Overview
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
Philosophy of the Programme
The philosophy of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is to impart and foster
students with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes for professional excellence and
Competencies in computer science theories and practice areas through quality teaching,
research and innovation. The dynamic and emerging trends in Information, Communication
and Technologies (ICTs) developments and the appropriation of the same ICTS, provides the
context that continues to inform our teaching and learning.
Rationale of the Programme
The School of Computing & Informatics, through this curriculum seeks to train computer
scientists who can use the gained knowledge and practical skills to innovate computer based
solutions to the emerging global challenges and opportunities.
Granted that our graduates are, and continue to be players in the global technology and sector
specific industries, this curriculum intends to bridge knowledge and skills gap that will
enhance employability and entrepreneurship, and is therefore informed by stakeholders
feedback analysis, academic benchmarking against IEEE/ACM guidelines for Computer
Science Curriculum development and Commission for University Education (CUE)
guidelines and standards.
Objectives
Facilitate acquisition, adoption and adaptation of Computer Science knowledge, techniques and tools. Develop graduates with the ability to apply Computer Science knowledge, skills, techniques and tools to create best-possible solutions to practical problems of varying complexity, in a wide range of contexts. Develop graduates who are innovative and creative, who possess good problem-solving skills and are capable of life-long learning. Develop all-rounded graduates with demonstrable ethical and professional behavior, and who possess effective communication, management, entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills.
Contacts of support persons
dept-computing@uonbi.ac.ke
Structure
Schedule of intakes
The intake is in September
Mode of delivery
Face-to-Face Mode
The programme shall adopt blended learning through the use of face-to-face and Open,
Distance and Electronic Learning modes of delivery. For face-to-face learning, learning will
take place within classroom and laboratory settings.
The course will extend over a minimum period of 8 semesters and a maximum period of 16 semesters. Each academic year will have at least two semesters. The Second Year Projects shall be equivalent to two course units. The Industrial Attachment shall be equivalent to two course units.
The Fourth Year Project shall be equivalent to four course units. The course is organized into Knowledge Areas.
Industrial Attachment
The Student will undertake Industrial Attachment for a period of 8 weeks between semester 2 of year three and semester 1 of year four, in accordance to the School’s guidelines on Industrial Attachment.
COURSE OUTLINE
Year of Study I (Compulsory Units)
Semester 1
CSC111 Introduction to Computer Systems
CSC112 Introduction to Programming
CSC113 Discrete Mathematics
CSC115 Programming Lab
CSC126 Physics for Computing Systems
CCS001 Communication Skills
CCS009 Elements of Economics
Semester 2
CSC122 Database Systems
CSC123 Data Communications
CSC125 Linear Algebra
CSC127 Object Oriented Programming
CSC211 Data Structures and Algorithms
CSC214 Digital Electronics
CCS010 HIV/AIDS
Year of Study II (Compulsory Units)
Semester 1
CSC114 Differential and Integral Calculus
CSC212 Systems Analysis and Design
CSC213 Computer Architecture
CSC217 Knowledge-based Systems & Programming
CSC223 Operating Systems
CSC224 Software Engineering
CSC225 Computer Networks
Semester 2
CSC124 Probability and Statistics
CSC216 Assembly Language Programming
CSC222 Automata Theory
CSC227 Programming Project
CSC228 Web and Services Programming
CSC229 Machine Learning Algorithms & Programming
CSC313 Foundations of Human Computer Interaction
Year of Study III (Compulsory Units)
Semester 1
CSC311 Analysis and Design of Algorithms
CSC314 Computer Graphics
CSC315 Distributed Systems
CSC316 Intro to Organizations and Management
CSC317 Artificial Intelligence Applications
CSC318 Network Design Implementation and Management
CSC319 Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Year of Study III (Compulsory Units)
Semester 2
CSC321 ICT Project Management
CSC322 Network and Distributed Programming
CSC326 Compiler Construction
CSC327 Embedded Systems & Mobile Programming
CSC328 Business Intelligence & Analytics
CSC411 Computer Network Security
After Third Year of Study and Before Fourth Year
CSC311 Industrial Attachment
Year of Study IV (Compulsory Units)
Semester 1
CSC414 ICTs and Society
CSC417 Information Systems and Organizations
CSC418 Emerging Technologies Bootcamps
CSC451 Distributed Databases
CSC481 Computer Games Programming
CSC416 Computer Systems Project
Semester 2
CSC416 Computer Systems Project
CSC434 Cloud Computing and Services
CSC452 Information Systems Control Audit
CSC455 Information for Emerging Online Solutions
Admission Requirements
Candidates must satisfy the University's general admission criteria
Eligibility for consideration for admission into the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in the School of Computing and Informatics is governed by the following minimum admission requirements or an equivalent qualification recognized by Senate:
KCSE Candidates
Candidates must have obtained a minimum grade of C+ in the following cluster subjects:
Cluster 1: Mathematics
Cluster 2: Physics
Cluster 3: Second Group II or Any Group III
Cluster 4: Any Group II/Group III/Group IV/Group V
A-Level Candidates
Candidates with 2 principal passes, one of which must be in Mathematics or Physics, and a subsidiary pass with a Credit pass in Physics at 'O' level.
Diploma in Computer Studies: A holder of an ordinary diploma in computer studies or equivalent with, a minimum pass at credit level, from an institution recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate. In addition, the candidate must have obtained a mean grade of C Plain at KCSE level with a C Plain in Mathematics and a C Plain in Physics.
Higher Diploma in Computer Studies: A holder of a Higher Diploma in Computer Studies or equivalent, from an institution recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate. In addition, the applicant must have obtained a minimum of C plain in Mathematics and Physics in KCSE.
Bachelor’s Degree: A holder of a Bachelor’s degree in a related academic discipline from an institution recognized by the University of Nairobi senate.
Careers
Attachment Opportunities




Career Prospects/Opportunities.
From games developer to manager of IT and communications services, you'll have a range of opportunities open to you as a computer science graduate
Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
- Application analyst
- Applications developer
- Cyber security analyst
- Data analyst
- Database administrator
- Forensic computer analyst
- Game designer
- Games developer
- Information systems manager
- IT consultant
- Software engineer
- Systems analyst
- UX designer
- Web designer
- Web developer
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
- IT sales professional
- IT trainer
- Nanotechnologist
- Network engineer
- Supply chain manager
- Telecommunications researcher
Fees and Funding
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE COMPUTER SCIENCE - P15 | |||
YEAR 1 -15UNITS | |||
Semester 1 | Semester 2 | TOTALS | |
TUITION | 180,000 | 180,000 | 360,000 |
ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000 | 0 | 7,000 |
EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 8,000 | 7,000 | 15,000 |
REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250 | 2,250 | 4,500 |
MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500 | 0 | 6,500 |
ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 |
LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 4,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
CAUTION - (ONCE) | 5,000 | 0 | 5,000 |
STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total for year 1 | 216,750 | 189,250 | 406,000 |
YEAR 2 - 14UNITS | |||
Semester 1 | Semester 2 | TOTALS | |
TUITION | 180,000 | 180,000 | 360,000 |
ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000 | 0 | 7,000 |
EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 7,000 | 7,000 | 14,000 |
REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250 | 2,250 | 4,500 |
MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500 | 0 | 6,500 |
LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 4,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 |
ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
Total for year 2 | 210,750 | 189,250 | 400,000 |
YEAR 3 -14UNITS | |||
Semester 1 | Semester 2 | TOTALS | |
TUITION | 180,000 | 180,000 | 360,000 |
ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000 | 0 | 7,000 |
EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 8,000 | 6,000 | 14,000 |
REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250 | 2,250 | 4,500 |
MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500 | 0 | 6,500 |
LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 4,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 |
ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
Total for Year 3 | 211,750 | 188,250 | 400,000 |
YEAR 4 -12UNITS | |||
Semester 1 | Semester 2 | TOTALS | |
TUITION | 180,000 | 180,000 | 360,000 |
ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000 | 0 | 7,000 |
EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 6,000 | 6,000 | 12,000 |
REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250 | 2,250 | 4,500 |
MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500 | 0 | 6,500 |
ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 |
ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 0 | 1,000 |
LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 4,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
Total for Year 4 | 209,750 | 188,250 | 398,000 |
Grand Total B.Sc. Computer Science | 1,604,000 |
Exam Regulations
Written Examinations
- All course units taken in a given semester shall be examined at the end of that semester, except where a course is not examinable.
- A candidate for the degree shall satisfactorily complete such coursework and practical assignments as may be required for the scheme of study. Satisfactory completion of any such requirements shall be a condition of admission to the examination at the end of that semester of study.
- A written examination for a course unit shall have a minimum duration of two hours.
- Each course unit or its equivalent shall be graded independently out of a maximum of 100 marks and the pass mark shall be 40 subject to the candidate acquiring 40% in both the course work and written examination.
- The complete assessment of a taught unit shall consist of course work (i.e. assignments, laboratories and continuous assessment tests) and a compulsory written examination. The contribution towards the unit aggregate shall be 50% for course work and 50% for written examination.
- A candidate who fails to take any prescribed examination without good cause will be considered to have scored 0 (zero) marks in that examination.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in not more than one third of the units prescribed for a year of study, shall on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to take supplementary examinations in the failed units before the start of the next academic year.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in more than one third of the units prescribed for a year of study, shall on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, not proceed to the next year of study but be allowed to retake the failed units when those units are next offered.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the Board of Examiners after any supplementary examination, shall on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to retake the failed units when those units are next offered.
- A candidate who fails to take any prescribed examination with good cause may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to take a special examination for the unit before the start of the following academic year. Examinations taken under this clause shall be treated in accordance with Clause 5.1.7.
- Regulations 7, 8, 9 and 10 not withstanding, a candidate who
i)has failed any course unit or its equivalent after four attempts or
ii)has failed the Second Year Project after four attempts or
iii)fails to successfully complete Industrial attachment after two attempts or
iv)has failed the Fourth Year Project after four attempts or
v)fails to complete the course within sixteen semesters
12. shall, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval of Senate, be discontinued from the programme.
13. A pass obtained in any supplementary Examination shall be recorded as 40% in the candidate’s academic record.
14. In the event that this syllabus is revised, a candidate who is required to take any examination shall be required to take the examination in the equivalent course unit(s) in the revised syllabus.
15. The final award of the degree shall be based on the assessment of the candidate’s performance in the third and fourth years of study, including the industrial attachment and Fourth year project, based on the average mark scored over all course units.
16. For a candidate to qualify for the award the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, he/she must pass the ALL the course units in the first, second and third years of study, Industrial attachment undertaken between the third and fourth years of study, four (4) compulsory course units in the fourth year of study, four (4) elective units in the fourth year of study and a project in the fourth year of study.
17. A candidate who passes the equivalent of one third or more course units through supplementary examinations or retake in the third and fourth year of study shall not be eligible for an Honours degree.
18. A candidate who successfully completes the first and second year of study shall be awarded a Diploma in Computer Science according to stipulated regulations for the diploma.
19. In the final year of study, a mark between 35% and 39% inclusive will qualify for application of the rule of compensation (see 5.1.19 below).
20. Compensation may be allowed in a maximum of the equivalent of two course units only and shall be made by taking two marks in one passed unit for each unit with a mark above 40% to make up for every failed mark.
Year II Project
- A project in this context shall mean computer systems development work undertaken by a candidate or a group of candidates, in accordance to the School’s guidelines on Undergraduate Projects.
- The project shall be equivalent to one (1) course unit.
- The project shall be graded independently out of a maximum of 100 marks and the pass mark shall be 40%.
- A pass obtained in any resubmitted project will be recorded as 40%.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the project may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to resubmit the project within a period of 3 months.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the first re-submission of the project may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to redo the same or do another project during a subsequent academic year.
- A candidate who fails on the fourth attempt shall, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be discontinued from the programme.
Year IV Project
- A project in this context shall mean computer systems development work undertaken by a candidate or a group of candidates, in accordance to the School’s guidelines on Undergraduate Projects.
- The project shall be equivalent to four (4) course units.
- The project shall be graded independently out of a maximum of 100 marks and the pass mark shall be 40%.
- A pass obtained in any resubmitted project will be recorded as 40%.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the project may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to resubmit the project within a period of 3 months.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the first re-submission of the project may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to redo the same or do another project during a subsequent academic year.
- A candidate who fails on the fourth attempt shall, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be discontinued from the programme.
Industrial Attachment
- The Student will undertake Industrial Attachment for a period of 8 weeks between semester 2 of year three and semester 1 of year four, in accordance to the School’s guidelines on Industrial Attachment.
- The Industrial Attachment shall be equivalent to 2 course units.
- The Industrial Attachment report shall be graded independently out of a maximum of 100 marks and the pass mark shall be 40%.
- A pass obtained in any resubmitted Industrial Attachment report will be recorded as 40%.
- A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the Industrial Attachment may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to repeat the Industrial Attachment not more than once .
- A candidate who fails in a repeated Industrial Attachment shall, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be discontinued from the programme.