School of Computing

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has put data at the core of business and everyday life. Identifying new treatments for diseases, driving low-carbon engineering, fighting cybercrime and creating new immersive worlds for business or pleasure are all underpinned by developments in software engineering and computer science.

How technology impacts our daily lives

Technology surrounds us, enabling communication, education, healthcare, commerce and entertainment. And its astronomical impact doesn’t stop there; it is helping to tackle environmental problems, predict and manage natural disasters, is revolutionising manufacturing and has completely changed how we engage in shopping, banking and lots of other activities. 

Artificial intelligence, data Science and operational research (OR) fields are rapidly evolving. Professor Chris Bussell, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, has spoken about how Artificial Intelligence will impact our future and how the University has adapted and launched a suite of artificial intelligence courses. 

The future of computing and artificial intelligence is bright, and career opportunities are vast, with Google predicting that AI could boost the UK economy by £400bn. Our School has ambitions to become leaders in these areas. In the last ten years, we’ve invested heavily in our facilities, including a £13m STEM centre. We aspire to be at the forefront of teaching and research around topics such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and complex networks. Our Data Science Research Centre will play a key role in this.

Our engagement with global industries based in the Derby region, for example through our East Midlands Institute of Technology, helps ensure that our research and teaching are at the forefront of emerging industry needs and opportunities. Our links with companies in our region including Bloc Digital, Rolls-Royce and Alstom, also mean our students benefit from placement years and live briefs. Previous graduates have had opportunities to study abroad in Europe and as far as Thailand.

If you have a passion for problem-solving and the drive to make an impact, you can be a part of these exciting developments by studying or working with our School.

Student experience

Through our strong connections to industry and employers, our students benefit from placement opportunities and live briefs. Previous students have gained experience in placement years at the Met Office, VMware and Sumo Digital. There are also opportunities to study abroad in countries such as Thailand. We also see students undertake final year and MSc projects with companies such as AddQual and GXO.

On our Computer Games degrees, students work together in their final year to create a game. These are then featured in our annual Games Expo where the public, alumni, developers and artists in the industry are invited. It’s a great way for our students to network and gain direct feedback on their work.

Computer Games Expo 2023

Excellent facilities

Our students get to work with a range of industry-standard software and hardware in our labs. Our Computer Games students work with tools including Unreal Engine, Unity Engine and Autodesk Maya. Our XR lab is used for mixed-course games development as well as for visualisation projects using Vive Pro Eye headsets and other hardware.

A 270-degree 3D projection set-up is contained in our CAVE Lab and used for data visualisation. Our range of Computer Labs offer software suitable for all courses including Python, Azure Cloud and Microsoft development tools.

Our research

Our researchers are advancing society’s understanding in important fields, including data analysis, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, machine learning and artificial intelligence. The developed technologies and solutions find applications in all areas of life including personalised medicine, future manufacturing, government decision making and entertainment industries.

These research studies, which are often collaborations with industry, ensure we are always improving our knowledge and using our expertise to make a difference. They also provide cutting-edge case studies for our students as well as opportunities for guest lectures, student projects and company visits.