University of Nottingham - Advantage Award scheme
The Nottingham Advantage Award scheme which offers undergraduates at all campuses vocationally-related modules for personal and professional learning.
The School of Computer Science’s undergraduate awards were revised to align them with the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and IEEE Computer Society Computer Science Curricula (2013) as well as the BCS criteria for honours degree accreditation.
The course review was also guided by a horizon scanning consultation with industry partners. Our second-year students complete a software development project, working as teams of six. Many of these projects are devised and mentored by employers.
Projects start in October with a competitive pitch event and the students work on their projects with regular supervision through to April / May, when there is a trade-fair style Showcase day where students exhibit their work.
The “with Year in Industry” degrees support students through a relevant professional-level industrial placement between their second and final years of study, while an Industry Experience module recognises other students’ industrial experience.
The Industrial Advisory Board helps to inform teaching to reflect current and emerging practices, especially in software development. All of these activities are supported through close collaboration between the School and the University’s Careers and Employability Service.
The Nottingham Advantage Award is a structured way of recognising students’ extra-curricular activities. The Award accredits a wide variety of activities, from volunteering to language learning, and offers some unique experiences through our employer partners.
The aim is to help students develop their skills and confidence, whilst making new friends and extending their network; they are also encouraged to reflect on what they have gained through taking part, so they can articulate this to future employers.
There is a wide range of 10 credit modules for them to choose from and they need to complete 30 credits in addition to their degree to gain the full Award; all completed modules are listed on their degree transcript.
