Computer science

AGCAS editors
April, 2024

A computing degree opens up a range of IT careers from applications de-

velopment to web design

Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Application analyst (/job-profiles/application-analyst)

Applications developer (/job-profiles/applications-developer)
Cyber security analyst (/job-profiles/cyber-security-analyst)
Data analyst (/job-profiles/data-analyst)
Forensic computer analyst (/job-profiles/forensic-computer-analyst)
Game designer (/job-profiles/game-designer)
Games developer (/job-profiles/game-developer)
Penetration tester (/job-profiles/penetration-tester)
Secondary school teacher (/job-profiles/secondary-school-teacher)
So!ware engineer (/job-profiles/so!ware-engineer)
Systems analyst (/job-profiles/systems-analyst)
UX designer (/job-profiles/ux-designer)
Web designer (/job-profiles/web-designer)
Web developer (/job-profiles/web-developer)

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Business analyst (/job-profiles/business-analyst)

:
 IT sales professional (/job-profiles/it-sales-professional)
IT trainer (/job-profiles/it-trainer)
Machine learning engineer (/job-profiles/machine-learning-engineer)
Nanotechnologist (/job-profiles/nanotechnologist)
Network engineer (/job-profiles/network-engineer)
Telecommunications researcher (/job-profiles/telecommunications-researcher)

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject,
so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Take a few minutes to answer the Job Match quiz and find out what careers would
suit you

Try Job Match

(https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner-
beta)

Work experience
Your computer science course may include a year in industry, which will give you the opportu-
nity to develop commercial skills and build up a network of contacts.

If your course doesn't o"er this, look for IT-related work placements, internships or shadowing
opportunities advertised via your careers service or through companies such as Step
(https://www.step.org.uk/graduates-students/) and the EDT (Engineering Development Trust)
(https://www.etrust.org.uk/the-year-in-industry/).

It's useful to develop a portfolio of your projects, such as those involving programming, build-
ing a website or game, or carrying out tasks online as a moderator. Evidence of, for example,
your initiative and ability in fixing bugs, improving functionality or building an app will help
show your skills and interest in the subject.

Some university clubs or societies can give you the chance to develop your computing, web
design or multimedia skills and this can also be helpful when applying for graduate jobs.
:
Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships (/jobs-and-
work-experience/work-experience-and-internships).

Typical employers
Common employers are IT consultancies and IT service providers. However, as most business-
es rely on computers to function e"ectively, there are also opportunities within the IT depart-
ments of major organisations in sectors such as:

aerospace and defence

agricultural
banking and financial services
education
healthcare
manufacturing
local and central government
retail
telecommunications.

You can also find opportunities with a range of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Alternatively, you could set up your own business, providing IT services such as web design
and consultancy.

Other options include going into teaching or lecturing, IT sales and marketing, or IT-related
publishing, journalism and writing.

Find information on employers in information technology (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-

sectors/information-technology), media and internet (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sec-
tors/media-and-internet), business, consulting and management (/jobs-and-work-experi-
ence/job-sectors/business-consulting-and-management), and other job sectors (/jobs-and-
work-experience/job-sectors).

Employers hiring computer science graduates now

Data and Insights Corporate Management Graduate
TransPennine Express

Various locations
£32,001-£34,500
:
(/graduate-jobs/data-and-insights-corporate-management-graduate-2702749)

So!ware Developer Apprenticeship Programme - Level 4

WTW

Ipswich
Competitive salary

(/graduate-jobs/so!ware-developer-apprenticeship-programme-level-4-2702694)

Technology Consultant
Ten10

Various locations
£24,501-£27,000

(/graduate-jobs/technology-consultant-2702629)

View more IT jobs (/graduate-jobs-results?sortBy=dp&careers=69)

Skills for your CV

Computing degrees combine theoretical study and practical projects, teaching you subject-
specific skills including:

programming languages
hardware architecture and construction
network design and engineering
so!ware engineering
multimedia design
so!ware tools and packages
artificial intelligence.

You learn how to specify, design and construct computer-based systems, evaluate and recog-
nise potential risks, and design creative solutions.

You also develop a range of other skills from your computing degree that are useful in all types
of job. These include:

teamwork and leadership

communication
problem solving
analytical
negotiation
:
 time management and organisation
research
report writing
numeracy
commercial awareness.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is especially important when you're working with
computers as technology and so!ware develops at such a rapid pace.

Further study
You may choose to continue your studies at postgraduate level, studying a computer science
subject in greater detail through an MSc or PhD. Further study is essential for a career in acad-
emia and can be useful for a range of other careers, for example, developing new technologies
and products. You can also combine work with further study through Knowledge Transfer Part-
nerships (KTP) (https://www.ktp-uk.org/).

You could also complete a teaching qualification in order to teach IT in secondary schools.
Find out more about teacher training (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/teacher-train-
ing-and-education) options.

For information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees
(/postgraduate-study/masters-degrees), search postgraduate courses in computer sciences
(https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses?keyword=computer%20sciences) and
find out how to write a postgraduate computer science personal statement (/postgraduate-
study/masters-degrees/personal-statements-for-postgraduate-applications/computer-sci-
ence-personal-statement).

What do computer science graduates do?

Three-quarters (75%) of computer science graduates are working as programmers and so!-
ware development professionals, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, IT
user support technicians, information technology professionals, cyber security professionals,
IT operations technicians, data analysts, IT quality and testing professionals or management
consultants and business analysts 15 months a!er graduation.

Destination Percentage

Employed 75.2
:
 Further study 3.8

Working and studying 8.8

Unemployed 7.6

Other 4.5

Graduate destinations for computer science

Type of work Percentage

IT 73.8

Business, HR and finance 4.3

Retail, catering and customer service 4

Clerical, secretarial and administrative 2.9

Other 15

Types of work entered in the UK

Find out what other computer science graduates are doing 15 months a!er finishing their de-
grees in What do graduates do? (https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/what-do-graduates-do)

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.

(http://agcas.org.uk/)

Written by AGCAS editors

April 2024
:
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