Computer Science - Course Outline

First Year

Courses

Core Courses:

Probability
Functional programming
Imperative programming
Calculus and linear algebra
Digital hardware
Discrete mathematics, logic and proof
Design and analysis of algorithms

Assessment

Students need to take five written papers and practical exercises

Second Year

Courses

Core Courses (37.5 %)

Concurrency
Object-oriented programming
Models of computation

Options (62.5%) including:

Computer graphics
Computer architecture
Concurrent programming
Numerical analysis
Compilers and programming languages
Formal program design
Advanced data structures and algorithms
Networks and operating systems

Assessment

Students need to take four written papers and practical exercises

Third Year

Courses

Options (67 %)

Databases
Computer security
Intelligent systems
Machine learning
Computational complexity
Integer programming
Logic of multi-agent information flow

Further Second-Year Options

Project work (33 %)

Assessment

Students need to take three written papers, a project and practical exercises

Fourth Year

Courses

Options (67 %) such as:

Computer animation
Game semantics
Information retrieval
Program analysis
Computational linguistics
Theory of data and knowledge bases
Computer-aided formal verification
Software verification
Automata logic and games
Database systems implementation
Probabilistic model checking
Randomised algorithms
Project work (33%)

Assessment

Students need to take four written papers, a project and practical exercises

Application Procedure

Candidates should follow the application procedure as mentioned on how to apply page of the university website. The information given below provides specific details for candidates who intend to apply for this course. Candidates do not need to submit any written work when they apply for this course.

Written Test

Candidates ought to take an Aptitude Test in Mathematics on the prescribed date by the university. Candidates may take this test at their own college or school. For more details such as sample interview and how to apply, candidates are advised to see the university website.

The University of Oxford seeks for students with strong mathematical ability, the ability to use and absorb new ideas, the capability to think and work independently and have a great deal of enthusiasm. The university uses these criteria and the result of the Aptitude Test to shortlist candidates.

Computer Science may be studied for three years, which leads to the award of a BA degree or four years that leads to the award of Master of Computer Science. The forth year of the Master of Computer Science degree offers the opportunity to study advanced topics and carries out a more in-depth research project. Students do not need to decide between these options while they apply. They may choose at the starting of their third year whether to stay for either one or more.

In the first part of the course, the course is divided between lectures, practical classes and tutorials. In tutorials, students have an excellent opportunity to discuss ideas in depth with an expert computer scientist, generally, with one or two other students. Students shall be expected to spend a significant amount of time enhancing their own understanding of the topics covered in lectures, preparing for tutorials and answering questions designed and modified in order to check their understanding. In the course, students need to work in small classes on more specialized topics. They shall spend approximately a third of their time in third and fourth years working on an individual project on their choice of topics.