Choosing IT courses at university can be difficult. Sometimes it can seem like there are an overwhelming amount of options, specifically for those who don’t know what they want to do with their career. For women leaving school who are interested in tech, choosing an information technology degree will enable them to learn a lot about one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Out of all the tech jobs in the UK, only 17% are taken up by women, below is a list of universities who offer vast IT courses to help increase this stat.
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Cambridge
Computer Science:
Cambridge offer Computer Science which gives students who choose it the skills to create future technology. In the course they cover all aspects of modern computer science. Additionally students will develop practical skills, such as programming (in various languages, eg ML, Java, C/C++, Prolog) and hardware systems (eg chip design using Verilog).
The course spans over a four year period, and after the course is completed, will give graduates the skills and knowledge to embody principles which will advance today’s technology. The course proves to make the graduates extremely employable, as Cambridge state at their annual recruitment fair employers seek to recruit more than their entire annual number of graduates.
For women leaving school, who have the credentials to get into such a prestigious university, it offers a large opportunity to increase the amount of women in the tech industry. Evidence for this comes from the fact about half of the students from this course have gone on to work in the computer industry. Furthermore, many graduates have founded successful companies while others have easily found employment in software, hardware, the games industry, finance, communications and commerce.
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Oxford
Computer Science:
Oxford also offer a course in Computer Science for students, ranging from three years for a Bachelor’s degree to four years for those students looking for a masters. The potential for women to succeed in tech via this course is clear as shown by the way Oxford describe the course. “Computer Science is about understanding computer systems and networks at a deep level. Computers and the programs they run are among the most complex products ever created; designing and using them effectively presents immense challenges.”
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Imperial College London
Computing (Artificial Intelligence):
Imperial College are offering a course which will teach students modern computer and communications systems function, and how they can be used and adapted to build the next generation of computing applications.
Imperial college aim to give students practical experience in applied computing which will help their students adapt to the inevitable changes in technology. They place special emphasis on the fundamental principles underlying computing and on the engineering considerations involved in computing system design, implementation and usage.
The appeal of this course for women should be huge, to obtain a bachelor’s degree in this course will enable more women to become leaders in the tech industry. The extent of the potential of Artificial Intelligence is clear, Stephen Hawking even said Artificial Intelligence is like ‘summoning the demon.’ That is due to the fact it threatens to change the operations and offerings in a number of industries.
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Warwick
Computer and Management Sciences:
Warwick’s course is designed for individuals with a talent and passion for technology, and a desire to work at the forefront of the industry. It assumes no prior knowledge of Computer Science or programming and will allow students to develop skills and expertise in Computer Science before going on to apply these to the study of Management.
The incentive for potential students comes from the offerings of the course. It will teach students technical skills in software engineering, algorithm analysis and system design while increasing understanding of business and management practices. Software engineering projects conducted throughout the degree are taught in conjunction with industry professionals and gives students the opportunity to test their skills against real-world problems. This means graduates leave with many industrially relevant, transferable skills (e.g. communication, teamwork and planning), which meet the needs of the world’s most desirable employers.
To be part of this course at Warwick University, students at school need to obtain a minimum of three ‘A’ grades at A level, and specifies that one of those grades is in Mathematics. This course is a great choice for women interested in tech as this computing degree is a gateway to an excellent career in the IT industry. Warwick can boast impressive career destinations of some of their most recent graduates including Software Engineer, IBM; Consultant, Accenture; Graduate Software Engineer, BAE Systems; Technologist, GCHQ; Technical Analyst, Goldman Sachs.
Computer and Management Sciences is just one of the IT courses Warwick offer. There are a number of other options which can be viewed on their website.
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Nottingham
Management:
For students who want to explore a number of job options, the University of Nottingham offers students a course that covers a large variety of modules. Within the three year course, they offer a core module labelled ‘Technology & Organisation’ in the second year. It provides students an insight into the magnitude of technology which will change how organisations work on a day to day basis. It includes lectures ranging from 3D printing to Vertical farming. While this module looks specifically at technology, there are also a number of other modules across the three years which look at how technology will impact the world. Therefore, for women who are looking for a degree that will give them insights into a number of industries, including tech, this would be a wise choice.
Other Options:
The universities above offer a variety of IT courses. However, the large majority of universities in the UK offer Computer Sciences as an option. Therefore, if that is the preferred choice, it is worth exploring all the IT courses the universities offer.
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