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Differences between our courses

Computer Science (CS) versus Information Technology (IT)

CS is mainly concerned with the invention and development of new software and hardware. IT is mainly concerned with the selection and use of already-available software and hardware.

For more detailed information visit our dedicated page describing the differences between Computer Science and IT.

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What flavours of Computer Science do we offer?

Our courses include the following general types (each link provides an overview of the subject area):

We offer courses combining Computer Science and Mathematics:

For each individual course's full detail, navigate from its entry in our index of undergraduate courses.

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What are the types of degrees that we award?

Degree
with
without
Courses
a year in industry
MEng Master of Engineering 5 years 4 years CSSE, CSAI, CEmb
BEng Bachelor of Engineering 4 years 3 years CEmb, CSci
MMath Master of Mathematics 5 years 4 years MaCS
BSc Bachelor of Science 4 years 3 years CSci, CSMa

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What is the difference between MEng and BEng?

Degree
with
without
Courses
Accreditation
a year in industry
MEng Master of Engineering 5 years 4 years CSSE full accreditation in force
CSAI, CEmb full accreditation being applied for
BEng Bachelor of Engineering 4 years 3 years CSci partial accreditation in force
CEmb partial accreditation being applied for

For each individual course's full detail, navigate from its entry in our index of undergraduate courses.

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What is the difference between BEng and BSc?

Degree
with
without
Courses
Accreditation
a year in industry
BEng Bachelor of Engineering 4 years 3 years CEmb partial accreditation being applied for
BEng Bachelor of Engineering 4 years 3 years CSci: see note* partial accreditation in force
BSc Bachelor of Science
BSc Bachelor of Science 4 years 3 years CSMa no accreditation, but see note**

For each individual course's full detail, navigate from its entry in our index of undergraduate courses.

* The choice between a BEng and a BSc designation for our single-subject CSci course is made by each student prior to graduation. There is no difference in the content. The advantage of choosing BEng is that it shows that the course from which you have graduated has been partially accredited by a professional engineering institution.

** Our BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics does not carry any accreditation for CEng, nor any automatic exemption from any of the BCS professional examinations; but graduates from this course are encouraged (by the BCS) to apply for such exemption, as individuals, after graduation, specifying what options they took, and what finals project they carried out.

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What is the difference between MEng and MMath?

Degree
with
without
Courses
Accreditation
a year in industry
MEng Master of Engineering 5 years 4 years CSSE full accreditation in force
CSAI, CEmb full accreditation being applied for
MMath Master of Mathematics 5 years 4 years MaCS no accreditation, but see note*

For each individual course's full detail, navigate from its entry in our index of undergraduate courses.

* Our MMath in Mathematics and Computer Science does not carry any accreditation for CEng, nor any automatic exemption from any of the BCS professional examinations; but graduates from this course are encouraged (by the BCS) to apply for such exemption, as individuals, after graduation, specifying what options they took, and what finals project they carried out.

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What is the difference between MMath and BSc?

Degree
with
without
Courses
a year in industry
MMath Master of Mathematics 5 years 4 years MaCS Mathematics and Computer Science in equal combination
BSc Bachelor of Science 4 years 3 years CSMa Computer Science and Mathematics in equal combination
CSci Computer Science as a single subject

For each individual course's full detail, navigate from its entry in our index of undergraduate courses.

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Single-subject versus combined-subject courses

CSSE, CSAI, CEmb and CSci all count as single-subject courses.

CSMa and MaCS both count as combined-subject courses.

In combined-subject courses, both subjects are studied through all the three or four years - in equal proportion to start with, and then more flexibly in the later years.

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Are combined-subject courses as well-regarded as single-subject?

The answer is, Yes.

Of course, in a combined-subject course, you only have time to study less of each subject than in a single-subject course. That is inevitable. The question is, Does it matter?

Since, at York, you study both of the two subjects in parallel through all the three or four years of the course, you come across advanced ideas and topics in both subjects (just less of them).

That does not matter provided the two subjects form a coherent pair. Computer Science and Mathematics do indeed fit together well.

Far from being unregarded by employers, some employers actually prefer applicants who can offer this breadth across subjects - provided that the coherence of the package enables the subjects to support each another when being studied in depth.

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What would a combined-subject student miss out on?

In the first year, a CSMa or MaCS student would spend less time than a single-subject student in studying computer hardware (electronics). So, in the second year, such a student would not have access to certain modules for which that study was a pre-requisite.

Also, such a student would not take (and of course would not need to take) the Computer Science modules that deal with mathematics. Similarly, parts of the mathematics course would be omitted.

To see this in more detail, navigate forward from our index of undergraduate courses.

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What if you became more interested in one subject?

It is quite usual for students to develop more of an interest in one of the two subjects, at the expense of the other, late in the course. You cannot, of course, predict that beforehand. There is plenty of scope for you to lean one way or the other, in allocating your time: the number of options taken in each subject, the topics of projects that you undertake, and so on, during your third and fourth years. To see this in more detail, navigate forward from our list of courses.

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