Computer science

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Application analyst
• Applications developer
• Cyber security analyst
• Data analyst
• Forensic computer analyst
• Game designer
• Games developer
• Penetration tester
• Secondary school teacher
• Software engineer
• Systems analyst
• UX designer
• Web designer
• Web developer

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Business analyst
• IT sales professional
• IT trainer
• Machine learning engineer
• Management consultant
• Network engineer
• Telecommunications researcher

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Your computer science course may include a year in industry, which will give you the opportunity to develop commercial skills and build up a network of contacts. If your course doesn't offer this, look for IT-related work placements and internships that are often advertised through your careers service, industry programmes or on the websites of large employers.

Placements and internships can be competitive so it's worth contacting smaller, local employers as well to see if they have any work shadowing or project-based opportunities. There are also voluntary digital or IT roles with charities, allowing you to work on projects and get real-life experience.

It's useful to develop a portfolio of your projects, such as those involving programming, building a website or game, contributing to open-source projects, or showcasing your work on platforms such as GitHub.

Evidence of your ability to fix bugs, improve functionality or build an app, collaborate with others, deploy applications to the cloud or experiment with AI tools will help show your skills and interest.

Hackathons and coding competitions can also help you develop and demonstrate your technical and problem-solving skills. Joining your university's computer science society can provide extra opportunities to practise your skills.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

Common employers include:

• IT consultancies
• IT service providers
• software development companies
• cloud and platform providers
• technology start-ups and scale-ups.

Many of these organisations specialise in areas such as AI and machine learning, data analytics, cyber security, fintech, health tech, EdTech, robotics, autonomous systems and climate technology.

Computer science graduates also work within the IT and digital teams of major organisations across sectors such as aerospace and defence, banking and financial services, education, healthcare, manufacturing, government, retail and telecommunications.

Games studios and creative technology companies also employ computer science graduates. Some graduates set up their own digital or consultancy businesses.

Other options include teaching, academic research, IT sales and marketing, and technology publishing or journalism.

Find information on employers in information technology, media and internet, business, consulting and management, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Computer science degrees combine theoretical study and practical projects, teaching you subject-specific skills, including:

• programming languages
• algorithms and data structures
• computer systems and infrastructure
• network design and engineering
• software engineering and development
• database design and management
• artificial intelligence and machine learning
• website design and development
• cyber security
• version control systems and other collaborative development tools.

You learn how to specify, design and build computer-based systems, evaluate potential risks, and develop creative and effective solutions. Keeping your skills up to date is essential throughout your career, as technology and software develop rapidly.

You also develop a range of other skills that are valuable in many roles. These include:

• teamwork and leadership
• communication
• problem solving
• analytical
• negotiation
• time management and organisation
• research
• report writing
• numeracy
• commercial awareness.

Further study

Some computer science graduates choose to continue their studies at postgraduate level, specialising in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security or software engineering through an MSc or PhD. A PhD is usually required for an academic career. You can also combine work with further study through Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

As technology develops rapidly, many graduates continue their professional development throughout their careers, often through employer-funded training, professional certifications and short courses.

If you're interested in teaching, you can complete a teaching qualification to teach computing in secondary schools. Find out more about teacher training options.

For information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees, search postgraduate courses in computer sciences and find out how to write a postgraduate computer science personal statement.

What do computer science graduates do?

Nearly three-quarters (70%) of computer science graduates are working as programmers and software development professionals, IT user support technicians, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, information technology professionals, cyber security professionals, IT operations technicians, data analysts, IT quality and testing professionals or IT network professionals 15 months after graduation.

Find out what other computer science graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.