BSc Creative Computing (BSc, Diploma and Work Entry Route)

Overview
Structure
Study materials
Fees
Assessment
Requirements
Leaders

Is this programme for me?

This degree is for you if you want to:

gain skills in designing computer applications as well as using them
develop your own creativity in the context of technology
investigate the process of new media development using programming and scripting languages
become a creative professional in the computing, media and arts industries.

Key dates
Application deadline	1 October in the year before you intend to sit your first examinations
Registration deadline	30 November
Despatch of study materials	Shortly after your registration form is received
Start studying	As soon as you receive your study materials
Examinations take place	May/June

Programme summaries

BSc: The traditional degree in which 12 courses are taken in three stages. You may apply to transfer to Goldsmiths, University of London, to complete your degree study, entering at Level 2 or Level 3. You have between 3-8 years to complete the BSc. You may be eligible for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) if you have previously studied suitable material.

Diploma: An award in its own right consisting of five courses. Upon successful completion you may transfer directly to Level 2 of the BSc. The Diploma can only be studied at a recognised centre, which is listed offering this programme on the Directory of Institutions. You have between 2-5 years to complete the Diploma.

Work Experience Entry Route: Consists of 2 courses and provides an entry onto the BSc if you do not have traditional A levels or their equivalent. You have between 1-3 years to complete the Work Experience Entry Route.

Individual Courses: Some core and optional modules are offered as credit-bearing Individual modules. This is an ideal option if you're keen to update your professional knowledge, enhance your career or sample the programme.

The following individual courses are available:

Mathematics for computing
Information systems: foundations of e-business
Software engineering, algorithm design and analysis
Artificial intelligence
Information systems management
Electronic commerce
Data compression
Computer security
Interaction design

Prestige and career progression

The programme has been developed by academics within the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, the UK's leading creative university. The Department is a leading centre in the UK for the study of Arts and Music Computing, Cognitive Computing and Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science. Academic staff are leaders and partners on a variety of research projects including working with the BBC, Yahoo, MIT, Cambridge University and Brown University. Goldsmiths' AIKON project uses computational and robotic technologies to explore the drawing the human face.

This degree will equip you with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to act as a creative autonomous professional in the computing and cultural industries. It prepares you for a variety of careers, including: design (particularly games design), computing in the film, music or tv industry, web development, animation, IT consultancy or systems management or analysis.

Time commitment and cost

Independent study demands that you are motivated, well-organised and focused. We advise that to complete in the minimum study period you will need devote at least 250 hours of study to each full course. Fees are payable as you progress rather than as a single lump sum. The following are examples of University fees for the whole programme of study: £4,784 for the BSc and £2,156 for the Diploma (you should also budget for the Diploma-teaching institution's fees). Please note that these examples are calculated using current fees, do not reflect any annual change to fees and assume completion in the minimum time permitted.

Structure and Syllabus

Bachelor of Science degree in Creative Computing
The BSc comprises 12 courses. Take 4 courses from level 1, 4 courses from level 2 and 6 half courses and the project from level 3.

Diploma in Creative Computing
The Diploma in Creative Computing comprises 5 courses. Study at a teaching institution and take 4 courses at level 1, a Mathematics for business course and a Study skills in English course.

Work Experience Entry Route:
This route comprises 2 courses: Information systems: foundations of e-business, and Introduction to Java and object-oriented programming.

Level 1

Four compulsory full courses

Mathematics for computing

Number systems; sets and subsets; set algebra; symbolic logic and logic gates; sequences; summations; elementary counting principles; probability; relations and functions; matrix algebra; systems of linear equations; introduction to the theory of graphs and digraphs.

Introduction to Java and object-oriented programming

Basic Types and Expressions; Assignment Statements; Loops and Conditionals (Simple and Nested); Handling Simple I/O; Objects and Classes; Methods with and without parameters; Inheritance; Constructor Methods (and the use of 'new'); Method Overloading; Method Overriding; Arrays and simple sorting; Basic File Handling; Try and Catch (Simple Exception Handling); Implementing Simple Graphical User Interfaces; Incorporating Applets in a Web page; Simple builtin Dynamic Structures - Vectors; Types vs. Classes; Scope of Variables; Code Layout and Documentation.

Introduction to computing and the internet

Basic computing and communication skills. Fundamentals of computing - hardware, software, architecture, operating systems. Data storage, representation and transmission. Fundamentals of networking and the Internet/WWW: technology, protocols, standards and applications. Professional, legal and social issues relating to the Internet and WWW.

Creative computing 1: image, sound and motion

The Bauhaus; History of mathematics and computing in creativity; Multimedia; Point, Line, Plane; Trigonometry 1; Animation 1; Bits and Pixels; Motion 2; Perspective, Projections and Affine Transformations; Open GL; Genetic programming; Simulation; Filters and Special Effects.

Level 2

Four compulsory full courses

Database systems

Introduction to Database Systems (motivation for database systems, storage systems, architecture, facilities, applications). Database modelling (basic concepts, E-R modelling, Schema deviation). The relational model and algebra, SQL (definitions, manipulations, access centre, embedding). Physical design (estimation of workload and access time, logical I/Os, distribution). Modern database systems (extended relational, object-oriented). Advanced database systems (active, deductive, parallel, distributed, federated). DB functionality and services (files, structures and access methods, transactions and concurrency control, reliability, query processing).

Graphical object-oriented and Internet programming in Java

The course aims to give students an insight into the object-oriented approach to the design and implementation of software systems. The course also considers specific features of the programming language Java, in particular, graphical interfaces and event driven applications. The second part of the course is intended to give students the necessary background to understand the technical software aspects of how computers communicate across the internet. Students will be introduced to the underlying principles of client-server computing systems and will gain the required conceptual understanding, knowledge and skills to enable them to produce simple web-based computing systems in Java.

Software engineering, algorithm design and analysis

This course provides an introduction to software engineering, algorithm design and analysis. The main topics include: Software design in UML: use cases, class modelling, objects and links, aggregations and dependencies, activity diagrams, state-charts; Principles of good software design, software development lifecycle, the role of design and modelling in software development; Software verification and validation; Project management and planning; Case studies and software horror stories. Abstract data types, design patterns, algorithmic issues, complexity theory, the application and implementation of common data structures in Java.

Creative computing 2: interactive multimedia

For students registered for the BSc in Creative Computing only. Signals and systems; perception; audio and image signal processing (including convolution, filters, the Fast Fourier Transform); image techniques (such as texture mapping, transparency. Blending); advanced computer graphics for scene description and rendering; animation (techniques and concepts); user interface issues(such as advanced mouse control, keyboard control, text input/text output); creative development; visual literacy; multimedia manipulation; action scripting.

Assessment: One three-hour unseen written paper and coursework.

Level 3

Three compulsory half courses from

Computing art and image effects

Discretisation and painting style; aesthetic principles in computing; motion understanding in perception; motion rendering (e.g.in animation), sculpting and 3D layouts; visual, modelling, animation and interaction aspects of game design and implementation.

Sound and music

Sound synthesis and manipulation; computer systems and models in music; multimedia and music information retrieval; computer music creativity (machine-led, human-led and machine/human interaction).

Interaction design

This course examines the notion of 'interaction with technology' with a focus on the design concepts of modern user experience design and production. It begins with a grounding in the specification, design, prototyping and evaluation of advanced interactive systems, with an introduction to HCI and a short history of the field. An overview of design approaches follows. Human/user attributes and requirements, and interaction paradigms, looks at the human in HCI and available types of interaction. Usability requirements/usability engineering are discussed in the context of a number of specific design approaches and techniques, requirements and issues. Design guidelines and standards, accessibility requirements, and issues involved in designing for specific populations (globalization and internationalism) follows. Finally, information on current interaction design questions and approaches for new and emerging technologies and paradigms provides an exposition of real-world applications and sectors where Interaction Design is relevant.

Plus three half courses chosen from the following

Artificial intelligence

Knowledge representation, propositional and predicate calculus; problem solving: state-space search; breadth-first and depth-first search; planning; natural language; expert systems; philosophy of AI; Prolog. Additional software requirements: Prolog is needed. Can be SWI-prolog from http://hcs.science.uva.nl/software.html

Neural networks

The artificial neuron; network architecture; perceptrons. Single layer networks; supervised training in batch and individual mode. Multilayer feedforward networks; backpropogation; momentum. Counterpropogation networks; unsupervised training; initialisation of weights. Statistical methods; Boltzmann training. Feedback networks; Hopfields nets; energy; training. Applications. Additional software requirements: recommended that some neural nets software is obtained (eg MATLAB).

Software engineering project management

The course examines software process and engineering concepts such as the software lifecycle, object oriented programming, design for re-use and user-centred design, together with contemporary approaches such as Agile methods of software and project management (for which a grounding in traditional development methodologies is necessary). It focuses on selection of tools and methodologies for specific purposes, and explores a variety of contexts, ranging from embedded systems, to the inherently parallel distributed environments of cloud computing to the multidisciplinary design of advanced interactive and web-based technologies.

Information systems management

An introduction to the various facets of Information System Management to help students understand the importance of non-technical issues. The importance of close integration between business and IS planning will be stressed. The following topics are included: information security and safety critical systems; data protection legislation; Computer Misuse Act and other relevant legislation. Ethical and professional issues. Strategic planning of IS; evaluation of IS investments.

Electronic commerce

This course is designed to familiarise students with current and emerging electronic commerce, technologies using the internet. Subject areas will include ‘Internet Technology for Business Advantage’, ‘Web-based Tools for Electronic Commerce’, ‘Electronic Payment Systems’, ‘Strategies for Marketing’, ‘Sales and Promotion’, ‘Internet Security’, ‘International, Legal, Ethical and Tax Issues’.

Data compression

Minimum redundancy coding; data compression and information theory; adaptive Huffman coding; arithmetic coding; statistical modelling; dictionary-based compression; sliding window compression; LZ278 compression; speech compression; graphics compression; fractual image compression.

Computer security

Passwords; access controls; symmetric and asymmetric encryption; confidentiality; authentication; integrity; nonrepudiation; availability; hash functions. Security for electronic mail, IP, Web, databases, distributed systems. Standards.

Operations research and combinatorial optimisation

The course offers a modern and computationally-oriented introduction to discrete optimisation. The theory of matroids is covered in detail as providing a deep and coherent approach to the principles of optimisation. The more advanced topic of matroid intersection is given a novel treatment using symbolic computation which focuses on the underlying concepts while maintaining a strong link to computing science. This leads on to a consideration of algorithmic and computational complexity and to the theory of linear and integer linear programming.

Software engineering project management

Introduction to Natural Language Processing

This course combines a critical introduction to key topics in theoretical linguistics with hands-on practical experience of developing applications to process texts and access linguistic resources. The main topics covered are accessing text corpora and lexical resources; processing raw text; categorizing and tagging; extracting information from text; analyzing sentence structure.

Plus a compulsory project

Project: Each student is required to undertake an individual project. Project work can be expected to take up at least 300 hours of a student’s time. Additional software requirements: Internet access is required to widen the scope of information sources. This will also aid in obtaining some free- and share-ware.

How you study

The computing programme offers you an alternative way of obtaining a prestigious qualification at a reasonable cost. You have a choice of study options:

Use the specially produced study materials and the resources on the virtual learning environment (VLE) to guide yourself through the courses by studying independently or as part of a support group formed on the VLE.
Additionally, in some countries, you can also choose to pay for educational support at a local teaching institution to benefit from face-to-face tuition.
To take the Diploma you must study at a teaching institution that is listed as recognised for this purpose.
Note that tuition support from the University is not provided.

Study materials

The specially produced study materials are developed by academics appointed by Goldsmiths. They guide you through the textbooks, which will be the real focus of your studies. The cost of your study pack is included in your initial and continuing registration fees. Study materials include:

A Student handbook containing practical information and advice.
Subject guides offering advice on how to use textbooks in a productive manner. Additional interactive exercises, audio and animated graphics, and a hyperlinked glossary of key terms.
Assignments and instructions on how to submit your coursework.
Past exam papers and Examiners' commentaries which are updated annually and available to download. These provide an insight into how questions should have been tackled and outline common mistakes made by students in the past.

Online support

Once you register, we send you a University of London username and password enabling you to log in to the Student Portal. You can then access your University of London email account and two other key online resources:

The virtual learning environment

By supporting your studies and helping you feel part of a community, the VLE forms an important part of your study experience with us. It includes:

Electronic study materials.
Student discussion forums.

The Online Library

The Online Library holds thousands of journal articles which you can access free of charge. A dedicated helpdesk is available if you have any difficulties in finding what you need.

Books

You need to provide your own books, so we do advise you to check that you can obtain them before you register. You may be able to use other university or local libraries, both in the UK and overseas. A booklist for the Level 1 courses is provided in the Computing programme resourses part of this website.

Fees

The fees below relate to the 2013-2014 session and are subject to annual review.

BSc and Diploma	2013-2014
Application fee	£ 72
Registration fee	£ 684
Examination fee per full course (or project for BSc)	£ 280
Examination fee per half course	£ 140
Continuing registration fee	£ 334
Total Diploma	£ 2,156
Total BSc	£ 4,784

Work Experience Entry Route	2013-2014
Application fee	£ 72
Registration fee	£ 342
Continuing registration fee	£ 334
Examination fee per full course	£ 280
Transfer fee	£ 676

Individual courses taken on a stand alone basis	2013-2014
Application fee	£ 72
Composite fee (registration and one examination attempt) per full course / half course	£ 450 / £225
Re-entry examination fee per full course / half course	£ 280 / £140
Fee for extension of registration, per annum, per Individual course / half course	£ 225 / £113

ConvertGBP x 1

Disclaimer: the currency conversion tool is provided to you for convenience only and does not constitute an endorsement or approval by the University of London; the exchange rates are provided dynamically via a third-party source, consequently, the University of London International Programmes is not responsible for their accuracy.

The totals provided above are examples of the total amount of fees payable to the University for the whole programme of study. These examples use the current fees, do not reflect any annual change to fees and assume completion in the minimum time permitted.

When to pay

The application handling fee is payable when you make your application. The closing date for applications is 1 October. If you meet the entrance requirements you will be invited to register.

The initial registration fee is payable when you register with the University. The closing date for registrations is 30 November.

The examination fee is payable when you choose to enter an examination. Examinations take place in May or June each year and examination entries are accepted between 30 November and the examination entry closing date, 1 February. The examination fee and dates also apply to students who are re-entering the examination.

The continuing registration fee is payable in the second and subsequent years of registration at the time when you confirm the courses that you will be registered for during that year. The continuing registration fee is effective between 1 March and 30 November.

A transfer fee is payable if you complete the Worke experience entry route and transfer to the BSc degree. In the year that you transfer, no continuing registration fee is payable.

How to pay

All University fees must be paid in pounds sterling (GBP). The University accepts:

Western Union - Quick Pay
Credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Electron, JCB)
Sterling banker's draft/cheque
International money/postal order

Further details are given in payment methods.

Other costs

In addition to the fees payable to the University, you should also budget for:

textbooks (this may well be in the region of £400 per year if you are taking four units in one year);
tuition costs (if studying at a teaching institution);
the fee charged by your local examination centre to cover its costs; this fee will vary.

Note

Fees are subject to annual review and the University reserves the right to amend previously announced fees, if necessary. For a full list fees that may be applicable, please see the fee schedule.

Academic Requirements

BSc Creative Computing

To be eligible for the BSc degree you must:

normally* be aged 17 or above by the 30 November in the year of registration and satisfy the University’s General Entrance Requirements and
have a level of competence at least equivalent to a pass at UK GCE 'AS' level in a mathematical subject or a UK GCSE/GCE 'O' level in Mathematics at no less than grade B (equivalents can be found within the above link).

Diploma in Creative Computing

To be eligible for the Diploma you must:

normally* be aged 17 years or above before 1 September in the year you first register with the University and
have passed the equivalent of at least four separate subjects at UK GCSE/GCE ‘O’ level (at not less than grade C) including Mathematics and
been admitted to a course of instruction at a teaching institution which has been given 'Diploma Teaching Status' (for further details see advice about choosing an institution section of our website).

Work Experience Entry Route to BSc Creative Computing

To be eligible for the Work Experience Entry Route you must:

normally* be aged 21 years or above before 1 September in the year you first register with the University and
have passed the equivalent of at least four separate subjects at UK GCSE/GCE ‘O’ level (at not less than grade C) including Mathematics and
have at least two years relevant work experience (i.e. with computing or information technology elements either from a job in a computing-oriented company or a job in computing or information technology).

UK GCSE equivalents, including grade requirements can be found at: Entrance Qualifications [pdf, 52pgs, 65KB].

*Applications will be considered from applicants who do not meet the normal minimum age requirement for admission. Each application will be considered on an individual basis, and the decision taken at the discretion of the University of London.

If you are not automatically eligible then you will be individually considered by the University of London’s Special Admissions Panel. The Special Admissions Panel will consider qualifications which are not published under the Qualifications for Entrance Schedule, incomplete qualifications (e.g. diplomas / degrees) and substantial relevant work experience. If we cannot accept you with your current qualifications and experience, we will advise you what qualifications you could take in order to become eligible in the future.

English language requirement

The language of instruction, reading and assessment is English. To succeed on our programmes you need a good level of competence in English. If you doubt your ability in written or spoken English we advise you take a course and test in English language before enrolling on the programme.

Required standard of English

You will usually meet the English language requirement for undergraduate programmes if you:

hold a UK GCSE / GCE O level in English at grade C or above
have five years secondary schooling taught solely in English or have passed GCE A levels or IB in essay-based subjects
have passed an International Foundation programme that permits entry onto a recognised UK bachelor degree
hold a full Postgraduate award, or a full first degree or Associate degree taught and examined in English from an institute that is acceptable to the University
have passed, within the past three years, an Associate degree, Diploma or Higher Diploma awarded by an acceptable institute / polytechnic / university in Hong Kong, Malaysia or Singapore, or
have passed, within the past three years, a test of proficiency in English language from an organisation acceptable to the University.

Where an applicant does not meet the required English language level but believes they can demonstrate the required level for admission the University may, at its discretion, consider the application.

Please note if an applicant satisfies one of the above conditions yet provides evidence of a test of proficiency in English language, awarded within the past three years, which is below the University’s minimum requirements then they will be required to retake such a test before being offered admission.

Computing requirements

All students must have regular access to a computer and the internet. This may be for accessing the Student Portal, downloading course materials from the virtual learning environment or accessing resources from the Online Library.

You will also need suitable hardware capacity on your computer for document storage as well as basic software such as a PDF reader.

We recommend that you use the latest version of Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome and that your screen resolution is 1024 x 768 or greater. JavaScript and cookies must be enabled to access particular online services such as the Student Portal.

Some programmes have courses or modules that use additional software. Where this is the case, information is given with the relevant course descriptions.

Additional computer requirements for all Creative Computing students

Hardware

The recommended minimum configuration is as follows:

Processor: 3GHz
Hard drive: 36.4GB – standard
Free hard disk space: 200 MB
Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 colour
Networking: Network adapter –Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
RAM: 2GB
Graphics controller: 128MB
Audio output Soundcard: stereo
Cache memory :512KB L2 cache
Optical storage: CD-ROM/CD-RW
Sound card and speakers are also recommended for playing CD-ROMs.

Other machines, apart from those that are PC-compatible, are acceptable provided they run equivalent software.

Software

You are advised to make use of common operating systems and software, as follows:

Windows™ or Linux or Macintosh
Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer
Word processor, spreadsheet and database
No systems are recommended specifically, but under Windows™, an integrated package such as Microsoft Office is sufficient, while under Linux, OpenOffice is adequate
A Java resource
To enable site functionality, Acrobat Reader 5, Flash MX plug-in, Shockwave 8 plug-in, JavaScript-enabled, Java-enabled may be required
Linux is recommended (for example, Ubuntu Linux; free to download; or request a CD from www.ubuntu.com).
For Level 3, additional software is required for some courses. This information is given under the course outlines in the Regulations.

Accreditation of prior learning

If you have studied a syllabus as part of a previous qualification which is comparable in level, content and standard, you might not have to take a particular course as part of your University of London International Programmes degree if we believe that the subject has been covered to the same breadth and depth. This is called Accreditation of prior learning or APL. It is also sometimes known as Credit Transfer or Exemption.

We can award APL towards the degree only. The rules that apply are given in the Credit transfer and accreditation of prior learning section of the Programme Specification and Regulations [pdf, 89pgs, 362KB]. More information about APL can also be found on the APL section of the website.

Academic direction - Computing - Goldsmiths, University of London

The UK's leading creative university, Goldsmiths is all about the freedom to experiment, to think differently, to be an individual. Goldsmiths brings creative and unconventional approaches to all of its subjects, always based on the highest academic standards of teaching and research. From undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to part-time and professional courses, Goldsmiths has an excellent range of innovative study opportunities, with the visual and performing arts departments being especially renowned. No fewer than five of its graduates, including Damien Hirst, have gone on to win the prestigious Turner Prize.

Goldsmiths' Department of Computing is a leading centre in the UK for the study of Arts and Music Computing, Cognitive Computing and Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science. Academic staff are leaders and partners on a variety of research projects and have key alliances with other universities (including Cambridge University, MIT, Brown University, Leeds University, and King’s College London), cultural institutions (the Department works with several museums including Tate Modern), creative and telecommunications industries. Further information about the department and teaching staff can be found at the departmental homepage [external link].

Current research within the Department includes Ontology of Digital Culture (developing an application for searching audio and video content online), Intelligent Sound and Music Systems
(understanding how human music cognition functions), Adaptive Technologies (enhancing the functionality of hypermedia systems), and Algorithms and Computer Networks (encompassing algorithm design and analysis, wireless networks, data compression, and combinatorics).

Goldsmiths' responsibilities include writing study materials, giving advice to students and teaching institutions, and ensuring that students are examined to the same standard as at Goldsmiths and the University of London as a whole.

Apply online

London Connection Q&A: Dr Mick Grierson
Dr Mick Grierson from Goldsmiths, University of London, talks about Creative Computing and the future of gaming.

Alumni Inspiration - BSc Creative Computing (Malta)

Joseph Gatt graduated in 2011 with a first class honours BSc Creative computing degree. He speaks about why he decided to study for the degree and his plans for the future.

BSc Creative Computing (BSc, Diploma and Work Entry Route)