Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Data Analyst) is ideal if you enjoy looking for patterns, noticing trends and making new discoveries. We offer the knowledge and skills needed to interrogate and make sense of data, unlock vital insights and communicate your discoveries, so you can help companies turn data into profit and productivity.

Key information

Award:

BSc (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

3 years

Location:

The University of Bolton

UCAS points:

UCAS code:

G300

Start date:

20/09/2021

Course Details

The Harvard Business Review has called the data scientist ‘the sexiest job of the 21st century’*. Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Data Analyst) course offers a route into this exciting career, along with global opportunities in a huge range of sectors. Data analysts provide up-to-date, accurate and relevant data analysis for organisations, making recommendations to improve business performance. Throughout this course, we’ll guide you as you develop technical knowledge and applied skills with a range of data structures, software development procedures and analytical tools.

Our expert and dedicated team will cover managing, cleansing, abstracting and aggregating data, a wide range of standard and custom analytical studies, as well as data visualisation techniques. We’ll support you as you learn how to provide insight and analysis through clear visual, written and verbal communication. The department’s strong links with business mean you’ll have the chance to work on ‘live briefs’ in your coursework assignments, so you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy real-world context and application for the skills and knowledge we’ll help you develop.

With intentionally small class sizes, we can offer you meaningful and personalised interaction with our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers – many of whom are active researchers and come with extensive industry insights and experience. Meanwhile, guest speakers and lecturers give you access to highly relevant and up-to-date input from industry settings.

All of this is backed by our well-equipped IT suites, where you’ll get to apply and develop your learning individually and in groups, with expert guidance and support.

* https://hbr.org/2012/10/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century visited on 07/01/2019

Highlights

The department – and the wider University – provides a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, purpose-built teaching facilities, and excellent student support and library services.
Your teaching and tutorial team brings an impressive range of professional experience and technical prowess to the course, so you’ll have the chance to explore and evaluate a range of perspectives relating to your studies.
A big part of our commitment to your progress is helping you develop your employability and industry networks. So we’ll encourage you to attend guest lectures that give your learning context, offer industry contact, and contribute to your underlying professional development.
By underpinning our content and assignments with a strong industrial focus, we foster a keen understanding of the role and value of data analysis in the business environment, and help you develop essential skills such as attention to detail, communication and time management.
We’ll focus on your individual needs, and provide personalised support to help find the learning strategies that best support your learning and ultimate success.

Key Features

Our dedicated laboratories, servers and end-hosts feature high-specification hardware and the latest software, so you’ll have industry-equivalent hands-on experience.
You’ll also get to experience the latest technologies, such as OpenStack – developed by Rackspace and NASA.
As you’d expect, many of our computing facilities are accessible online, so you can work on your assignments wherever you are, and whenever inspiration kicks in.
We’ll support you to develop sought-after skills such as background research, critical reasoning and problem solving, as well as professional communication, time management, teamwork, and lifelong learning.
We’ll also encourage you to build a portfolio of evidence representing the projects and tasks you’ve completed during your studies, ready to impress potential employers.
We continually monitor and update the course to reflect current and ever-changing issues in computing, and to keep your learning in line with technological advances and innovations.

Professional recognition

96 UCAS points. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points.
Your Level 3 subjects must include a technology related subject; for instance, A-level Mathematics or BTEC Extended Diploma in Computing.
You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics.
You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
If English isn’t your first language you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Want some reassurance or advice? Speak to one of our advisors. Email us at admissions@bolton.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)1204 903 394.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Our BSc (Hons) Computing (Data Analyst) offers a comprehensive overview of key data analysis principles and methods, along with a broad grounding in technology solutions, making our graduates highly competitive in the global jobs marketplace.

As a graduate, you’ll possess a deep technical understanding of data quality and data analysis processes and methods, as well as a sound knowledge of data protection and legal issues, and the fundamentals of data structures, database system design, implementation, maintenance, and data architecture.

During the course, you can also expect to develop a wide range of technical, professional and interpersonal skills, such as attention to detail, team working, problem solving, communication and presentation skills, time management, and lifelong learning.

What can I do with this qualification?

Graduates from this programme should prove valuable to private, public and third sector organisations of all sizes and across the full spectrum of industries. Employers include financial services firms, retail companies, marketing agencies, higher education institutions, pharmaceutical companies, the government and intelligence services, telecommunications and IT firms, and insurance companies.

On successful completion of the course, you’ll be well prepared for a career in data analysis and to work your way up to positions of greater responsibility and leadership. You’ll also be ready to progress to postgraduate-level study or additional IT certification in order to develop your expertise further. Popular areas for further study include business, marketing, statistics and finance.

Studying for a PhD or professional doctorate is another option.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and postgraduate study may be required. Roles include:

Digital copywriting
IT sales
IT training
Teaching
Research and development
Network engineering
Product management
Technical writing
Social media management
Cyber security
Information systems management
Games development

Course fees

Home EU Fees	Year of study				Total
Entry year	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
2020	£9,250	£9,250	£9,250	-	£27,750
2021	-	£9,250	£9,250	£9,250	£27,750

International	Year of study				Total
Entry year	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24
2020	£12,450	£12,450	£12,450	-	£37,350
2021	-	£12,450	£12,450	£12,450	£37,350

The fees for a student’s course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

The university is currently awaiting government guidelines as to EU fee charges for students commencing study in 2021-2022.

For 2021-2022 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2021-2022 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton undergraduate students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

September start

Please apply through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for September entry.

The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.

You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £24. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £13 is applicable.

You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:

Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44

UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

How you apply is determined by your current location and what you are choosing to study:

Apply direct to the University. Links for the next available intakes of this course are shown below. Please click the link which will direct you to the online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this.
Apply via one of our approved in-country referral partners. A list of our partners may be found on the International pages of this website.
Apply via UCAS for courses starting in September only – visit www.ucas.com.

Should you have any queries please contact the International Team on +44 (0) 1204 903110 or email international@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc (Hons) Computing (Data Analyst) - 20 September 2021

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Technical College
University of Bolton

The University welcomes applications from our group partners and progressing students so we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible. By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

Please ensure when you are asked to add a contact email address you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address we will be unable to identify you as a partner and you will be referred to apply via UCAS, which incurs a cost.

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc (Hons) Computing (Data Analyst) - 20 September 2021

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

Learning and teaching methods use a blended style, which means you’ll have face-to-face sessions as well as taking part in online learning. You can expect a mixture of seminars, lectures and tutorials, practical laboratory/workshop sessions, a visiting speaker programme, critiques, self-directed study and e-learning, as well as online sessions and support. We’ll help you gain practical skills through technical introduction and support, workshop sessions, demonstrations and activity-based assignments. Throughout the course, a strong practical theme promotes active learning.

In terms of assessment, we aim to provide creative and industry-relevant ways for you to demonstrate your theoretical and practical knowledge. You can expect assessments to involve assignments, projects, in-class tests, portfolios, examinations and presentations. Some assessments will contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you’ve met the learning outcomes, while others are designed to help you identify areas that need extra attention on your part, or where you need extra support from your tutors.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

Introduction to Software Development
Computing Infrastructure
Databases
Fundamentals of Software Engineering
Data Structures and Algorithms
Advanced Databases and Big Data
Mobile Applications
Systems Analysis and Design
Undergraduate Project
Enterprise Systems Development
Machine Learning

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 94%, Written exams 6%
Level two	Coursework 100%
Level three	Coursework 100%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 66%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34%
Level two	Guided independent study 77%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%
Level three	Guided independent study 77%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.