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Computer Science

ESSENTIAL SUBJECTS

Mathematics

 

 DESIRABLE SUBJECTS

Further Mathematics

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What Computer Science is about
Computer Science is the study of computation. It extends from the physical principles on which digital computers work to the mathematical understanding of the nature of computation, and includes the principles of operating systems, computer artificial intelligence and security networks,

Computer Science is important because it has a profound effect on our understanding and control of many kinds of complex and changing structures. At a routine level, its application helps to improve the performance of clerical tasks and scientific calculations. Computer Science is making it easier to design and run large and challenging applications in all areas of industrial, commercial, and government activity. At its frontiers, Computer Science provides valuable information-processing metaphors to help our understanding of such various things as the genetic code, human understanding and cognition, and even the behaviour of the universe.

Computer Scientists are people who understand the why as well as the how of these matters. They have a broad and well-informed view, not just technical knowledge. They understand how large and complex systems are put together, and how different skills may be combined to solve real problems.

The Cambridge courses are designed to give students advanced practical experience together with an understanding of fundamental principles that will outlast today's technology. The intellectual scope and challenge of the subject is growing all the time as more and more of its practical aspects get a proper theoretical foundation. It should therefore be no surprise that the Cambridge course has a strong theoretical outlook, and should not be regarded as a vocational training course for a career in programming.

Candidates intending to read Computer Science need more than merely an enthusiasm for programming; they need the intellectual ability to deal with abstract concepts and techniques. This observation is placed here specifically to emphasize the difference between computing as a hobby (which many candidates will have experienced), and Computer Science as an academic discipline. It is the academic rigour of Computer Science that makes it such a rewarding subject of study and ultimately more applicable.

Why Queens' is a good college for Computer Science:
We take Computer Science seriously. In Computer Science, we have two Fellows, one of whom is with Microsoft Research. You will find yourself in a viable size of subject group: we aim to accept 4 to 6 Computer Scientists per year. Almost all supervisors will be from Queens': either Fellows or former Computer Science students of Queens'. Queens' is the only college that supports CST Part II supervisions from within its own resources: we do not need to participate in the Computer Lab's communal supervision scheme for Part II. Queens' has a weekly Computer Science group class at which students, both undergraduate and research, of all years can get to know each other.

You live for all three years of the course on the College's main site in central Cambridge, in rooms which have ethernet sockets, and which are within 5 minutes' walk of first-year Computer Science lectures. A free bus service to the Computer Lab's William Gates Building in West Cambridge stops outside Queens'.

There are plenty of opportunities within College for deploying your technical skills within your recreational time. Recent examples include: technical support for drama, films, and discos in the Fitzpatrick Hall; earning money as a conference technician during the vacations.

Computer Science at Cambridge:

Year One: choose one of three options (a)-(c):

(a) The Computer Science Tripos Part IA (50% option)

·     Computer Science Paper 1: Foundations of Computer Science (using the polymorphically-typed recursive functional language ML), Discrete Mathematics, Programming in Java (a modular imperative language available on many platforms), and Operating Systems.

·     Computer Science Paper 2: Digital Electronics, Professional Practice & Ethics, Computer Perspectives, Probability, Regular Languages and Finite Automata, Software Engineering, Structured Hardware Design.

·    Mathematics from the Natural Sciences Tripos Part IA.

·     One other Natural Science Part IA subject chosen from Physics, Chemistry, Materials & Mineral Sciences, Biology of Cells, or Geology.

The 50% option leads on in the second year either to Computer Science Part IB (see below), or to Natural Sciences Part IB. Students intending to specialize in Physics at Cambridge without science A-levels other than Physics might consider this route into Cambridge.

(b) The Computer Science Tripos Part IA (25% option)

·    Computer Science Paper 1 (see above).

·    Mathematics from the Natural Sciences Tripos Part IA.

·     Two other Natural Science Part IA subjects chosen from Physics, Chemistry, Materials & Mineral Sciences, Biology of Cells, Evolution & Behaviour, or Geology.

The 25% option is intended primarily for those who plan to proceed to Natural Sciences Part IB, but want to read some Computer Science in Part IA. It is possible to continue with Computer Science Tripos Part IB (below), but some catching up might be necessary.

(c) The Maths with Computer Science option of the Mathematics Tripos Part IA.

Students take Computer Science Paper 1 (see above) plus further subjects from the Mathematics Tripos Part IA. Applicants intending to take this route should also consult the section on Mathematics.

This course leads on in the second year either to Computer Science Part IB (see below), or to Mathematics Part IB.

Year Two:

The Computer Science Tripos Part IB courses include Concurrent Systems, Introduction to ECAD, Computer Design, Numerical Analysis, Data Structures & Algorithms, Continuous Mathematics, Logic & Proof, Economics & Law, Comparative Programming Languages, Compiler Construction, Computation Theory, Digital Communications, Operating Systems, Computer Graphics & Image Processing, Semantics, Introduction to Security, Prolog for Artificial Intelligence, Databases, Foundations of Functional Programming, Complexity Theory, [plus Digital Electronics for those who did the Part IA 25% option or Maths with Computer Science]. There is some assessed laboratory work (programming), and an assessed project undertaken by students in groups of about six.

After the second year, a possible change is to the Management Studies Tripos, or to certain options in the Engineering Tripos (a further two years, making four in all).

Year Three:

The Computer Science Tripos Part II covers advanced topics in Artificial Intelligence, Advanced System Topics, Advanced Graphics and HCI, Types, Denotational Semantics, Computer Systems Modelling, Information Theory & Coding, Information Retrieval, VLSI Design, Specification & Verification, Digital Communications, Concurrency, Optimizing Compilers, Security, Natural Language Processing, Comparative Architectures, Additional Topics, Numerical Analysis, E-Commerce, Distributed Systems, Database Theory, Business Studies. Each student also writes a dissertation of up to 12,000 words on a substantial project, which counts towards about 25% of the final marks.

Professional accreditation

Part II of the Computer Science Tripos is accredited by the British Computer Society for Full Exemption from their professional examinations, and Partial C.Eng. accreditation.

Entry qualifications and standards

Queens' aims to admit about 4 to 6 Computer Scientists each year, of a university class size of around 100. Queens' welcomes applications from suitably prepared candidates.

In order to be adequately prepared for the Computer Science Tripos Part IA (50% option), it is considered that a full A-level Mathematics is essential, and will definitely be specified as part of a conditional offer. AS-level Maths alone is not enough. Further Mathematics (at A-level or AS-level, or any other way of extending a single Maths A-level) is very useful and a physical science such as Physics (preferably, or otherwise Chemistry) is useful, and these will be specified in conditional offers if they are being taken. A-level Computing is not a pre-requisite, but can be slightly useful and might be specified in conditional offers if needed to make up a full offer. ICT is not useful, will not form part of an offer, and candidates should not take ICT at the expense of dropping any of the subjects listed above. Electronics, Music, and Modern or Classical Languages are helpful auxiliary subjects, but might not form part of a conditional offer.

Typical conditional offers made by Queens' to well-prepared candidates will be three grade As in relevant subjects in full A-levels or Scottish Advanced Highers, or the equivalent in other examination systems. Candidates will be required, on the day of the interview, to take a Thinking Skills Assessment, a multiple-choice test of 90 minutes.

Candidates for the Computer Science Tripos Part IA (25% option) need the same preparation as intending Natural Scientists, and offers will be much the same as offers to Natural Scientists. Candidates for the Maths with Computer Science option of the Mathematics Tripos Part IA will need to be as well prepared as any other candidate in Mathematics: typically this

will involve a more demanding conditional offer than the CST 50% or 25% options.

Applicants whose offers are confirmed are expected to have worked their way through a preliminary reading list before starting their course.

Teaching arrangements

University lectures for the first year and the first term of the second year are in central Cambridge. Practical work and later lectures take place in the Computer Laboratory, at the William Gates Building in West Cambridge. At present there are about 340 undergraduate and Diploma students, 100 postgraduates engaged in research for the Ph.D. degree, and 30 academic staff. The Computer Laboratory houses several hundred computers, many of them high-performance workstations, and a specialist library. The University Computing Service makes available an electronic mail system, and a Cambridge-wide network of personal computers known as the Personal Workstation Facility (PWF), which ensures that many teaching applications are available wherever students happen to be in Cambridge: laboratory or college.

The College provides each student with one or more Supervisors to supplement the University teaching. For the Computer Science courses, the Supervisor will normally be a Fellow of the College, or a former Computer Science student of College, and will usually give supervisions to groups of two students. In their first year, students can expect to receive four supervisions per week, of which one or two will be given by Fellows of the College. In higher years, each student attends around two supervisions a week.

Queens' is possibly unique amongst Cambridge colleges in also running a weekly Computer Science class for its students and supervisors: usually a student or supervisor gives a short talk on a topic related to Computer Science, followed by a discussion, and often dinner together afterwards.

Teaching resources at Queens'

The College Library stocks most required text books. The College Computer Room contains 10 PCs and 5 Apple Macs, all networked to the University Data Network and the Internet, and two laser printers. The PCs and Macs support University teaching applications networked through the University PWF.

Every student room within the main buildings of Queens' College, and all of its hostels, has a socket for the college data network, offering an ethernet connection to the Cambridge University Data Network and the Internet, and, at the time of writing, over 500 Queens' students have computers connected to this network. Every student room also has a telephone socket from NTL, and any student with a modem may register to use the university's Magpie dial-up service. Both the college data network and the Magpie dial-up service are chargeable services.

Teaching staff at Queens'

The College has two teaching Fellows in Computer Science: Dr Robin Walker (Director of Studies in Computer Science, and Junior Bursar), and Dr Nick Benton (Bye-Fellow). In addition, there are many former Queens' Computer Science undergraduates (now postgraduate students or employed locally) actively engaged in teaching our present undergraduates. Having so many of our supervisors in Queens' itself makes the Queens' Computer Science group exceptionally cohesive and socially supportive. Queens' is possibly the only Cambridge college to teach such a large proportion of the Computer Science course from its own resources.

Applicants who wish to discuss matters relating to Computer Science are welcome to contact the Director of Studies in Computer Science (Robin Walker), preferably at a College Open Day, or at other times by e-mail to rdhw@cam.ac.uk.

Afterwards ...

The employment record after graduation from Cambridge in Computer Science is very good. Queens' usually has one or two Computer Scientists per year staying on to do research or a higher degree.

Other Computer Science courses (not for undergraduate admission):

Computer Science Part II (General). This one-year course is taken by undergraduates in their third (or fourth) year of residence. It may be preceded by two (or three) years in any subject which offers a Tripos examination in the previous year (a Preliminary examination will not do). The most common subjects to transfer from are: Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering. Four programming exercises are assessed by the examiners. There is no long project or Hardware Laboratory work. It is necessary to attend a two-week course during the Long Vacation immediately before starting this course.

Diploma in Computer Science. This one-year taught course is taken by postgraduate students. The course is similar to the Part II (General) course with the addition of a long dissertation project. Enquiries about admission should be made to the

Computer Laboratory or to the Board of Graduate Studies and not to the college.

M.Phil. in Computer Speech, Text and Internet Technology. This one year taught course is taken by postgraduate students. Enquiries about admission should be made to the Computer Laboratory or to the Board of Graduate Studies and not to the college.

February 2003

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