Welcome from Course Director

Welcome to the pure Computer Science degree in the School of Computer Science and Statistics in Trinity College Dublin.  We are the highest ranked Computer Science school in the country in the highest ranked University in the country, and you are just starting on a path to join the many well-regarded computer science professionals who have studied with us over the years.  Computer science is a great discipline to be in as skills in this field prepare you to work in a huge variety of fields.  Computers have applications in virtually every walk in life and hence we, as computer scientists, can apply ourselves in almost any field we want to.  For example, over my years working with industry I’ve got to apply my computer science skills in diverse areas such as trading currencies in international banks, diagnosing medical conditions using ultrasound and even automatically detecting buried landmines!  You never know where YOUR computer science skills will take YOU.

This programme is sometimes referred to as the Integrated Computer Science programme or ICS for short.  This is because you can study with us for 4 years leading to a BA(Mod) in Computer Science or stay for a fifth year to obtain an MCS (Masters in Computer Science).

The first two years (called Junior Fresh and Senior Fresh in Trinity) are the foundation of the course. You will study topics in mathematics, programming, microprocessors, digital logic, telecommunications, information management, electronics and the role of computers in society.

In your third year (called Junior Sophister in Trinity) you will begin to encounter topics at a more advanced level. You will also be able to begin to specialise in areas of interest to you through the selection of elective modules.

The programme places a strong emphasis on developing practical skills and you will have extensive opportunities to work on design and development projects both individually and in teams with fellow students.

At the end of third year, you will elect to enter fourth year with the intention of graduating with a BA (Mod) in Computer Science at the end of fourth year, or to pursue two more years of study, with the intention of graduating with the degree of Master in Computer Science.  In both years 4 and 5 you will choose almost all of your modules from a range of advanced topics, and will address a large project & dissertation.  In the MCS progamme you will spend around 6 months working on an internship (and we have many significant companies involved in our internship programme).

Congratulations on getting a place in the Computer Science degree programme in Trinity College Dublin.  I hope you really enjoy your years studying here, build skills that you can use throughout your careers and make lifelong friends within your class and the wider University.

Yvette Graham