You’ll study the following topics as part of the online professional course: 

• What is computing? 
• Logic, gates and set theory 
• Principles of computer science 
• Software engineering 
• Data science and storage 
• Principles of artificial intelligence 
• Principles of cyber security 
• Computing and risk 
• Strategic and enterprise IT management  
• Future trends and concepts 

Teaching methods 

Studying online gives you the freedom to study when and where it suits you – at home, during your lunch hour or in a café.  

Our online professional courses are delivered through a virtual learning environment (VLE), giving you 24/7 access to study materials. These include: 

• multimedia lecturecasts of written content, short videos, infographics, short tests and audio recordings 
• discussion forums for you to chat about module content with fellow students 
• a comprehensive eLibrary of textbooks and academic journals 
• support from academic staff and our dedicated Student Support team  

To ensure you receive high-quality tutor support, each class is capped at 20 students. 

Assessment methods  

Rather than fretting about exams, you’ll be assessed exclusively through essays, discussions and software implementation.  

We’re committed to providing frequent and clear feedback through the following ways: 

• our assessment criteria is designed to be simple and transparent 
• you’ll always be aware of your current provisional grade, right from the start  
• you’ll be able to clearly view your marks in your gradebook whenever you log on to the learning platform 
• there’s a seven-day turnaround for marking and feedback of assessed work 
• you’ll have regular contact with your Student Support team, with whom you can discuss any concerns as soon as they arise 

Study duration 

Our Launch into Computing online professional course has a study duration of 13 weeks, including a one-week induction to help you settle into online study. 

The Launch into Computing online professional course offers a whole host of opportunities. On successful completion of the module, you’ll receive a digital certificate confirming you’ve achieved 20 academic credits at postgraduate level. This will be beneficial whether you’re looking to climb the career ladder or take the first step into a role in computing – helping you stand out amongst the competition.

If you wish to continue your studies and boost your prospects, you could study additional computing online professional courses, such as Machine Learning, Numerical Analysis, or Security and Risk Management. Alternatively, you could progress on to one of our full postgraduate computing courses: 

• MSc Computer Science  
• MSc Cyber Security 
• MSc Data Science  
• MSc Artificial Intelligence  
• MSc Information Technology Management 

PG Dip and PG Cert options are also available for these courses. 

Please note, acceptance on to a postgraduate qualification is subject to meeting the entry requirements of your chosen programme.  

No formal qualifications or experience is necessary.  

As our courses are delivered in English, a high proficiency of English is required. If English isn’t your first language, your ability should be equivalent to an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5. Don’t worry if you don’t hold an IELTS or equivalent qualification – we offer a free online English test to assess your proficiency.  

You don’t need to prove your English ability if you’re a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in, any of these countries. 

Please note, our online professional courses have a limited number of places available. We’ll always endeavour to get you started on your preferred date, but if this isn’t possible our Admissions team will be in touch to discuss alternative arrangements.

Full tuition fee:

£1,386 UK / £1,455 International (2024-25) Δ  
£1,429 UK / £1,492 International (2025-26) Δ 

• Our courses are fully inclusive – all teaching materials and required reading are included. 
• Alumni discount of 10% of the tuition fee available if you’re a previous graduate with the University of Essex or University of Essex Online.   
• We offer a 14-day moneyback guarantee, so if you decide your course isn’t for you during the first 14 days, we’ll give you a full refund. Terms and conditions apply. 

Δ All tuition fees shown are net of any applicable sales tax payable by you in your country of residence. Where we are required to add sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the tuition fees shown and confirmed during the payment process. 

Subject specialists, industry authorities and experienced academics: the tutors who teach on our Launching into Cyber Security course are experts in the computing field.