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Induction activities for postgraduate taught students (On-campus MSc)

September 2025

Welcome!

 

We would like to welcome you to the Department of Computer Science, and we hope you will enjoy your time with us.

Our home is the Ian Wand Building on Campus East, and we share our building with the Department of Mathematics.

What you must do now

If you haven't yet done so, it's very important that you ensure you have completed your enrolment. This is a requirement for all new and returning students, and you can do it online.

• Complete your enrolment

Registering your arrival

If you are a full-time student studying for your MSc over the course of one year, then you need to tell us that you have arrived in York. Please come to the Reception area in the Ian Wand Building to complete your registration at the following time:

Tuesday 16th September between 10:15 and 11:00.

When you come to register, please ensure that you bring your University Card with you. You will be contacted by email with further details of when and where to collect your card.

Missed your registration slot? Please don't panic! Come and see us at the Reception desk in Computer Science and we will be able to help you.

Please note: you do not need to register if you are studying the MSc Safety Critical Systems Engineering on a part-time basis.

Your first week

During your first week, you will attend a schedule of events which will introduce you to the Department and the facilities that you will use during your degree. It is also a great opportunity to meet your fellow students and key members of staff.

Information on University-wide induction events and those run by the Department will all be available to view on your timetable.

Please ensure that you double-check your timetable for any last-minute amendments to rooms. Such changes may not be shown on here on our web pages.

Please note: you do not need to attend these on-campus events if you are studying the MSc Safety Critical Systems Engineering on a part-time basis. Copies of the slides will be provided after each session.

Support for students with a disability or long-term health condition

 

Do you have a disability or long-term health condition that has a significant impact on your ability to study?

If the answer is 'yes', then the University's Disability Services team can arrange academic support and adjustments. You can discuss your needs with a Disability Adviser and explore what support options may be available to you.

Please note that arrangements made with your previous school or college are not passed on to us automatically. We strongly recommend that you speak to the Disability Support Team if you think you will need extra support.

If you have any questions, email the Disability Support team at disabilityservices@york.ac.uk or call +44 (0)1904 324785.

• Find out more about what disability means
• Read about how to access support
• FAQs about what is classed as a disability, how the University can help and what you need to do to access support.

Your supervisor

Every student has a supervisor who is a member of staff in the Department. Your supervisor is there to help and advise you on all aspects of life at university, including your course, the Department and the University of York.

During your first week, check your e:Vision account to find out the name of your supervisor. We recommend that you go to our online People Finder to find the room number of your supervisor's office and check out its location.

It is important that you arrange to meet with your supervisor as soon as you can. Supervisors have different ways of telling you when they are free. Some may post a list on their office door where you can choose your appointment time. Others may email you directly with suggested dates and times.

If you haven't heard from your supervisor by the end of your first week, you can email them directly to arrange a meeting. If you have any questions about meeting your supervisors, or problems with finding their office, please speak to Jo Phillips at the Reception Desk in Computer Science.

The teaching timetable

Teaching starts on Monday 22nd September. If you have not already done so, please take a look at your timetable. You can check the location of teaching rooms by looking them up on the University's Campus Map.

An essential part of your development is academic integrity - this is how we make sure that our work is ethical and trustworthy. During your first term with us, it is important that you complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial module on Blackboard, the University's VLE (virtual learning environment). We will send you more information about how and when you should complete this module.

• Read more about academic integrity

Keeping up to date

The Student Handbook is your go-to guide for useful information about studying on your course. We recommend that you add the document to your 'starred' list of files in Google Drive, so that you can quickly locate it in the future. 

In addition, the University publishes Student pages - a useful resource for finding rooms, booking study space and check availability for library seating. You'll also find support and guidance on a range of issues, making sure you can find the right contacts when you need them.

Finally, the Computer Science student information web pages provide you with lots of information to help you through your student journey. You can find out more about your course, modules and assessments, and find answers to frequently asked questions. We publish regular newsletters, and we also keep you up to date through our Instagram account.

Keeping in touch

Our primary means of contacting you is through your University of York email account, which you should check at least once a day.

It is also important that you keep your personal details up to date on e:Vision (UoY login required). Please take time to review your details, ensuring that your local term time address and telephone number are both correct and up to date. In the future, if you change your contact details, you should update your record on e:Vision as soon as you can.

Advice about computers

Many students have their own PCs or laptops​ ​​and we know students may prefer to use their own machines. ​​Some find laptops more practical; others prefer to have a desktop PC – the choice is yours.

For day-to-day university work, an entry-level Intel x86-64 laptop as described in the advice on the University's IT Services web pages is fine. If you want something more powerful, then you could consider something with a CUDA-capable GPU which you can use to experiment with AI models, but this is not essential.

While we don’t teach anything that has Mac-specific software, you can buy a Mac laptop if you prefer. All our teaching is in Linux and Windows, so most applications will either have a Mac version or will compile in macOS. You can dual boot Windows and macOS using Boot Camp and we can provide some software in Windows if you need it.

Please do remember that the Department has three dedicated software labs which are available to our students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our lab PCs are set up with all the software needed for teaching and assessments, and we upgrade them regularly.

Questions? Contact us!

If you have any questions, or you need further assistance of any kind, please contact us.

• Visit: Computer Science Reception is open 08:30 - 16:30 Monday to Thursday each week, and 08:30 - 16:00 on Fridays.
• Email: cs-reception@york.ac.uk
• Telephone: 01904 325500

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Further information that you may find useful

• Welcome guide for all new postgraduate students
• Additional information for international students
• About University semesters
• IT and online Services
• University of York Library Subject Guide for Computer Science
• University of York Students' Union