Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Applied Computing

Applied computing is the practical use of computer technology to solve problems in another field: a business, a hospital, a laboratory, a public office. It takes the working core of computer science, such as programming, databases, networks and security, and directs it at the needs of organisations and users rather than at the theory of computation.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the United States describes its Bachelor of Science in Applied Computing in exactly these terms. The programme prepares students to apply the analytic and programming skills of computing to a second, "cognate" area of study. It combines the core of an information systems or computer science degree with solid preparation in that other area, and it ends with a capstone project in which the student designs and builds a computing solution for it.

What students learn

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) gives a typical curriculum in its Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computing (Information Technology). From the first year students work on programming, databases, operating systems, networking, cybersecurity and critical thinking. Later they can specialise in areas such as software design, mobile and web development, data science and AI, or cloud computing. The course has an industry placement in Year 3; students who do not secure one take a professional group project and an entrepreneurship module instead.

A second TU Dublin computing degree, taught at the Tallaght campus, uses a major-minor format with three specialisations: software development, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. Both TU Dublin honours degrees last four years and have 240 ECTS credits, at Level 8 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications. The Universität Duisburg-Essen in Germany teaches an Applied Computer Science B.Sc. of six semesters and 180 credits. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degrees. The Duisburg-Essen Applied Computer Science M.Sc. takes four semesters and 120 credits. At SUNY Poly, applied computing graduates who choose the right courses may continue into the M.S. in computer and information science. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
  • France. SUPINFO, a private computing school, offers tracks of three or five years (Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering). The school states that they lead to RNCP level 6 and level 7 titles respectively.
  • British diplomas and top-up degrees. RITHS in Trivandrum, India, teaches a UK Level 5 Diploma in Computer Science awarded by NCC Education or EduQual, which the school describes as equivalent to the first two years of a UK bachelor's degree, followed by a final-year top-up such as the BSc (Hons) Computing of the University of Greenwich. C3S Business School in Barcelona offers a BEng (Hons) Software Engineering in English; it lists 36 months, 180 ECTS credits and the University of Greater Manchester and OTHM as awarding bodies. For routes like these, ask the school what recognition the final qualification has in the country where you plan to work.
  • Vocational training. In Spain the higher vocational qualification (FP de grado superior) Técnico Superior en Desarrollo de Aplicaciones Web takes 2,000 hours and leads to jobs such as web programmer.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists nine active schools for applied computing: two in the United States, two in Spain, and one each in Ireland, India, Vietnam, France and Germany. They include SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, TU Dublin, the Universität Duisburg-Essen, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, SUPINFO, RITHS and, in Spain, C3S Business School in Barcelona and CENEC Málaga.

Check the language of instruction before applying. The Irish, American and British-awarded programmes are taught in English. The Duisburg-Essen bachelor's is a German-language programme, for which applicants from outside the EU apply through uni-assist, and SUPINFO presents its courses in French.

Careers

TU Dublin names software developer, web developer, mobile app developer, data scientist, cloud technologist and IT consultant among the roles its computing graduates take up. Other common jobs are systems analyst, who studies an organisation's computer systems and designs ways to improve them, database administrator and information security analyst.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in computer and information technology occupations in the United States is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035. The picture differs by job: employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline 3 percent over the same period. These are United States figures; other countries publish their own.

Frequently asked questions

How is applied computing different from computer science?

Applied computing concentrates on using computing in another field. At SUNY Poly, for example, the degree joins the core of a computer science or information systems programme to a second area of study and a capstone project in that area.

How long does an applied computing degree take?

The TU Dublin honours degrees take four years and 240 ECTS credits. The Duisburg-Essen bachelor's takes six semesters and 180 credits, and its master's four semesters and 120 credits.

Does the degree include work experience?

Often it does. The TU Dublin BSc (Honours) in Computing (Information Technology) has an industry placement in Year 3, with a professional group project as the alternative if no placement is secured.

Is there a route without a university degree?

In Spain the higher vocational qualification in web application development takes 2,000 hours. In the United States, network support specialists typically need an associate's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.