Which kind of computer science degree?

[Mathsnope]

DS is choosing A-levels & is set on Computer Science & Physics so far (got 8/9s in mock gcses). But he really really doesn't want to do Maths A level - he just doesn't enjoy it at all. (7 in mock so he's not terrible at it, it just doesn't come easily). He likes building computers and making them work & is interested in er servers and stuff. I want to try and understand what kind of Computer Science degree courses he should be looking for that aren't pure mathsy if that makes sense? Everything I read on here is about doing FM because Maths A-level is a given. I know he's limiting himself by not doing Maths A level but there must be some pathways still open to him surely?

Computer Science is very theoretical - and has a lot of maths. People do not come out of CS degrees knowing how to make a computer or even run servers and stuff - I've hired enough of them! The only ones that do learnt it on their own time.

Perhaps go for a Software Development oriented course instead?

There isn't really a "making computers work nicely" course, ie system administration or what's now known as DevOps, but given interest he could make it work whichever course.

Information systems rather than computing? https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/find-your-course/science-technology/ug/2020-21/bsc-information-systems

Maybe try searching for 'Applied Computing' degrees which I note don't always come up if you just search Computing/Computer Science on some University websites. I think there will always be an element of Maths involved in the degree but there are courses which don't require Maths A'Level to enter...they may ask for 2 A'Levels in science subjects though but Computing and Physics would often meet that. Good luck.

Missed that he intends to do physics - maths is very very very strongly recommended. Please get him to rethink, he'll struggle without it, and find both easier with it (maths and physics syllabuses overlap!)

I was going to suggest this course at the University of Kent (which one of DS1's friends is doing), but then saw that Maths is a requirement anyway.
www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/34/computer-systems-engineering-beng

Thanks for the tips - I will have a look at things with 'applied' or 'systems' & associated courses and see if he's interested. I've made the case for maths several times but ultimately it's up to him. At parents' evening one of his teachers told us that he had a physics degree without maths a-level so that kind of shut me down & I don't think his school have strongly recommended maths. (Although to be fair they might well have done & DS chose not to pass it on to us!) They did say he could start 6th form with 4 (if timetabling allows) for a few weeks before making a final decision so I might encourage that. Thanks.

Yeah, but there's a lot of maths in physics, so if he doesn't enjoy maths, physics might be tough...

It might possibly be that he'd prefer some sort of apprenticeship (possibly a degree apprenticeship) to a CompSci degree. I've no idea how to find out about them and their entry requirements (may well be harder to get into than a normal degree), it just somehow sounds like he might prefer that sort of route.

Computer engineering degrees and combinations with electronic engineering but they all require maths.
www.Manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2020/10253/beng-computer-systems-engineering/course-details/#course-profile
www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/beng-electronic-computer-engineering/
Worth looking at IBM apprenticeships and their Futures placement year after school.
It would be a shame if he shut down his options by not doing A level maths.

My DS did a Masters in CS at Birmingham Uni with no maths A Level, and with a social sciences BA.
it was tough, no doubt about it and everyone else on the course had Maths A level as a minimum, but he got through it with a good pass.
Your ds will find it easier to do CS if he has a solid maths background.

Anothewr vote for dopn't do physics if you don'y like maths.

I'd take a look at the actual modules / units in the degrees, some are more flexible than others.

The kind of thing he is enjoying would be covered better at BTEC (or the now defunct IT A Level).

It might be a better idea to start looking at jobs he would beinterested in and then work back from there.
.

OPs son might find theoretical maths hard going but be more comfrtable with applied maths. OP given that he likes building computers, he would be better off in electronic and electrical engineering than computing.

I think he should do maths as a lesson in life because sometimes we have to do something we don't like in order to get what we want...

OP given that he likes building computers, he would be better off in electronic and electrical engineering than computing.

Those can also be very mathsy, with the best courses being of the 'FM highly desirable' sort. It may be 'applied maths' but maths applied to engineering can be pretty hairy. So, while there might be courses at the more practical end again he'd need to check that out quite carefully.

The kind of thing he is enjoying would be covered better at BTEC (or the now defunct IT A Level).

Maybe; but I know that for elec eng, there are degrees which allow BTECs - but only when combined with a maths A level.

Which reminds me - one way of checking the reality of preferred A levels, apart from trawling through the course websites, would be for him to email some admissions tutors.

I remember my father all but insisting I took maths a level even though it went against school advice of picking subjects you were most passionate about.
I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but ultimately the cs degree I did had maths as a prerequisite as did most of the courses I applied for.

There are courses that don’t require maths but there are plenty that do and it depends if he wants to keep his options open. As others have said electrical engineering or computer networking might be more his thing, so worth looking into.

Most engineering courses worth having will require Maths. Not doing maths cuts out so many courses. With good GCSE grades, he should be aiming for a very good university but is effectively ruining his chance of that.

His teacher should never have said about his own Physics degree either. It’s wholly inappropriate to say what he did because it gave your DS the green light to not do maths and a false impression of requirements for most decent courses. It’s very poor advice.

By the way, most engineering courses don’t require FM. Universities know lots of schools don’t offer it. So maths is just fine!

No, FM isn't a requirement at any - it's just that the fact that quite a few have it as a desirable subject is a strong indicator of how much of an impediment not having single maths would be.

Thanks. I've shown DS the thread & he wasn't surprised at the pro-maths comments. He's still not keen but it has made him think a bit more about it & where he wants to end up. He would like me to correct any misrepresentation of him as just being interested in building computers - that's just easy plugging in stuff that anyone can do - he is interested in software and (unsurprisingly) games development and enjoys the programming he's done so far.. I think he's a bit concerned about people saying he will struggle with physics without maths, but I think (hope) his interest in physics as a subject, all the mind blowing stuff, will inspire him through the maths content.

I think that’s a bit hopeful too regarding physics. There is a reason most DC take maths and Physics A level. You need the maths to go on further with the science. Physics, Engineering or Computer science. It makes no difference - maths A level is required at any university worth going to and that includes decent ex polytechnics. So not just RG. He could look at something like Computer Systems Engineering at Bath to give an idea of a course that’s slightly different from what he might have looked at already. A year in industry would be invaluable. He will still need maths though!