Computer Science Study Guide 2026/27

What you can study

At Bristol, we work closely with industry, enabling you to gain knowledge from leading companies and demonstrate your skills in projects involving real-world clients. Our modern building houses the popular Hackspace – a creative space for hacking, making and crafting – and a large atrium that's a hive of activity.

You will find units on:

  • high-performance computing
  • machine learning
  • cryptology

You will be enrolled onto extra unit codes for administrative purposes. These are not extra classes.

Pre-requisites

The School of Computer Science provides Year 3 and Masters-level units on the Study Abroad programme:

  • Year 3 units require a strong background in the discipline.
  • Masters-level units require three years of study in the discipline.

Subject pathway students

If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (Computer Science pathway), you must take the majority of your credits from this guide. 

Teaching Block 1 (Sept-Dec)

Classes are held only during Weeks 1-7 in the first term. The remaining weeks are for self-study and completion of a substantial coursework project.

Units can be taken as either Minor or Major options. Majors include an intensive research project. You will indicate which format you would like when you apply.

  • Minors: assessed by exam; TWO must be taken together (totalling 20 credits); no more than two can be taken 
  • Majors: assessed by exam and coursework (research project); ONE or TWO can be taken (20 credits each)

Students are advised not to combine a Computer Science Major unit with units from other Schools, due to the heavy workload during the assessment period.

We recommend the following combination of units in Teaching Block 1:

  • 2 Minors, totalling 20 credits
  • 2 Majors, totalling 40 credits

OR

Please note that when students take two Minors they are registered and assessed under the unit code/name COMS30081 Topics in Computer Science. That unit will appear on your transcript and not the individual topics selected.

 

Year 3 Masters-level Computing and Data Science units outside the School

Please choose units only from the Year 3 or Masters-level list to avoid timetable clashes.

Year 3

Pre-requisites: strong background of study in the discipline.

Teaching Block 1 - see above for an explanation of Minor vs Major options 

Minor or Major units (please specify on your application which option you would like):

Minor-only units:

Teaching Block 2

Please choose units only from the Year 3 or Masters-level lists to avoid timetable clashes.

Masters-level units

Pre-requisites: 3 years of study in the discipline.

Teaching Block 1 - see above for an explanation of Minor vs Major options

Minor or Major units (please specify on your application which option you would like):

Minor-only units:

Major-only unit:

Teaching Block 2

Computing and Data Science units outside the School

This section will be updated by early March

This is a collection of computing and data science units offered from other schools, which may be of interest to those majoring in Computer Science or related fields:

Teaching Block 1

Teaching Block 2

Teaching Block 4 (full year)

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk