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    3. Graduate Diploma in Computer Science

    University of London
    Certificate

    Graduate Diploma in Computer Science

    Develop specialist skills while building your potential as a creative problem solver with a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science from the University of London.

    University of London

    Graduate Diploma in Computer Science

    Apply now!
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    Get started today

    Applications are open! Apply by March 10 and starting studying in April 2025.

    Apply now!Email me info
    • Overview
    • Program
    • Courses
    • Instructors
    • FAQ

    Applications are open. Apply by March 10, 2025

    Class starts April 8, 2025

    Min of 1 year, up to a max of 5 years

    10-12 hours per week

    £4,238 - £6,302

    depending upon geographic location

    100% online

    Start your application today

    UK top 25 university

    Goldsmiths is in the UK’s top 25 for the research quality, according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014.

    Essential job skills for a computer science career

    Industry-relevant curriculum so you can build a strong computer science foundation, while developing specialist skills.

    Hands-on Project

    Opportunity to work individually on an extended project that will allow you to demonstrate a wide range of skills.

    Goldsmiths Students

    Program description

    Choose from one of eight computer science paths and tailor your learning experience to align with your education and career goals.

    Overview

    In the University of London’s Graduate Diploma in Computer Science, you'll build a strong computer science foundation, while also having the opportunity to specialise in one of eight areas:

    • Data Science
    • Games Development
    • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
    • Mobile Development
    • Physical Computing and the Internet of Things
    • User Experience
    • Virtual Reality
    • Web Development

    You will also work on a substantial hands-on project, where you’ll have the opportunity to develop your specialist skills whilst building up your potential as a creative problem solver.

    If you commit to 10-12 hours of online study per week, it is estimated that you can complete the Graduate Diploma within a minimum period of one year to a maximum period of five years.

    Programme cost

    Band A countries
    15-credit module (web supported learner)£514
    30-credit module (web supported learner)£1028
    Module continuation fee (per continued module)£257
    Band B countries
    15-credit module (web supported learner)£772
    30-credit module (web supported learner)£1,544
    Module continuation fee (per continued module)£257
    UK
    15-credit module (web supported learner)£700
    30-credit module (web supported learner)£1,400
    Module continuation fee (per continued module)£257

    Required background

    To be eligible for this Graduate Diploma programme you must have ONE of the following:

    • an acceptable bachelor’s degree;

    • an acceptable master's degree (or any other appropriately accredited Level 7 award) provided this is at least 1 year full time in duration;

      Plus:

    • GSCE Mathematics (Grade A - B) or equivalent.

    For entry requirements from other countries, please check the University of London website.

    Skills you will gain

    • Problem-solving and critical evaluation
    • Time management and prioritisation
    • Self-guided and independent study
    • The ability to produce structured arguments based on subject knowledge
    • Critical analysis tools and techniques
    • The ability to exercise critical judgement to the evaluation of areas of computer science

    Choose from one of eight computer science paths.

    Course 1 of 1

    Graduate Diploma of Computer Science

    Overview

    Each Graduate Diploma is made up of six 15-credit modules in addition to a 30-credit final project module.

    Please see the University of London website for full details on the structure of each specialism:

    Graduate Diploma in Data Science

    • Data science is a significant subfield in computer science which has seen rapid growth in recent years as companies and institutions have begun to gather data at scale across many sectors. Apply your data science knowledge to a wide range of areas, from medicine to climate science and business analytics.

    Graduate Diploma in Games Development

    • Video games are a critical application area for computer science, and the games industry forms a significant part of the creative economy. Take on this complicated subject with the diploma, drawing on other areas such as computer graphics, interaction design and artificial intelligence.

    Graduate Diploma in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

    • Machine learning and artificial intelligence are starting to play far bigger roles in our daily lives. They are used in digital assistants that respond to our voices, self-driving cars and adaptive education systems

    Graduate Diploma in Mobile Development

    • Mobile development is a critical application area for computer science. Many of the largest technology companies maintain large scale web applications, providing services such as social media, search, advertising and video and audio streaming. Mobile application development has become a major part of the software industry over the last decade, with established as well as new companies developing thousands of mobile games and utilities.

    Graduate Diploma in Physical Computing and the Internet of Things

    • Physical computing techniques underpin a wide range of contemporary technology trends such as the Internet of Things, the quantified self and smart homes. Use your diploma to apply your physical computing expertise in many industries, for example in creative arts, museums, ubiquitous and embedded computing, scientific sensing, robotics, engineering control systems and robotics.

    Graduate Diploma in User Experience

    • User experience design or UX has grown out of the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), which is about how to design computer systems for use by people. HCI is a major subfield of computer science, and it has informed the visual design and workflow of computer systems we use every day. HCI draws on a range of hard and soft skills and is a naturally cross-disciplinary subject.

    Graduate Diploma in Virtual Reality

    • VR involves the creation of immersive, simulated environments using computer systems. Recent technology advances have made it possible to create high fidelity, high immersion virtual realities which people can access with consumer hardware. Virtual reality has many application areas, including entertainment, education and military.

    Graduate Diploma in Web Development

    • Web development is a critical application area for computer science. Many of the largest technology companies maintain large scale web applications, providing services such as social media, search, advertising and video and audio streaming.

    What you will learn

    • Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the main areas of your chosen specialism
    • Apply a critical understanding of essential concepts, principles and practices of computer science in the context of well-defined scenarios, using structured arguments based on subject knowledge to justify the selection and use of tools and techniques
    • Analyse, design and develop a system, with appropriate documentation
    • Demonstrate the ability to produce a substantial piece of work from problem inception to implementation and documentation

    Project(s)

    Final Project

    In this module, you will undertake a substantial independent project that will allow you to demonstrate a wide range of skills such as project planning, management, research, software implementation, and written presentation.

    You will be expected to develop an idea for a software development or research project and then carry it out. It pulls together the streams of study, knowledge and practical skills gained in other modules into a single, long-form project.

    Instructors

    Professor Matthew Yee-King

    Professor Matthew Yee-King

    Programme Director

    Dr Marco Gillies

    Dr Marco Gillies

    Reader in Computing and Academic Director: Distance Learning at Goldsmiths, University of London

    Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan

    Dr Sylvia Xueni Pan

    Lecturer in Virtual Reality

    Dr Golnaz Badkobeh

    Dr Golnaz Badkobeh

    Lecturer and Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in Goldsmiths' Department of Computing

    Dr Simon Katan

    Dr Simon Katan

    Director of Undergraduate Studies

    Frequently asked questions

    You will receive access to your Student Portal when you register. You can then access your University of London email account and two other key resources:

    • The Coursera Platform. Here, you can access electronic copies of all study materials, resources (including audio-visual), and forums to discuss course material and work collaboratively with others.
    • Access to academic support and feedback from London-based support teams. Tutors introduce the modules, respond to queries, monitor discussions, and provide guidance on assessments. Utilize interactive study materials including videos, quizzes and online games to gauge your personal progress. ‎

    The programme will take between one and five years to complete, depending on how many modules you choose to study in each session. If you’re working while completing the programme, you can pay for modules as you go and study at your own pace. On average, a student studying part time will complete the Graduate Diploma in two to three years. ‎

    Study at your own pace, either part-time or full-time. Once you begin a module it is generally expected that you will complete it in the six-month session. Each module presents about 150 hours of study. Over a 22-week session, a 15 credit module will typically require five to seven hours of work/effort per week, and a 30 credit module will typically require ten to 15 hours of work/effort per week. ‎

    The programme comprises six 15 credit modules and one 30 credit project. ‎

    The maximum number of modules you can study in any one session is five, or three plus the final project. This can be a combination of new modules and resits (with a maximum of four new modules) or resits only. ‎

    Most modules are a combination of coursework and a timed written assessment.

    During your study period you will undertake formative assessments, which help you to measure your progress but do not count towards your grade, and summative assessments Summative assessments do count towards the final grade. These include a mid-session coursework submission and an unseen written examination (or final project) at the end of the session.

    Written examinations are held twice a year. You can defer sitting an exam once (subject to a fee) but you cannot defer the submission of coursework. ‎

    As this is a technical programme, you will need access to suitable IT facilities. For this programme, you will also need a media player (such as VLC) to play video files. All students must have regular access to a computer (or mobile device*) with an internet connection to use the University of London website and the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). These are where the programme’s study resources are located.

    You may also require additional capabilities and software for specific modules, such as:

    • Video and audio recording
    • Programmer’s text editor such as Atom; integrated development environment software (IDE)
    • Additional software: Xamarin and Games development; 3D Graphics and Animation, and Virtual Reality all use Unity3D
    • Access to hardware: Android or iOS device; VR Head mounted display and a microcontroller like Arduino

    See the programme specification for details. ‎

    Yes, students who successfully complete the programme will be invited to our annual graduation ceremony in London (subject to restrictions in place for events of this kind). ‎

    As, upon graduation, you are expected to have a strong background in programming and good skills in at least one programming language, you will be a suitable candidate for most of the jobs in the computing industries that do not require a strong specialisation and/or significant work experience.

    Jobs such as software developer, programmer, web developer, system analyst, database application developer, junior games developer, junior data scientist, etc. in areas including the technology sector, media industries, the health sector, transport, the financial sector, e-government, etc., are all open to you. Your skills will be equally suited to small start-up companies and large organisations.

    As an alternative route, you could consider continuing your professional development with postgraduate studies in any more specialised field of computing.

    To find out more about the career support available to our students please visit our global employability page. ‎

    Yes, the University of London’s Careers Group provides bespoke careers resources, advice, and support for its global student community.

    The University of London Career Service offers career development to all students, whatever their careers stage: career starter, career developer or career changer. Our outstanding insight and understanding of what employers are looking for is enhanced by research with input from alumni and employers. There is an all-year programme of regular live and interactive webinars and careers drop-ins, led by an experienced careers consultant from the Careers Group, University of London. In these webinars you can explore your career options and improve your job-hunting techniques in a global, trans-disciplinary classroom of your fellow students, and benefit from the insights of your student peer community. We also offer our rich resource bank of online careers resources and recordings to help you maximise your career management and professional skills. Available through the student portal, you can access these resources whenever most convenient for you.
    ‎

    Applications should be made via the University of London website, in line with the procedures and deadlines set out there. ‎

    For this programme, recognition of prior learning is not permitted. ‎

    The total cost of the programme for 2021/22 is between £3,528 - £5,295*, depending upon geographic location. You won’t be billed upfront for the whole certificate. Instead, pay as you go - each time you take a module, you’ll pay the tuition just for that module.

    *Indicative totals assume students complete the qualification within the minimum time without resits and Recognition of Prior Learning (requiring additional fees). Programme Fees are subject to annual revision and typically may be increased by up to 5% per annum. For further details please refer to the University of London website.

    Goods and Services Tax (GST) Please note: all student fees shown are net of any local VAT, Goods and Services Tax (GST) or any other sales tax payable by the student in their country of residence. Where the University is required to add VAT, GST or any other sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the fees shown during the payment process. For students resident in the UK, our fees are exempt from VAT. ‎

    To be eligible for this Graduate Diploma programme you must have ONE of the following:

    • an acceptable bachelor's degree;
    • an acceptable master's degree (or any other appropriately accredited Level 7 award) provided this is at least 1 year full time in duration;

    Plus:

    • GCSE Mathematics (Grade A - B) or equivalent

    For entry requirements from other countries, please check the University of London website‎

    We do not normally require official transcripts for admission purposes, just uploaded scanned copies of your relevant supporting documents. See University of London’s Supplying Evidence page for more information. ‎

    We aim to contact you with a status update within 3–7 working days of submission, depending on how close to the deadline date you apply. If you do not hear from us within this time period, then feel free to contact us. ‎

    You need to demonstrate a good level of English to be admitted to our programmes. We accept a range of evidence, including proficiency test scores. If you don’t have evidence but believe you can meet the standard, we may consider your case. More information on the English language requirements can be found on the University of London website. ‎

    Find details on how to submit evidence. ‎

    No, we accept qualifications from around the world. We advise all applicants to read our Qualifications for Entrance and English Language requirements before applying. ‎

    If you have a question please contact the University of London.

    University certificates are earned by completing a bundle of graduate-level courses offered on the Coursera platform by some of the world’s most elite universities. Coursera does not grant academic credit.

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