Why Study Computer Science?

Computer Science suits students who are interested in learning about object-oriented programming, and the latest innovation in computer problem solving and development of new languages. The UK’s Department of Employment projects that seven of the ten fastest growing occupations over the next 10 years will be in the information technology field. Computer Science can enhance your ability to think creatively and logically, and also strengthen your planning, teamwork and leadership skills through group projects.

The IB Computer Science Course

The DP computer science course requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of computing systems and the ability to apply the computational thinking process to solve problems in the real world.

The course also requires students to develop skills in algorithmic thinking and computer programming. DP computer science is engaging, accessible, inspiring and rigorous, and has the following characteristics.

The course:

• Draws on a wide spectrum of knowledge of computer systems
• Develops skills in algorithmic thinking and computer programming
• Is underpinned by the computational thinking process
• Enables and empowers innovation, exploration and the acquisition of further knowledge
• Includes the study of machine learning
• Raises ethical issues.

Computational thinking involves the ability to:

• Specify problems in terms of their computational context and determine success criteria
• Decompose complex real-world problems into more manageable problems
• Abstract problems and generalize them to enable algorithmic thinking and to develop solutions
• Test and evaluate solutions for improvements.

During the course, students will develop a computational solution. This will develop their ability to identify a problem or unanswered question, and design, develop and evaluate a proposed solution.

The course enables students to:

• Develop conceptual understanding that allows connections to be made between different areas of the subject, and to other DP subjects
• Acquire and apply a body of knowledge, methods, tools and techniques that characterize computer science
• Analyse and evaluate solutions developed through computational thinking in a range of contexts
• Approach unfamiliar situations with creativity and resilience
• Use computational thinking to design and implement solutions to local and global problems
• Develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations of computer science
• Evaluate the impact of emerging technologies in computer science
• Communicate and collaborate effectively
• Develop awareness of the environmental, economic, cultural and social impact of computer science,its applications and ethical implications.

The DP computer science course is organised into two key themes:

Theme A: Concepts in computer science

Theme B: Computational thinking and problem-solving

Theme A focuses on how computing systems work. Theme B focuses on how we can use computing systems to solve real-world problems. The course also has a practical dimension, comprising the computational solution (internal assessment) and the collaborative sciences project. The course can be studied in either the Python or Java programming languages.

SYLLABUS CONTENT

Theme A : Concepts of computer science 

1. Computer fundamentals 
2. Networks
3. Databases 
4. Machine learning

Theme B Computational thinking and problem-solving 

1. Computational thinking
2. Programming
3. Object oriented programming (OOP)
4. Abstract data types (HL only) 
5. Case study

Internal assessment

Collaborative sciences project

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Assessment at a glance

Entry requirements

It is preferred that students interested in this course should have a minimum Grade 4 in IGCSE Mathematics and IGCSE English. For HL Computer Science, it is recommended that students have at least a Grade 6 in IGCSE Mathematics and should have studied Computer Science at the IGCSE level, achieving a Grade 6.