Diploma in Computing
Online United Kingdom
Diploma
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 6,100
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Key Summary
Do you want to train or retrain for a career in Software Development or the myriad other roles within the Computing and IT industries? This CAVA Access to HE course at City College Plymouth will help you to develop sought-after computing skills and knowledge, allowing you to be fully prepared to study computing or IT subjects at university. This one-year, full-time Access to Higher Education computing course provides an intensive introduction to computer science, teaching you skills in a variety of areas including programming, web development, maths (for computing) and networking. Those successfully completing this course will be offered a place on our foundation degree-level courses in software development or hardware, possibly leading to our University of Plymouth affiliated BSc Applied Computer Science degree here at the College. Progression to a wide range of computing-based university courses throughout the UK is also possible upon completion of this course.
IMPORTANT: Please note that College degree courses are a suggested progression route, you must check with your preferred higher education institution to ensure that this course meets their entry requirements.
You’ll get hands-on experience through a broad range of projects and coursework to develop a solid grounding in the key areas of computer science.
Course Modules contain:
- Web design and creation
- Database design and creation
- Network infrastructure
- Computer science basics
- Python programming
- Java programming
- Systems analysis skills
- Cyber security
- Mathematical processes for computer science
- + Many other core computing skills.
NOTE: Alongside your main studies, the Access course is designed to ensure you achieve a maths and English qualification at the appropriate level for entry to higher education. This will be discussed at the interview.
Assessment methods
All assessment is evaluated through the delivery of both written and creation-based coursework.
The course currently contains one exam in Python programming, with all other coursework being practical-based.