Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence MSci/BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
Degree with foundation year
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With recent advancements in AI technology (e.g. ChatGPT), this course covers the practical skills and theoretical knowledge you need if you hope to be successful in this fast-paced, ever-changing industry.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

BSc:
4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

GADF

Start date

September 2025
November 2025


Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course. The degree with foundation year is only available for the BSc option.

Foundation year

This course covers professional and academic skills and will introduce you to the fundamentals of hardware, workshop, software and the internet. You will also be supported in developing a range of transferable skills in areas including research, project and laboratory skills, academic writing and communication.

Degree

You will:

  • explore artificial intelligence and its relationship to machine learning, parallel programming, and data science, and learn how these areas drive innovation and change in the domain of computer science
  • master the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to develop software solutions that address demanding user expectations and complex customer requirements
  • gain industry-relevant experience2 as you apply real-world, software development practices within teams of your peers, preparing you for your AI specialist career after graduation.
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Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

  • Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.
  • Provides a grounding in key areas of digital technologies.

Degree

  • Activity-led learning helps you consolidate what you are taught through practical application of everything covered in lectures.
  • Opportunity to spend a year on industrial placement2.
  • Strong, professional skills focus.
  • Hybrid, online and asynchronous learning, to support students with different needs across a range of locations.
  • Free-to-attend guest lecturers from current practitioners2 which, in previous years, have included senior professors from Sheffield, Lincoln and Birmingham universities and the European Bioinformatics Centre Cambridge (subject to availability).

What you'll study

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first-year courses

  • Information Technology Management BSc (Hons)
  • Interactive Media and Web Technologies BSc (Hons)
  • Software Engineering BSc (Hons)

Modules

In your second year, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills in relation to artificial intelligence, theory of computation and software engineering, amongst others.

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

In this final year, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with security, machine learning and group project discovery, amongst others.

Modules

If you meet the criteria, you could choose to take an additional fourth year master's option (subject to additional fees – please refer to the Tuition Fees section for further information), which will deepen your knowledge and expertise. The MSci year aims to consolidate and strengthen the skills you’ve developed over the course of your first three years of study. Building on your existing knowledge, you’ll explore a series of highly advanced subjects in the field of Computer Science with AI which lie beyond the scope of undergraduate study, from Computer Vision to Web Applications and AI, equipping you to undertake employment or postgraduate research at the leading edge of digital technology.

Modules

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. 


How you'll learn

Our teaching is active, applied, social and inclusive. We work interactively to address your needs as an individual and support you to maximise your outcomes.

The foundation year is focused on applied learning through a blend of lectures, tutorials and online learning. There are no end-of-year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which are more reflective of a working environment.

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.


Teaching contact hours

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learnt and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

The foundation year will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module and may include:

  • formal examinations
  • phase tests
  • essays
  • group work
  • presentations
  • reports
  • projects
  • coursework
  • individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of Year 1, you will progress onto Year 2 in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.


Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

  • individual coursework
  • group coursework
  • exams
  • tests
  • essays
  • presentations
  • reports
  • projects
  • vivas
  • core assessments (these are pass/fail and can be attempted multiple times).

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

The degree aims to offer access to a range of international experiences2 including:

  • COIL projects – online internationalised learning, working with university students based in other countries (subject to availability).
  • Field trips – short trips of one or two weeks to visit other countries for cultural and learning experiences.
  • Study abroad optional extra year – live and study abroad for a year between your second and final years.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed2.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

64 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,535 Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,535 per year Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Applies to degree only:

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathways Programme for additional options.


Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, a short walk from the city centre. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities at Coventry University4. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites4. You can also take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Two students walking outside with the CU Coventry building behind them.

Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

A student working in a booth in The Hub.

The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office and a fantastic food court.

External view of the Lanchester Library.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is usually open 24/7 in term-time, and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

 

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Cisco lab

The Cisco lab is used for working with general networking and towards accreditation by Cisco. Optional modules allow students to work in the lab to develop skills in preparation for the Cisco certification exam.

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Virtual labs

Our virtual labs provide a cutting-edge environment to create entire virtual networks, complete with services, users and even attackers. Students can access this environment from anywhere on or off campus.

Adult student working on a computer while having a screen in the background

Games Technology lab

This lab contains high-end gaming PCs with the capacity to run industry standard games engines and programming environments. It also supports Virtual Reality (VR) game development.
 


Careers and opportunities

The Computer Science with AI degree can equip you with the knowledge, technical skills, and professional skills for a career in the computing industry as an AI specialist.

Upon successful completion of the degree, you will be able to:

  • program - you will create working solutions to a variety of computational and real-world problems using an appropriate programming language (or languages) for the task
  • think computationally - you will be able to create, develop and evaluate algorithms, and measure and optimise algorithm complexity
  • develop software - you will develop a product from the initial stage of requirements all the way through development to its final stages of testing and evaluation
  • solve problems in a range of key application areas including web and app development, machine learning, data science and artificial intelligence
  • work professionally - you will understand the professional practice of technical, social, ethical and legal responsibilities
  • think critically, contribute confidently, communicate effectively and collaborate collegiately.

Computer science is changing the world and AI is a key part of this. Technologies produced by computer scientists now support and enhance all areas of our modern lives, from e-commerce, through social networking, to smart cars. These areas increasingly use AI to gather, interpret and learn from data to produce intelligent solutions. The Computer Science with AI degree teaches the required skills, and, equipped with them, you’ll be able to pursue an AI specialist career in the computing industry.

Further study

The Computer Science with AI degree includes an optional MSci year. Alternatively, the BSc (Hons) degree serves as a basis for a range of standalone master’s degrees, both at Coventry University, nationally and internationally. It might also be possible to take a PhD (all subject to meeting all progression requirements).

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