Review of academic accreditation of computer science degrees launched

Yesterday, a review of academic accreditation of computer science degree courses was launched by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, to ensure that graduates have the skills needed to drive economic recovery and growth across the UK.

Building on the findings of the 2016 Shadbolt review — commissioned by the UK Government in 2016 — the latest work will assess whether computer science degree programmes need to meet a new set of criteria. The study will involve extensive consultation with the UK higher education sector, including the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC), the Institute of Coding, leading tech companies and employers, and government departments including DCMS, DfE and the Office for Students.

Building upon our recent work in this space, I’m very pleased to be part of a strong and diverse Steering Committee, chaired by Paul Martynenko (BCS President 2017-2018). The project will include:

• The review of progress in reforming BCS academic accreditation of computer science, computing and information technology degree courses since the Shadbolt report was published in 2016.
• An evaluation of what currently works well and is valued by higher education providers, students and employers and establish if fundamental changes are required and if so what those should be.
• Gathering recommendations for reforming accreditation to fulfil the purpose of validating that graduates have gained sufficient academic knowledge and understanding as well as sufficient competencies for a successful professional career in computing or information technologies.

The proposed review will take place during the summer and early autumn of 2020; please see the full BCS press release: https://www.bcs.org/more/about-us/press-office/press-releases/review-of-academic-accreditation-of-computer-science-degrees-launched/