BSc (Hons) Information Technology

Studying information technology at Herts will equip you with essential tech skills in software development, networking, and cybersecurity. The course teaches you industry-relevant knowledge and will prepare you for diverse IT career opportunities.

Course overview

• As an information technology Herts graduate, you will gain valuable knowledge across all aspects of computer science with a particular focus on addressing the technology needs of individuals and organisations. You will gain an understanding of software development and acquisition as well as operations, support and systems administration. This information technology course has a particular emphasis on the application of computer technology to businesses. The modelling and design of systems and data, the design of databases, how to enhance the user experience, and how to ensure software solutions meet clients’ needs are some examples of the topics you will cover. You also have the option to gain Oracle DBA certification. Thanks to the nature of this degree, you’ll develop the broad skills many employers are looking for while keeping your career options open.

Why choose this course?

• The BSc (Hons) Information Technology degree at Herts will give you the knowledge and practical experience needed to succeed in a career within the information technology industry.
• Learn from experts: You will be taught by highly qualified staff, most with a PhD or other advanced degree plus research, teaching, or professional experience.
• Join our recognised computer science school: Studying information technology at Herts will mean you are part of a highly regarded, well established computer science department, with excellent facilities, a strong research background, and links to business and industry.
• Practical application: The emphasis of this course is on the practical application of computing technologies to solve real-world challenges in organisations, enhancing students' readiness for diverse IT roles.
• Tailor your learning: The flexible program structure allows you to personalise your education by offering options to switch to related courses or incorporate a placement year or study abroad experience.
• Excellent placement year opportunities: Previous BSc (Hons) Information Technology students have completed work placement years at companies including GSK, Xerox, and BT​.
• Strong employment prospects: 93% of Herts graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes, 2021/22). Recent graduates from Computer Science have gone on to work at amazing organisations including Sega Europe, NHS, and Lloyds Bank.

Professional accreditations
Accredited by British Computer Society 

• Accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional (for 1st year entrants only)

Your future career
An impressive 93% of Herts graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes, 2021/22).

Typical areas of work for information technology graduates include:

• IT consultants
• Software developers
• Programmers
• Web developers
• Business analysts
• Database administrators
• Project managers

There are careers across many employment sectors, including the IT industry, business, education and government. Recent graduates have become business analysts, web designers, support specialists, IT analysts, database administrators, project managers and IT consultants, or have gone on to postgraduate study. Careers are available in virtually all sectors and our graduates have landed jobs at EE, IBM, T-Mobile, John LewisECA International, Lloyds, Imagination Technologies and many other world- class organisations. Many Herts graduates also study progress to study a postgraduate degree at the University of Hertfordshire.

Recent employers have included Blackberry, GSK, HP, IBM, John Lewis, and T-Mobile.

What you'll study

• Throughout this information technology course, you will benefit from a combination of theoretical and practical teaching methods.
• Computer Science is both an academic and a practical subject so you will be taught in different ways such as lectures, smaller group tutorials, supervised practicals (labs) and self-study, including experiential learning. Assessment is a mix of in-class tests, exams, and coursework.
• The School has well equipped laboratory facilities, with PC’s running Windows 11, Linux and/or virtual machines and a whole range of industry-standard and educational software from Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe, and others. There are specialist labs for cybersecurity, networking and robotics.
• In addition to scheduled classes - about 16 hours per week in Year 1, you will be expected to spend the same amount of time in self-study, taking advantage of the University's extensive and up-to-date facilities. Facilities include the Learning Resource Centres, open 24x7 with over 1,200 computer workstations and wifi access, Studynet our versatile online study environment accessible on and off campus, and open access to our labs.
• Most of our students own their own PC or Mac, but this is not essential since you can use the university facilities instead or as well.
• In the first year of your information technology degree, you will learn the foundations of the subject including topics such as an overview of the field, programming, modelling, and computing platforms.
• In your second year, you will deepen your understanding and develop more advanced skills. There are modules on IT in business/organisations, software development, requirements, databases, web scripting and operating systems and networks.
• In your third year/ final year of study will include project planning, security management, the user experience and databases, plus two additional options. Finally, you will undertake an individual project, typically an extensive piece of practical work. As well as academic skills and significant experience of the key areas of computer science and IT, you will gain vital skills needed for employment. These will include teamwork, creativity, communications, business awareness, and professionalism.

Level 4
Module Credits Compulsory/optional

• Introduction to Programming and Discrete Structures 30 Credits    Compulsory
• From Silicon To C 30 Credits Compulsory
• Data Modelling for Databases 15 Credits    Compulsory
• Computational Problem Solving 30 Credits Compulsory
• Team Software Project 15 Credits Compulsory

Level 5
Module Credits Compulsory/optional

• Accessibility and Usability 15 Credits Compulsory
• Database Systems 15 Credits Compulsory
• Design and Configuration Project 30 Credits Compulsory
• Systems and Network Administration 30 Credits Compulsory
• Web Application Development and Deployment 30 Credits Compulsory

Level 6
Module Credits Compulsory/optional

• Professional Work Placement in Computer Science    0 Credits Compulsory
• Computer Systems Security 15 Credits Compulsory
• Machine Learning and Neural Computing 15 Credits Optional
• Advanced Database Topics 15 Credits Optional
• Information Security Management    15 Credits Optional
• Year Abroad 0 Credits Optional
• Study Abroad 0 Credits Optional
• Cloud Computing    15 Credits Compulsory
• Data Mining and Visualisation 30 Credits Compulsory
• Responsible Computing 15 Credits Compulsory
• Robotics 15 Credits Optional
• Information Technology Project 30 Credits Compulsory

Optional sandwich year

• Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd. This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a year in industry, typically between your second and third year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.
• Research shows that over 70% of employers prefer students with work experience, which is why we believe work placements are career gold. Our Careers and Employment service are here to support you explore your options and make valuable contacts for your future career.
• You’ll pay no tuition fee for this year and won’t need to worry about the details of your placement until your second year of study.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process. Recent placement students have worked at large organisations such as

• Apple
• BT
• IBM
• Intel
• GSK
• Microsoft, and
• Xerox

Where you'll study

• Your main campus is College Lane. This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus bar. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
• Explore Spectra, our state-of-the-art facility, featuring interactive learning zones. Spectra's computer science labs offer telecommunications, robotics and UX empathy labs, alongside diverse research spaces including dark rooms, clean rooms, sample prep labs, calibration and assembly labs. The building provides collaborative spaces, including workshops, social areas and meeting rooms. Designed with the University’s net-zero carbon target in mind, it’s part of our commitment to replacing inefficient older sites. 
• You can also benefit from our Academic Support Hub, designed to enhance your employability and academic skills. Connect with industry mentors offering pastoral support, career guidance and progression opportunities.

Who you'll learn from

• You will be taught by our team of academics, experienced in information technology. Additionally, you will have access to an academic support team, a well-being team, and a personal tutor who will help you navigate university learning and living. Working together, your teaching and support team is committed to assisting you in realising and achieving your full potential.