Computer Science at Oxford and Cambridge

1. Computer Science at Oxford and Cambridge Graham Titmus University of CambridgeComputer Laboratory www.cl.cam.ac.uk Luke Ong Oxford UniversityComputing Laboratory www.comlab.ox.ac.uk

2. Contents • Oxford & Cambridge University • What is Computer Science? • Details of the two courses • Admissions Most of this presentation applies equallyto both Oxford and Cambridge.When just one logo appears,the information applies to that university only.

3. Research Assessment • Oxford and Cambridge are two of the top CS departments for research • the following grades are taken from the five-yearly Research Assessment Exercises (1996,2001 & 2008) which are graded: 1 2 3a 3b 4 5 5* • Cambridge scored the best possible:5*, 5* and 3.35 GPA • Highest ranking in 2008 assessment • Oxford scored 5* & 5 and 3.15 GPA • Overall 3rd in research power

4. Teaching assessment • There are many good Computer Science teaching departments in the UK: • Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Imperial, Kent, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton, Swansea, Warwick, York • all scored 23/24 in the government’s Teaching Quality Assessment • all rated above 80% by the Guardian University Guide 2002 • do you trust either of these measures? • you need to check what they have in their syllabus • is it good Computer Science? • is it what you want to do?

5. Contents • Oxford & Cambridge University • What is Computer Science? • Details of the two courses • Admissions

6. What is Comp Sci? • Programming • Science • Art • Engineering • Mathematics • Linguistics • Psychology

7. Computer Science… • ... will save the planet by providing systems that are • sustainable • dependable • adaptable • … teaches general skills • analysis • problem solving • abstraction • design • … produces extremely marketable graduates

8. Graduate profiles Paul CunninghamA-levels in Maths, F. Maths, Physics & ArtPhD in verification of self-timed hardwareStarted own company with £2.5m capital Sonali TandonA-levels in Maths, Physics & ChemistryWorking for Citigroup’s Technology Division in London Isabel KingsmillA-levels in Maths, Physics & ChemistryWorking for Detica in Guildford on data and signal processing

9. Contents • Oxford & Cambridge University • What is Computer Science? • Details of the two courses • Admissions

10. Teaching and learning • Students belong to a college and a faculty • Attend lectures in their faculty • Taught in small groups in college

11. Teaching: our aims • To give our students an understanding of fundamental principles that will outlast today’s technology • To produce graduates who will lead development not merely cope with it

12. Cambridge History • Mathematical Lab founded 1937 • EDSAC May 1949 • Practical computer • 650 instructions/s • 1k x 17 bits • paper tape input • teletype output • 4m x 3m • 3000 valves • 12kW

13. William Gates Building

14. Cambridge phenomenon • Cambridge has developed rapidly over past 15 years • New technology and start-up companies • Many spin-offs from University research groups • IT companies around Cambridge - Silicon Fen Source: Cambridge Entrepreneurship Centre

15. Computer Laboratory • Staff • 35 teaching officers • 35 contract researchers • 10 computer officers • 15 administration and assistants • Students • 150 research students • 30 post-graduate Diploma • 25 MPhil in Speech and language • 340 undergraduates

16. Syllabus

17. Courses • Programming • Java, C++ (object-oriented) • ML (functional) • Prolog (logic) • C (procedural) • Assembler • Verilog (hardware definition) • Comparative Languages • Hardware • Digital Electronics • Computer design • ECAD, VLSI • Quantum Computing • Mathematics • Underpins theory and many applications • Post A-level functions, sets, number theory, probability

18. Courses II • Algorithms • Data structures and Algorithms • Complexity • Theory • Computation Theory • Logic & proof, Semantics, Information theory, Specification & verification, Types, Concurrency, Finite Automata • Automatic Theorem Proving • Systems • Operating Systems, Real time systems • Networks, Distributed Systems • Middleware (Transport, Trust), E-commerce • Compilers • Databases

19. Applications • Graphics • HCI • Vision • Human behaviour animation • Security • Chip analysis, Protocols, Crypto, Steganography, Privacy • Language, speech and information • Natural Language Processing • AI • Information retrieval • Bioinformatics • Sentient computing • Sensors, Tracking, Augmented Reality, Vehicles, Sports

20. Professional skills • Professional practice & ethics • ethical theory, professions, computer misuse • Software Engineering • failures, life cycles, quality, tools, management • design, formal methods, specification, proof • Intellectual property law • Business studies • how to start and run a business • finance, project management, sales & marketing, exit strategies

21. The functional approach • Calculating factorials • Calculating the powerset fun factorial 0 = 1 | factorial x = x * factorial (x – 1); fun powerset [] = [[]] | powerset (x::xs) = let val ps = powerset xs in ps @ (map (fn (y) => x::y) ps) end;

22. Cambridge Course • Three years • 1st year ½ CS, ¼ Maths, ¼option from elsewhere • 2nd, 3rd years 100% CS • Select most 2nd yearcourses, half the 3rd year • 100 students per year • plus 40 part-time in 1st year • General principles • not vocational training • Self-contained • Draws on many disciplines Year 3 Computer Science Year 2 Computer Science CS CS Ma Opt Year 1 Computer Science

23. First year choices Natural Science Computer Science Computer Science Natural Science Computer Science Computer Science CS Ma NS NS CS CS CS CS CS CS Ma Ma Ma NS NS NS CS CS Ma Ma Computer Science Computer Science Computer Science Computer Science with Mathematics Computing option in Natural Sciences CS CS Ma Psy Computer Science with Psychology Year 3 Computer Science Computer Science Year 2 Computer Science Year 1 with Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Physiology, Evolution

24. Course components • 8+8+4 = 20 weeks teaching per year • 12 one-hour lectures per (6-day) week • plus similar time in review and private study • 6 hours of practical work • 2 or 3 supervisions of one hour each • plus 4 hours of preparation each

25. Practical skills • First year Practical exercises • hands on, time management • Second year Group projects • specification & acceptance, reporting, tools, management, team work, deadlines, presentation • Final year Individual projects • deadlines, dissertation, presentation

26. Computing Laboratory • Founded by Leslie Fox (1957) • About 50 academic staff • Home to different groups Wolfson Building

27. Oxford Research Themes • Programming Languages • Foundations, Logic and Structure • Numerical Analysis • Automated Verification • Software Engineering • Computational Biology • Information Systems

28. Oxford Courses • Computer Science • Computer Science firmly based on Mathematics • Mathematics and Computer Science • similar, but with more Mathematics • All courses (except theory and mathematics) have compulsory assessed practicals. • Option of 3-year BA or 4-year MCompSc / MMathsCS degrees.

29. Course components 8 + 8 + 4 = 20 teaching weeks per year 10-12 one-hour lectures per (5-day) week plus similar time in review and private study 4-8 hours of practical work per week 2-3 hours of college tutorials per week Personalised: 1 tutor to 2 students Intensive: up to 8 hours of preparation time Advanced classes for 3rd & 4th-yr topics Year-long individual project (for 3rd & 4th year)

30. First Year Topics • Imperative Programming • Functional Programming • Design and Analysis of Algorithms • Digital Hardware • Calculus • Linear Algebra • Logic and Proof • Discrete Maths First four have practical exercises.

31. Year By Year • First Year • Imperative & Functional Programming (former is about languages like C and Java; latter is also a good language for talking about algorithms) • All courses are compulsory. • MCS have Maths courses instead of some CS courses • Second Year • Core courses: Object-Oriented Programming (in Java), Concurrency, Networks, Operating Systems • Other options. E.g. Graphics, Numerical Computation, Architecture, Compilers, Programming Languages, Models of Computation, etc.

32. Year By Year • Third Year • Individual project (= 25% of time) • More options; e.g. Intelligent Systems, Security, Optimisation, Databases, etc. • MCS has more Maths options & no project. • Fourth Year (= optional Masters year) • Longer individual project. • Course work assessed by take-home mini-projects. • Yet more options! E.g. Computer Animation, Financial Computing, Quantum Computation, Computational Linguistics, Information Retrieval, etc.

33. A Variety of Options • Information Systems • Database Implementation • Computational Linguistics • Information Retrieval • Knowledge Representation • Intelligent Systems • Machine Learning • Computer Animation • Programming Languages • Program Analysis • Concurrent Programming • Automated Verification • Automata, Logic & Games • Randomised Algorithms • Software Verification • Probabilistic Model Checking • Foundations & Logic • Lambda Calculus and Types • Categories, Proofs & Processes • Quantum Computer Science • Game Semantics • Computational Biology • Executable Biology • Bioinformatics These options are closely linked to our research themes

34. Example Project Topics • Medical Image Analysis • Biologically-Inspired Computing • Robot Soccer Simulation • Natural Language Processing • Quantum Computing • Compilation of Security Protocols • Formal Hardware Verification • Chess Playing Program

35. Contents • Oxford & Cambridge University • What is Computer Science? • Details of the two courses • Admissions

36. Oxford Admissions • College based • We consider: • GCSE results, AS level module marks, and A-level predictions; or equivalent international examinations • school record; extra-curricular activities (e.g. national + international competitions) • personal statement & references • common written test in Nov (and possibly individual college test before interviews) • at least two subject interviews – problem solving • Common Database, Pools & Open Offers • redistribute uneven applications between colleges

37. Cambridge Admissions • Very Similar • We consider • GCSE results, or equivalent international qualification • AS level module marks, A2 predictions; school record • personal statement • reference • two subject interviews (>90% interviewed) • unseen problem solving • written tests • UCLES Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) • individual college tests • computing background within and outside school • Winter and Summer pools • redistribute uneven applicationsbetween colleges

38. Prerequisites • 3 A grades at A-level • more than 3 A-level or AS-levels highly valuable • not counting General Studies • Mathematics to A-level • is absolutely essential • Further Maths • nearly essential, if your school offers it

39. Other A-levels • A Physical Science • is desirable • Computing A-levels • Computer Science • good, similar in character to university-level CS • but very few schools offer it • ICT, Information Technology,… • quite different from university-level Computer Science • not relevant • Other subjects • up to you e.g. history, languages, etc • traditional academic subjects best

40. Computer Science at Oxford and Cambridge Graham Titmus University of CambridgeComputer Laboratory www.cl.cam.ac.uk Luke Ong Oxford UniversityComputing Laboratory www.comlab.ox.ac.uk