INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION PROGRAMme
in COMPUTER SCIENCE

The SCL International College University Foundation Programme in Computer Science will:

• Help you develop an analytical approach to your studies and apply newfound knowledge to practical scenarios.
• Encourage you to explore various learning styles to see what suits you best.
• Improve your study skills such as reading and note-taking strategies, essay construction, research methods, and translating theory into practice.
• Challenge you to work in teams, actively participate in class, and present to small groups.
• Enhance your communication skills in speaking, negotiating and writing.
• Develop your 21st century skills such as collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.
• Prepare you for university entrance exams such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Throughout the Foundation in Computer Science course, you will participate in our Academic English programme, helping you prepare to meet English language standards set by your chosen university.

Assessment and feedback

Our assessment practices model those found in UK Higher Education with detailed feedback and support for mock, practical and final assignments.

We continuously monitor the progress of our students across the course duration – in lessons, progress tutorials and group work – as well as attendance for visa compliance.

All coursework, both formal and informal, is submitted electronically via an encrypted online service, and we use Unicheck to guard against plagiarism for all formal assessments.

With final examinations we ensure our students have the preparation needed to succeed and to progress to higher education; this includes opportunities for resits for assignments and exams as needed.

As an integral part of our Computer Science programme, international students gain comprehensive knowledge of the British university environment and of different aspects of living and studying in the UK.

We train students to adapt their skills and knowledge to the specific context and environments of UK universities. This includes guiding students through the UCAS process, ensuring they achieve the best offers in the most appropriate universities for each individual. Moreover, our university partners guarantee admission, subject to passing the relevant qualifications.

Student success and progression

At SCL International College, we are committed to ensuring you gain the necessary English language qualifications and study skills to advance to a British university. Your academic tutor will take a personal interest in your progress and help you develop your study plan accordingly.

With our personalised approach, we achieve great success with students who may not have a traditionally strong academic record, but who show huge potential. By the time you complete our programme, you will have the knowledge base and confidence needed to excel both academically and personally when studying Computer Science at a university in the UK or abroad.

The Computer Science at SCL International College is multi-disciplinary programme. You will receive a comprehensive introduction to a wide range of materials, techniques, and processes.  Our aim is to develop your creative interests and challenge you to explore new and exciting ways of expression via technology.

You will participate in regular one-to-one teaching with a variety of specialist teachers. Your modules will cover a wide range of topics including programming, databases, networks and web development. The course is practically based with a strong emphasis on applying what you're learning to real-life situations in different fields.

The topics include contemporary processors and computer hardware characteristics, software and software development techniques, data communication, network communication, and Boolean algebra.

You will also have the opportunity to complete a project which allows for more in-depth study of a chosen topic and helps to develop your research and analytical skills, which are important in order to succeed at a higher academic level.

Outcomes

By the end of this module, international students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to apply, the underlying principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms, and data representation.
• Show an appreciation of the analysis of problems in computational terms through solving such problems using programmes appropriately.
• Demonstrate the capacity to think analytically, logically, and critically.
• Appreciate a range of different aspects of computer science.
• Use computer science-related mathematics.
• Design, write and test programmes to solve problems.
• Explain how a programme works.
• Use abstraction effectively.
• Adopt a systematic approach to problem-solving.

There's lots of options! See our blog post "University Foundation Programme in Computer Science: A Gateway to Exciting Careers in London" to discover various career paths for computer science graduates.