What can you do with a computer science degree?

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after a computing degree

Computing courses induction - Shutterstock

Knowledge and skills

Depending on the pathway you take, you will develop specialist knowledge and skills in:

programming languages
analysis and design for software systems
data modelling and management
secure and robust systems
software engineering
software tools and packages.

In addition to your specialist skills, you will develop wider, transferrable skills in

teamwork and leadership skills through working effectively within a team on a group project during your degree.
verbal communication skills from delivering projects presentations to audiences ranging from fellow students to industry professionals.
effective and methodical problem-solving skills
time management and organisation
written communication skills developed by producing professional technical reports and other written assignments.

Career options

Our graduates

94% of graduates in work or further study

82% of graduates agree that their current activity is meaningful

93% of graduates say their degree was a formal requirement for their job or gave them an advantage*

According to CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce UK report, the tech sector employed just under two million workers in 2021, accounting for 6.3% of the total UK workforce (source: Prospects 2023). The future is very promising for Computing graduates – here are some areas in which you could work:

Applications development
Computer forensics
Cyber security and risk management
Data analysis and analytics
Games development
Information management
IT consultancy (business and technical)
Software development
Software engineering (designing, building, developing and testing)
Systems/network management
Technical support
Telecommunications
Web design/development.

*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2019/20 – 2021/22. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.

With such a wide range of careers open to you and a growing industry, it is worth taking some time to explore your options thoroughly by both researching online, speaking to people in industry and getting experience within the sector. This will help you to make well-informed decisions about your future.

Prospects and TargetJobs offer a great starting point for your online research; you may want to start with these articles:

CW Jobs, one of the job vacancies boards for Computing and IT professionals also contains a helpful careers advice section containing job descriptions about the different areas that you could consider with your degree.

You should also explore information, advice and resources available on webpages of professional associations:

British Computing Society BCS (the professional body for Computing and IT professionals)

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)

Association for Women in Computing (AWC)

Computing Research Association

IEEE Computer Society

Employment opportunities

Your job may involve creating applications or systems, solving problems with technology or supporting those who use it. You could choose to work in the “Tech” sector for the big names however you will find your skills are in high demand across diverse range of sectors from central and local government to retail, finance, manufacturing as well as education and health. Opportunities exist with the large, well-known employers as well as with smaller, exciting start-ups and consultancies. Here are some of the occupations that you could consider:

AI developer
Cyber security analyst
Cyber security consultant
Digital Forensics Investigator
Graduate data engineer
Graduate IT analyst
Graduate software developer
IT consultant

IT second line technical analyst
Junior DevOps Engineer
Project officer
Software developer
Software Engineering & Web Development
Support developer
Teacher of computer science
Web developer

Employers

BAE Systems
BAT (British American Tobacco)
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Ltd
Concept First
Google UK
GOSS Interactive
HM Land Registry
IGGalaxy
Jaguar Land Rover
JW Player

Marine AI
McAfee
NHS
Northrop Grumman
Red Bull Powertrains
Rowe IT
Silhouette Research & Technology Ltd
Sparta Global
Surfline
We are Wild Goose

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying a computer science degree

Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with your degree, and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.

We encourage you to:

research career possibilities and start planning
build your networks and industry knowledge by speaking to employers and graduates
get involved with industry events such as hackathons and games jams
gain work experience during your course whether through placements, internships, working part-time or voluntary activities.
attend career fairs and networking events both at the University and offered by industry
stay up to date with changes in these fast-moving industries with and continue to develop your skills.
get involved with relevant clubs and societies
visit the Careers Service for advice.

Further study

Some career paths may require or benefit from further study; the University of Plymouth offers the following postgraduate study options that could be of interest to Computer Science and Computing graduates:

You should consider the financial implications of further study as well as selecting a programme that suits your interests, learning style and future career direction. The following websites provide a good starting point for exploring postgraduate options, but you may also benefit from talking to a Careers Consultant.

Some useful websites to help you find a suitable postgraduate programme:

It is also worth investigating what

further study options the University has to offer

as you may find the perfect course for yourself in an institution you already know. There are also sometimes financial benefits of staying on such as a fee discount to Alumni –

find out your funding options

Careers Service support

Accessing support from the Careers Service couldn’t be easier; come along to the Careers Service Helpdesk in the

Student Hub

or access our

24/7 online resources

. There is a wide range of support available from skills workshops to events, placements and internships advice, 1-2-1 appointments and help getting started with LinkedIn.

Our bite-sized Accelerate workshops can give your career the boost it needs and topics include:

effective career planning
job hunting techniques
finding part-time work
CVs and interviews
mastering LinkedIn

Workshops are delivered by the Careers Service, however, they are also an opportunity to learn from your peers, share experiences, and ask questions. Visit myCareer to see the full range of activities and to book your place.

Connect with graduates

The LinkedIn alumni tool is a great way to meet graduates and find out more about possible careers. You can see the career journeys of graduates from your programme, the qualifications they completed and employers they worked for.

search LinkedIn for ‘University of Plymouth’
select ‘Alumni’
filter the results by subject, sector, company or location.

If you are looking for help to set up or learn how to make the most out of your LinkedIn profile, select the LinkedIn guide for students or

come to one of our workshops

Other advice and guidance

Get work experience

Work experience will provide a major boost to your employability when you graduate as well as giving you a real insight into what to expect from different occupations and industries. You will develop your confidence and professional skills and meet people – colleagues – who can advise and mentor you while you are there and if you stay in touch with them, help you to develop your career later on.

Many organisations offer placement years and shorter internships or you could work part-time around your studies or approach organisations speculatively directly to negotiate short periods of work experience.

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union also offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities and there are many organisations within the not-for-profit sector who could benefit from your skills and expertise and volunteering generally will help to build your employability skills, confidence and make a real impact on your CV.

Take part in Hackathons

Major League Hacking describe a hackathon an “invention marathon;” teams design and code a prototype of an application that solves a problem. Participants range from software developers, designers, and non-technical people and you may encounter software as well as hardware related projects. Anyone who has an interest in technology attends a hackathon to learn, build and share their creations over the course of a weekend in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

It’s a great way to meet industry professionals as well as other students potentially paving the way for work experience or graduate employment opportunities.