Course overview

The web is a combination of concepts, software, protocols, methods and immeasurable information. In 1990 it was a working prototype on a single machine. Since then it has changed almost every aspect of life in the developed world, causing rapid evolution of communication, commerce, governance and scientific method. The web is enabling the development of globally distributed systems of great complexity, with broad user populations scattered around the globe, solving existing problems, and helping uncover new ones at a startling pace.

This course provides an opportunity for students to develop a deep understanding of web technologies whilst developing robust computer science and software engineering skills. Graduates have experience in web application development, distributed systems, web services, and website development and maintenance; they gain strong technical competencies in applicable skills as well as adaptable concepts.

Career focused

The entrance criteria of this degree have been designed to comply with the requirements of the major computing graduate programmes. Competent students can have the opportunity to apply their skills to real-life practical problems as part of the department’s partnership scheme with charities, local and global organisations. Please view the 'Career Prospects' section for further details.

To find out more about placement opportunities in the Faculty of Technology, please visit our Placements Office pages.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), this degree carries exemptions from the professional examinations for Chartered Engineer and Chartered Scientist status.

Course content

You will study core computing topics such as networks, databases and computer architecture together with scripting and web programming, developing web applications, web services, image presentation, mobile computing and ecommerce.

Year one

Web Foundations: an introduction to web standards, semantic information markup using HTML, page design using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), web project management, navigation and interaction design, accessibility consideration and usability basics.

Application Programming: Python: variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, lists; Java: object-oriented programming, objects, classes, encapsulation, inheritance and messaging.

Data Communications: network topologies, protocols and components, data communication concepts and options, LANs, WANs, Multiplexing, IEEE, OSI and TCP/IP reference models.

Analysis and Design: basic concepts and principles of information systems; analysis, design and development of organisational information systems.

Computer Architecture: processor, memory, input/output, data representation, operating systems, DOS, UNIX, shell programming, process management, scheduling, resource management and basic assembler programming.

Year two

Unix: the fundamental concepts and operation of UNIX/Linux operating systems.

Web Script Programming: Client/Server Architectures, RESTful architectures, JavaScript (browser and node.js), PHP, MySQL, AJAX, JSON, DOM, Cookies, Web Storage, Sessions.

Application Programming: Java: classes, objects, encapsulation, information hiding, attributes, methods, constructors, threads and use of API; Data Structures: Big O, arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, sorting and searching algorithms, binary trees, binary search trees, expression trees and applications, hash tables and applications.

Software Engineering: development of large scale software, complexity, efficiency, reliability, understandability, usability, maintainability, cost estimation, life cycle models, requirements elicitation, specification, design, implementation, software testing, configuration management, real-time, embedded, web-oriented and object-oriented software engineering, documentation, quality assurance and project management.

Databases: database principles, tables, views, keys, insertion, retrieval, SQL, DCL, DML, normalisation, ERM, 3-Level architecture, DBMS and security.

Web Usability: event-driven programming, GUIs, the internet (historical context and social issues), usability, accessibility, business applications, CAIN, AVANTI and testing.

Industrial placement

The opportunity to undertake an industrial placement between years two and three is offered and is highly recommended. The placement year gives you the chance to consolidate and build on your prior learning, and develop key employability skills.

Employers also sometimes fund a student's final year.

Year three

Web Research: exploring and undertaking contemporary research into the evolution and application of web technologies.

Web Programming: enterprise computing (using Java), mobile computing (Web/iOS/Android), society and the web, and advanced databases.

Project: the final year also includes a major individual project that draws together many different aspects of your studies. Options are available in year three to study usability, advanced networks, ecommerce, information systems management, and data mining and warehousing.

Teaching and assessment

By coming to the University of Portsmouth you will experience a lively and modern learning environment with lectures, tutorials, laboratory and project work and web-based learning sessions. Teaching on this course has a strong practical and creative basis.

Lecture classes can be large and in the first year you will have about six hours of this type of contact every week. A further six to eight hours will be used for small group seminars and tutorials. Small group work gives you plenty of opportunity to get individual help in those areas in which you would like to know more or are perhaps experiencing some difficulty. Some course material will also be provided via the internet, so that you can work at your own pace and from any location.

Assessment is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills. It takes many forms, from examinations, multiple choice tests, essays and portfolio work to mini-projects, seminars, presentations, case studies or extended review articles.

Career prospects

Placement opportunities

In the Faculty of Technology we feel that students should be given as many opportunities as possible to gain meaningful work experience and build employability skills throughout their studies to make them more attractive to future employers.

Working with other University services, the Faculty’s Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) ensure students have access to a range of volunteering and work experience opportunities, including year-long industrial placements, and provide support for the different types of application processes.

Examples of roles our students have taken up as placement roles include:

• Web Developer at Debenhams
• Assistant Software Engineer at Accenture

Types of placement roles that could be relevant to this course include:

• Web Developer
• PHP Web Developer

To find out more about how you can gain work experience whilst studying BSc (Hons) Web Technologies, please visit our Placements Office pages.

Graduate roles

In one generation the web has grown from a resource for the technical elite to an everyday presence used by anyone with a computer. Behind this change has been a phenomenal growth in the technology used to support the web and this growth will continue with Web 2.0 technology. To support such continued growth there is a demand for high-quality graduates proficient in areas such as network construction and web application development.

Employment prospects are likely to be very good for graduates due to ever expanding markets and the need for people with the requisite combination of web technology knowledge and skills. You are therefore likely to enjoy an expanding choice of exciting job opportunities in posts such as web development manager, web editor, web application programmer and web designer.

Facilities and features

You will have access to modern computing laboratories that are continually updated with the latest hardware and software, including multimedia applications such as Python, BlueJ, DreamWeaver, Flash, Corel Draw and Paint Shop Pro. You will also have full access to email and the web.

In addition, our extended University Library is open from 8am to midnight every day during term-time, providing a variety of information to help with study and research. The University has also invested substantially in electronic resources and you will have access to thousands of electronic journals and ebooks from wherever there is an internet connection.

Tutor Centre

The School of Computing Tutor Centre provides friendly, one-to-one academic support for its students. If you need help understanding your assessments, or with a wide range of subjects (programming, networks, systems analysis, databases and web apps), or if you want to talk to someone about your project or about any other academic issues (revision, referral or improving your marks), please come and see us. Appointments not necessary.

Maths Café

The Maths Café is a daily drop-in facility, where all students can receive help on any maths or statistics problem they encounter in their studies. It operates in friendly, informal locations all over campus and produces handouts on key topics afor you to take away. They can also show you how to use computer aided learning packages, which can be accessed from any computer attached to the University's computer network.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BSc (Hons) Web Technologies for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).