About the course
IT has never been so important to the strategic, operational and tactical needs of business. This course responds to the growing market demand for graduates who bring with them a suite of knowledge and skills encompassing information systems engineering; modern business practice; and project management.
The focus of the course is on the use of information systems for business analysis and intelligence, and, as such, it offers you a thorough grounding in information tools for the modern business environment. You develop a firm understanding of business information and organisation structures as well as skills in using the software for designing and developing information systems.
Alongside this information systems focus, you explore a range of business processes, and their applications, as well as gaining skills in project, finance and virtual management techniques.
Why choose this course?
- Develop your knowledge of system analysis and design; modern database practices; decision support systems; and data mining
- Study in our specialist STEM building, complete with dedicated computing environments
- Be able to communicate confidently with business analysts, computer programmers and software engineers
- Explore the entrepreneurial possibilities of IT and discover how the needs of business can offer an enormous range of opportunities
- Benefit from a series of talks and guidance from speakers and experts in the industry, across a range of business sectors
- Take the course over four years and benefit from a fee-free year in industry (see below), when you can gain experience, make contacts and build your CV
- If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees you a place on the degree course
Course Leader - Dr Vitaly Schetinin
Vitaly has obtained a PhD in Machine Learning and worked as a postdoc researcher at the University of Jena in Germany and the University of Exeter. His research has been supported by the UK Leverhulme Trust, EPSRC and recently by the British Council of English language examination in part of AI based fraud detection. The research impact has been developed in assessment of new-born brain development, brain computer interaction, medical imaging, and Heathrow airport traffic management. In particular, the research in trauma survival prediction has demonstrated a significant improvement in reliability of the current technologies used in the US and UK emergency units. Students being engaged in research normally develop a high profile and publish conference papers allowing them to continue study in Imperial, UCL, and other top universities, undertake a PhD study, as well as develop outstanding careers in industry.
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Units
- Databases And Computer Networks (CIS095-1) Compulsory
- Fundamentals Of Computer Science (CIS091-1) Compulsory
- Mathematics And Concepts For Computational Thinking (CIS093-1) Compulsory
- Principles Of Programming And Data Structures (CIS096-1) Compulsory
- Decision Support Systems And Data Mining (CIS007-2) Compulsory
- Mobile Application Development (CIS099-2) Compulsory
- Operational Information Security Management (CIS098-2) Compulsory
- Systems Development And Modern Database Practices (CIS020-2) Compulsory
- Agile Project Management (CIS047-3) Compulsory
- Business Analytics (CIS051-3) Compulsory
- Creating A New Business (MAR001-3) Compulsory
- Information And Data Systems Undergraduate Project (CIS052-3) Compulsory
- Research Methodologies And Emerging Technologies (CIS013-3) Compulsory
- Social And Professional Project Management (CIS015-3) Compulsory
- Undergraduate Project (CIS017-3) Compulsory
Students are assessed in a number of ways. The majority of units are assessed through coursework, group and individual projects, portfolios, essays, presentations or exams. Students will also design software artefacts in the area of specialism. Feedback and advice from a supervisory or unit team will be provided to support students.
At level 4 students are assessed on understanding of the fundamental concepts of Computer Science and its application. Students are required to comprehend the foundations of the subject and application area, and will be assessed on the ability to explain such concepts.
At level 5 students are assessed on the ability to apply the basic concepts of the subjects introduced in level 4 to existing application tasks. Students also will be able to demonstrate the relationships between theory and practice.
At level 6 Students will be required to demonstrate independent thinking and initiative. This may be in the form of analysis and criticism of the current approaches and theory within software development. In all cases, students will be expected to show an awareness of the main theories and practices of the subject.
Reasons to study in the School of Computer Science and Technology
- Specialist computing suites in our £40m STEM building
- Our computing courses are BCS and IET accredited
- Dedicated engineering environments & equipment in our new STEM building
- Our Engineering courses are IET accredited
Entry Requirements
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
The University of Bedfordshire warmly welcomes students from all over the world.
To ensure a smooth application process, we have dedicated pages with detailed information about country-specific requirements. You can find information on our generic entry requirements too, if your county is not listed.
International Foundation Year
For those who do not have a qualification that allows for direct entry to an undergraduate degree, we offer our own International Foundation Year program to enhance your English language and study skills and help you bridge any knowledge gaps before starting your degree. The program is taught on our campus by University of Bedfordshire staff and offers pathways into nearly all of our undergraduate degrees.
English Language
The English Language requirement for this course is 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in any subtest) in IELTS, or an equivalent SELT. Have a look at our webpage for a list of English language qualifications we accept. If you do not have the required level of English for your chosen degree, we offer pre-sessional courses to enhance your language skills before commencing your studies.
We are committed to supporting you every step of the way, so please do not hesitate to reach out to our international admissions team for further assistance. We look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant academic community.
Entry Requirements
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
The University of Bedfordshire warmly welcomes students from all over the world.
To ensure a smooth application process, we have dedicated pages with detailed information about country-specific requirements. You can find information on our generic entry requirements too, if your county is not listed.
International Foundation Year
For those who do not have a qualification that allows for direct entry to an undergraduate degree, we offer our own International Foundation Year program to enhance your English language and study skills and help you bridge any knowledge gaps before starting your degree. The program is taught on our campus by University of Bedfordshire staff and offers pathways into nearly all of our undergraduate degrees.
English Language
The English Language requirement for this course is 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in any subtest) in IELTS, or an equivalent SELT. Have a look at our webpage for a list of English language qualifications we accept. If you do not have the required level of English for your chosen degree, we offer pre-sessional courses to enhance your language skills before commencing your studies.
We are committed to supporting you every step of the way, so please do not hesitate to reach out to our international admissions team for further assistance. We look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant academic community.
The course prepares you to manage the information assets of a company and opens the door to a wide variety of roles in IT-based careers: data, systems, security or applications analyst; database administrator; software engineer; technical support officer; and IT consultant. As a graduate, it can lead to more managerial roles within an organisation. The course also prepares you to start your own business. On graduation, you may also wish to progress on to take a Master's in a related subject.
Fees and Funding
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees and Funding
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Extra Costs
Luton Campus Centre
The Campus Centre brings together all our student services under one roof including the Students’ Union and spaces to eat, drink, relax and learn.
There's a large central lecture theatre as well as a range of study rooms & breakout spaces on the upper floors.
Luton Campus Library
The library is a modern 9-storey building dedicated to study and learning.
As well as traditional library provisions it offers individual and group study spaces, a cafeteria on the ground floor and a ‘Study Hub’ offering guidance and workshops on academic writing and research skills to ensure all Bedfordshire students get the help they need to succeed in their studies.
Beds SU
When you join the University of Bedfordshire, you don't just join the university - you also become a member of Bedfordshire Students' Union (Beds SU)!
Beds SU is led by four Student Officers - a President and three Vice Presidents - who are elected annually by University of Bedfordshire students to lead the Students' Union.
We are here to help every student at the University of Bedfordshire get the most out of their university experience. We campaign on issues that you care about, as well as provide lots of opportunities for you to meet new people, develop your skills, campaign for change and try something new.
Aspire Gym
The Aspire Gym has state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smart phone compatibility. There is also an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area.
Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.
Luton Campus Accommodation
The University guarantees accommodation to all new students. Fitzroy Court and Wenlock Court, the two main halls of residence, are located on campus so getting to lectures, shopping in town and participating in events and activities is easy.
STEM building
The STEM building is home to courses in the subject areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Opened in Autumn 2019, its cutting edge facilities provides four computer laboratories; workshops for subjects such as automotive engineering, cyber-security and robotics, along with three large teaching labs, and four specialist containment labs.
How to Apply
Application for most full-time undergraduate and foundation courses is via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
We expect to receive UCAS applications between 1 September and 15 January for courses starting in the following academic year, but may consider applications received after this date should places be available.
Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.
All UK schools and colleges are registered with UCAS to manage their students' applications. Advice on how to submit your UCAS application is available from your school or college.
If you are not at school or college (including mature students) you should apply independently via UCAS
EU students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply via UCAS
International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct or via our representatives in your home country
You can also apply online
Find out more about how to apply as an International student
How to Apply
Application for most full-time undergraduate and foundation courses is via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
We expect to receive UCAS applications between 1 September and 15 January for courses starting in the following academic year, but may consider applications received after this date should places be available.
Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.
All UK schools and colleges are registered with UCAS to manage their students' applications. Advice on how to submit your UCAS application is available from your school or college.
If you are not at school or college (including mature students) you should apply independently via UCAS
EU students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply via UCAS
International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct or via our representatives in your home country
You can also apply online
Find out more about how to apply as an International student
