Internet of Things with Foundation Year
The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other objects embedded with sensors, software, and connectivity that allows them to collect and exchange data. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of technology, with applications in healthcare monitoring, smart cities, industrial automation, environmental sensing, transport systems, and consumer electronics. Understanding how to design, develop, and manage IoT systems requires a combination of software engineering, networking, electronics, and data science knowledge that this degree brings together.
This four-year full-time programme at the University of Derby includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and to encounter IoT technology and its applications in a different national and commercial context. The programme also includes a foundation year, which is built into the four-year structure to provide additional preparatory support in computing and mathematics before the main degree content begins. With a typical tariff of 104 points, the foundation year pathway makes a technically demanding degree accessible to motivated students who may not have the conventional entry qualifications.
You will develop skills in embedded systems programming, networking protocols, cloud computing, data analytics, security for connected devices, and the design of systems that integrate physical and digital components. The IoT field is rapidly evolving, and the programme develops both specific technical competencies and the broader engineering and problem-solving mindset needed to adapt to new technologies as they emerge.
Graduates from IoT programmes move into careers in technology development, systems integration, smart city and infrastructure projects, industrial automation, healthcare technology, and the growing range of sectors that are incorporating connected device technology into their products and operations. Further study in computer science, electronics, or data science is a natural option for those who want to develop specialist expertise in a particular area of the field.