Computer Science - Wits University

Overview

The Bachelor of Science with Honours in the field of Computer Science (BScHons) is a 1 year full-time or 2-year part-time programme that is taught by a team of diverse and dedicated academics.

Why study Computer Science?

Computer scientists are well placed to make important contributions in solving problems in a wide range of sectors, such as finance, mining, industry, healthcare, education, and academia.

Why study Computer Science at Wits?

The Computer Science Honours programme at Wits is a comprehensive programme that aims at producing highly competitive graduates across South Africa and beyond. The programme consists of carefully designed and advanced level modules that are aligned with the ever-evolving field of Computer Science. It covers modules that balance both theory and practical aspects of Computer Science.

We are proud that our Computer Science Honours graduates are among the most sought-after graduates by the top employers in the country, and they are well prepared to pursue their MSc studies.

Applicants

Students need to know how to program. You should be proficient in at least one procedural or object-oriented programming language. Being able to use R or Matlab may be beneficial but unless you have used the control flow constructs of these languages this will not be sufficient.

The programme does not include an internship. However, it does include a research project that should have real world application and will be guided by a supervisor.

There is currently no bridging programme available.

The part-time Honours Programme is a two-year programme with all courses completed in two years. All classes are offered during the day (morning or afternoon) and during the week. Classes for a course take place in 14 separate contact sessions per course over the entire semester.

If any bursaries become available for this programme, they will be advertised on the school website.

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities after completing a Computer Science Honours degree include software engineer, software developer, data scientist, business analyst, consultant, and pursuing a higher academic degree.

Curriculum

The programme comprises two compulsory courses and seven elective courses.

Compulsory courses:

COMS4059A: Research Project: Computer Science
COMS4057A: Introduction to Research Methods

Elective Courses

COMS4030A: Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning
COMS4032A: Applications of Algorithms
COMS4033A: Artificial Intelligence
COMS4036A: Computer Vision
COMS4040A: High Performance Computing and Scientific Data Management
COMS4043A: Multi-agent Systems
COMS4045A: Robotics
COMS4047A: Special Topics in Computer Science
COMS4048A: Data Analysis and Exploration
COMS4050A: Discrete Optimization
COMS4054A: Natural Language Processing
COMS4055A: Mathematical Foundations of Data Science
COMS4060A: Introduction to Data Visualisation and Exploration
COMS4061A: Reinforcement Learning
APPM4058A: Digital Image Processing

Available courses for 2023, click to access.

Entry Requirements

An undergraduate BSc degree with a major in computer science or equivalent (NQF7) is required and at least a second year in a mathematics equivalent.

Admission into the Computer Science Honours programme is highly selective. To be accepted, students must have performed well in their undergraduate degrees (based on aggregate performance which must be at least 70%). We require a good mathematical background and the completion of a range of core courses in Computer Science. You should be proficient in at least one procedural or object-oriented programming language.

Final selection will be made subject to the availability of places, academic results, and other entry requirements where applicable.

University Application Process

Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process. Refer to Wits Postgraduate Online Applications Guide for detailed guidelines.
Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. The University's Postgraduate Funding portal is a database of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to Wits postgraduate students. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.