfolios (including rapid prototyping and proof of concepts) and presentations (6-9) Reflective accounts of practical work and learning (6-9) Iterative and agile practice based innovation and entrepreneurship challenges (6-9) |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through tutorials, oral presentations and coursework. All units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation are developed. In addition, specific units focus on other intellectual skills (problem-solving and research) and opportunities for practising these skills are offered in other units.
Acquisition of skills to innovate, design and create enterprises occurs through lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials (7-10). Workshops and demonstration to develop student practical innovation skills acquisition (7-10). Innovation challenges to develop students’ skills in practical innovation and entrepreneurship (7-10). Innovation project supervision and design challenge mentoring meetings to provide formative feedback (7-10). |
Methods of Assessment | |
The knowledge base is largely tested through traditional unseen written examinations (which include hypothetical problems and short answer questions). Many units are assessed partly through written course and laboratory work, which requires a more detailed and expansive treatment of certain topics. Individual and group innovation coursework portfolios (including rapid prototyping and proof of concepts) and presentations (7-10) Reflective accounts of practical work and learning (7-10) Iterative and agile practice based innovation and entrepreneurship challenges (7-10) |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Acquisition of skills to innovate, design and create enterprises occurs through lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials (8-13). Workshops and demonstration to develop student practical innovation skills acquisition (8-13). Innovation challenges to develop students’ skills in practical innovation and entrepreneurship (8-13). Innovation project supervision and design challenge mentoring meetings to provide formative feedback (8-13). |
Methods of Assessment | |
Assessment of transferable skills is primarily through written assignments (examinations, assessed course/lab work and research projects) which provide evidence of communication skills. Oral communication is assessed through formal presentations. There are also mandatory project units for all awards which develop team work. Individual and group innovation coursework portfolios (including rapid prototyping and proof of concepts) and presentations (8-13) Reflective accounts of practical work and learning (8-13) Iterative and agile practice based innovation and entrepreneurship challenges (8-13) |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Will have a sound knowledge of the basic concepts of a subject, and will have learned how to take different approaches to solving problems. He or she will be able to communicate accurately, and will have the qualities needed for employment requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility. They will also have gained an understanding to how design and systems thinking can be applied to problems to innovate and unearth novel and creative solutions that may have been missed from undertaking a purely analytical approach whilst gaining experience in working in multidisciplinary teams. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
Will have developed a sound understanding of the principles in their field of study and will have learned to apply those principles more widely. Through this, they will have learned to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems. Their studies may well have had a vocational orientation, enabling them to perform effectively in their chosen field. They will have the qualities necessary for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making. Student will be expected to critically reflect on past and present case studies and develop further their transdisciplinary working to real world digital and creative client problems. Students will be encouraged to broaden their perspective beyond the subject provisions in Computer Science with Innovation and take either an open unit, learn how to program or design specifically for human computer interaction. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Will have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Through this, the graduate will have developed analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of employment. The graduate will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgements, and to communicate effectively. Should have the qualities needed for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility, and decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances. Within the transdisciplinary group project the students will be expected to innovate for their own chosen problem by exploring the potential of new technologies to enable disruptive innovation to change the way people work and live. They will be supported by mentors and coaches to explore how their proposed solutions may be turned into an enterprise. |
Level M/7 - Masters |
At level M, students are expected to pull together all that they have learnt in prior years to create an enterprise; this may focus on an innovative digital and creative product or service, or a social innovation. Students will be required to assess the market, feasibility, IP, sustainability, finance and desirability of the proposition and create a proof of concept prototype to test with real world users. Much of the study undertaken at Masters Level will have been at, or informed by, the forefront of an academic or professional discipline. Students will have shown originality in the application of knowledge, and they will understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research. They will be able to deal with complex issues both systemically and creatively, and they will show originality in tackling and solving problems. They will have the qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments. They will have had experience of designing, building and testing a product with the aim of bringing it to market. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
This Integrated Master's programme has been designated as type III: Professional in accordance with the QAA descriptors for Master's programmes. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Minimum requirement of pass mark 40% in each unit
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Introduction to Computer Architecture | COMS12200 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Mathematical Methods for Computer Scientists | COMS10003 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Design and Systems Thinking for Innovation | INOV10001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Transdisciplinary Group Project 1: Being Human | INOV10002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Algorithms | COMS10007 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Imperative Programming | COMS10008 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Object-Oriented Programming | COMS10009 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Functional Programming | COMS10006 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
This Integrated Master's programme has been designated as type III: Professional in accordance with the QAA descriptors for Master's programmes. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Students must achieve a year mark of 50 or more out of a hundred at the end of the second year to be able to progress on to the four year programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Data Structures and Algorithms | COMS21103 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Symbols, Patterns and Signals | COMS21202 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Concurrent Computing | COMS20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Software Product Engineering | COMS20805 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Past, Present and Futures | INOV20001 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Transdisciplinary Group Project 2: Solving Someone's Problem | INOV20002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Select from: | |||||
Open units up to a maximum of 20 CP | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Human-Computer Interaction | COMS21301 | 10 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Students may take up to 20CP of open units such as a language but note this will take them to 130CP for their second year | |||||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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