Bachelor of Science (BSc)

BSc Computer Science and Mathematics with Industrial Experience

Graduate this highly sought-after subject combination having already gained invaluable experience in industry.
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: GG41 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Industrial experience
  • Scholarships available

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our  undergraduate student finance pages .

Course unit details:
Graphics & Virtual Environments

Course unit fact file
Unit code COMP37111
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This Course Unit covers the principles of modern Computer Graphics from creation modelling of scenes through to animation and rendering with a particular focus on the quality and performance issues relating to the various techniques.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Introduction to Visual Computing COMP27112 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Students who are not from the School of Computer Science must have permission from both Computer Science and their home School to enrol.

Aims

This Course Unit covers the principles of modern Computer Graphics from creation modelling of scenes through to animation and rendering with a particular focus on the quality and performance issues relating to the various techniques.

Learning outcomes

  • be able to analyse requirements of 3D modelling problems and select appropriate combinations of modelling techniques
     
  • be able to describe and compare CAD, Generative and Captured approaches to creating 3D models with respect to their fidelity and time/space constraints
     
  • be able to describe how the rendering equation acts as a mathematical representation of illumination in the real world
     
  • be able to compare different computational approximations to the rendering equation with respect to their visual fidelity and computational complexity
     
  • be able to analyse rendering problems to create novel solutions by combining or modifying existing computational approximations

Syllabus

Part 1: Modeling

Modeling Curves and surfaces (1.5)

Bezier curves, splines and NURBS

Curve properties and conversions

Subdivision surfaces

Implicit and procedural surfaces

Hierarchical modeling

Model acquisition

Color (0.5)

Spectra

Cones and spectral responses

Color matching

Color spaces and gamuts

 

Part 2: Animation

Animation basics

Keyframing and timing

Skinning/Enveloping

Physics-based and procedural animation

Motion capture

Simulation and dynamics Particle Systems (PDE)

Physics (ODE solvers)

Collision Detection and response

Mass spring modeling

Motion blur

 

Part 3: Rendering

The Rendering Equation

Ray Tracing

Path Tracing

Radiosity

Volume rendering

Spatial Enumeration and culling

Teaching and learning methods

The course operates a flipped classroom model with videos and readings to complete before each workshop that establish the concepts required for each week’s topic. The workshops themselves involve students working in groups to address problems that involve analysis and synthesis of concepts that build as the course progresses. A weekly online quiz then consolidates the student’s understanding of the topic.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Innovation/creativity
Project management
Problem solving
Research

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Feedback methods

Face to face feedback and marking  in programming laboratories.

Recommended reading

COMP37111 reading list can be found on the Department of Computer Science website for current students.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 2
Lectures 11
Independent study hours
Independent study 87

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Stephen Pettifer Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Course unit materials

Links to course unit teaching materials can be found on the School of Computer Science website for current students.

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