We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2026/27 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2025/26 courses.
Develop valuable, sought-after computing knowledge and skills to pursue a wide range of professions, with our three-year BSc Computer Science degree.
Computer science – with the application of data science – has a colossal impact on modern society and is the cornerstone of every digital technology used in our daily lives.
You'll join the University of Reading’s Department of Computer Science, where 100% of our research impact has been classed outstanding or very considerable (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Computer Science and Informatics).
Reading has the fourth highest number of digital tech organisations in the UK ("UK’s Top Digital Tech Cities", March 2020, The Data City) and in 2023 ranked 2nd in The Data City’s list of UK AI hotspots. Companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco Systems, and Intel have their UK headquarters nearby, and often employ our students after graduation.
Our BSc Computer Science degree is accredited by the British Computer Society – the Chartered Institute for IT (subject to reaccreditation in August 2025).
You’ll study on our parkland campus at Whiteknights, which has been voted among the best and most popular green spaces in the UK for 15 consecutive years in the Green Flag awards. Reading is located in the heart of the 'UK's Silicon Valley', a hub for the computer science industry. From start-ups and SMEs to multinational companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Sony, and IBM, future employers are right on your doorstep. Many of our students take up work experience or a professional placement year with these companies, gaining a competitive edge in the job market and forming professional connections with future employers.
During this degree, you will explore a wide range of topics that include:
Get to grips with several programming/scripting languages including:
You’ll be taught by lecturers with expertise across a broad range of areas, with extensive experience in both academic and industrial applications, who will help you to develop and apply your technical skills.
This degree has a strong focus on career management. A series of skills development opportunities allow you to develop valuable, transferable skills – such as teamwork and communication – aiming to enhance your employability and set you apart from other graduates.
You also have the option to further your knowledge and skills with hands-on experience in industry with our four-year BSc Computer Science with Industrial Year. This pathway gives you the opportunity to apply for a year-long paid placement as part of your degree.
We use a wide range of software packages to support your learning. These include:
Our well-equipped and regularly updated facilities pair with extensive specialist software to support your core studies and enable exploration of your own projects and interests. You’ll also benefit from access to dedicated technical support throughout your studies.
For teaching and research project work, we provide purpose-built computer labs with workstations running both Windows and Linux, alongside access to web hosting, virtual reality headsets, mobile phones, and Raspberry pi devices. Access to advanced GPU and CPU servers is supported by the University’s central HPC infrastructure, which is freely available to students.
91% of our students said it has been easy to access subject-specific resources (eg, equipment, facilities, software, collection) when they needed to (National Student Survey 2025, 90.5% of responders from the Department of Computer Science).
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend an academic year abroad. Potential destinations include Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea, Sweden, and the United States.
We'll help you to decide where to go and for how long, guide you through the application process, and support you while you're abroad.
To find out more about the benefits of studying abroad, and discover where you could go, visit the Study Abroad website.
