Thomas Ewan Borland expected his job-searching journey to take a while. With the help of the personal tutors at The University of Buckingham’s School of Computing, however, he got to jump straight into a job at a company that partners with the school. “While I was nearing the end of my stay, one of my lecturers was able to pass my CV on to a couple of companies with links to the university,” says the BSc Computing graduate. “This led to two interviews, and I’m very pleased that one of these companies, Zizo, welcomed me as a junior consultant.”
The opportunity to gain experience through established partnerships is widely available at The University of Buckingham. From multi-factor authentication vendors like Deepnet Security to charitable organisations such as the Florence Nightingale Hospice, there are many avenues for students to apply what they learn to become more knowledgeable, entrepreneurial, and digitally skilled to meet the requirements of the future.
“I loved that the course covered all aspects and areas of computing in great detail – from basic programming to web development, cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence with interesting and challenging projects, both in groups and individually,” says Mihir Raniga, another BSc Computing graduate. “My final year project was to build an image-processing application that automatically detects cracks on solar panels.”
Computing students at the University of Buckingham have direct access to world-leading technology such as Boston Dynamics Spot. Boston Dynamics is currently a global leader in developing and deploying highly mobile robots capable of tackling the industry’s toughest challenges. Source: The University of Buckingham, School of Computing
Graduate Bethan Gibson found a work placement with the university’s industry link SymphonyEYC, allowing her to experience how software development worked in a business setting; Anastasia Taylor wrote the software requirements specification for the IRIS Group, a real-world client. Asha Krishnan worked as an instructor for a web development course the university helped facilitate, led outreach sessions in a local primary school and conducted drop-in sessions for one of the Computing modules.
These success stories explain why the School of Computing is ranked in the top 10 for teaching, academic support and learning opportunities (National Student Survey 2023). In the Guardian University Guide 2022, Buckingham is ranked in the top 20 in the UK for Computing. The school’s programmes and range of experiences equip computing students with the practical knowledge and soft skills required for the modern job market.
Programmes are designed, delivered and assessed with the advice of a team of industry experts from diverse backgrounds. They often include work placements, real-life projects and graduate placement opportunities, thanks to the school’s long-established partnerships with industry, businesses and charitable organisations, including the likes of Vitalograph and Zizo.
After completing the BSc in Computing with Accounting and Finance, Renata Franczak joined Vitalograph Ltd, one of the biggest companies in the clinical trials environment. As an Assistant Data Manager, her role revolved around validating clinical databases, designing and testing logic checks, generating data queries, and performing different operations on data based on requests from clients. As Renata loved her time at Buckingham, she has always wanted to return for postgraduate studies — today, she’s doing just that with a data science master’s degree apprenticeship sponsored by Vitalograph.
Computing students at The University of Buckingham have direct access to ‘Birdly’, an immersive virtual flying experience built and distributed by Somniacs, a Swiss electronics manufacturer. Source: The University of Buckingham, School of Computing
Career trajectories like Renata’s are common among Buckingham’s Computing graduates. From day one, they can always seek the Careers and Employability Service for one-to-one career consultations, on-demand mock interviews, and an online resource hub to support career preparation and job hunting. Industry experts from ASOS, easyJet, ExpectAI, IBM, Microsoft, Zizo, and many more run workshops, give seminars and mentor students. Meanwhile, the most recent Computing careers event had representatives from BAE Systems, IBM, and Jaguar Land Rover. B-Enterprising, a micro-internship scheme run in partnership with the university’s Buckingham Enterprise and Innovation Unit, allows employers to get in touch with highly motivated students for short-term projects. Students get a meaningful work experience while the employer benefits from fresh ideas and perspectives.
In a remarkable achievement, a staggering 15 MSc Applied Data Science students of the 2023 cohort successfully secured coveted work placements as part of their 12-month programme. Among them is Godwin Ebikwo, who is now employed by Datitude, a data-driven company, leveraging extensive datasets to empower retail enterprises in making informed decisions. This notable success owes much to the diligent efforts of the university to develop industry partnerships, and the School of Computing’s Careers Teams channel, serving as an invaluable repository of articles, resources, and job opportunities.
“Buckingham is more than a university; it’s an environment that equips you with the right skills, resources, and support for learning and growth,” says Godwin Ebikwo who also pursued the Foundation Pathway leading to the BSc Computing and Software Entrepreneurship before returning to Buckingham to join the MSc Applied Data Science programme. “My experiences there have laid a solid foundation for my flourishing career.” Learn more about Computing at Buckingham here.
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Wanda Parisien is a computing expert who navigates the vast landscape of hardware and software. With a focus on computer technology, software development, and industry trends, Wanda delivers informative content, tutorials, and analyses to keep readers updated on the latest in the world of computing.
