Preface

This handbook draws together information and advice about Computer Science at Bristol - the Department, its people, its working methods and its programmes. The handbook is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students (as a guide), and staff (as a reference). You should read it carefully even if you have already spent time in the Department, as there are continual changes.

Indeed, this year 2011-2 is a time of unprecedented change. We have made substantial changes to the organisation and content of our courses. There are major changes underway to the rules for progressing from one year to the next and the rules for determining degree grades, which represents an effort by the university to make these processes more uniform across the different faculties. The major change to the faculty structure, with the introduction of two schools, was begun in 2010 and the details and consequences are still being worked out. The structures of administrative support, and technical support, throughout the university are being changed radically in an effort to improve efficiency, and will take quite a while to settle down.

It is difficult express all these changes accurately in this handbook. So if you have any comments on the content of this handbook (including incorrect or missing information), then please let a member of staff know.

Copyright notice and disclaimer

Unless stated otherwise, the information in this handbook relates to the session 2011/2012, and does not commit the department or university in respect of subsequent sessions.

This handbook was written by the staff of the Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol. © 2011 University of Bristol, all rights reserved.