Five reasons to study computer science at Surrey

1. Fantastic work placement opportunities

Surrey won Best University Careers/Employability Service in the UK in 2022. Over half of our computer science students take advantage of our renowned Professional Training placement programme which enables them to get a year’s valuable work experience with a company like:

• Sky TV
• Sony Europe
• IBM
• Cisco Systems.

See student Balraj Panesar’s placement experience in 5 pics at Accenture.

Read more about our students’ placement experiences.

2. Teaching informed by research

Surrey is at the forefront of research in areas such as:

• Cyber security – we’re home to the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security, an Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Education and Research, recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ)
• Distributed systems
• Machine learning and AI
• Computational neuroscience.

Our research directly informs our teaching, and you’ll learn about it at first hand from the internationally-recognised academics who are leading the way in these fields. We have also been named 'Cyber University of the Year' at the National Cyber Awards 2023. 

As a student here you'll experience exceptional teaching and a lively mix of learning styles. We are ranked 1st in the UK for information technology and systems by the Complete University Guide 2024 and 7th in the UK and top 100 globally for computer science and engineering in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023.

3. Get involved outside your course

We encourage you to ‘go the extra mile’ and explore areas you find particularly fascinating. Many of our computer science students decide to do a summer internship at the University, which enables them to get involved in a research project, sometimes funded by industry or government.

There are also opportunities to take part in industry-sponsored hackathons and get involved in entrepreneurial activities. Read about how a group of our computer science undergraduates developed SafeKnight, an innovative app designed to improve student safety. 

4. Great job opportunities

On our computer science degrees students gain a combination of technical and professional skills that means they’re in high demand across numerous sectors including technology, business, finance, transport, health and the games industry. Recent graduates are now in roles such as:

• Cyber Security Engineer at Visa and Ericsson
• Software Engineer at Amazon, Barclays, CGI, Expedia, IBM, Microsoft and Siemens
• Data Analyst at Bloomberg and Sony
• IT/Solutions Architect at Accenture, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Roke.

Some of our students become successful entrepreneurs - sometimes setting up their own start-up companies straight after graduation. Companies co-founded by our computer science graduates include:

• Cinebur
• Combine AI
• Fivium.

Others develop a strong interest in research and go on to a PhD at Surrey or another university in the UK or abroad, helping to shape the future of computer science and related disciplines.

5. Explore cutting-edge topics

At Surrey you’ll learn about the latest developments in:

• Artificial intelligence
• 'Internet of Things'
• Mobile computing
• Machine learning
• Computer security and cryptography
• Modern software engineering technologies
• Distributed system and blockchain
• Formal verification.

Discover our courses in computer science.