The University will receive £2.8 million from the Office for Students (OfS) to support computer science courses aligned to defence-related skills.

Funding will increase student places and investment in facilities in computing and related disciplines to boost the number of graduates for defence-related skills and roles.

Bath is one of 24 universities and colleges to receive funding, selected from 112 applicants. The University will receive £2.8 million to increase capacity in subjects including computer science, artificial intelligence and mathematics, strengthening the pipeline of highly skilled graduates needed across the UK economy.

The funding, provided by the MOD, will lead to an increase of approximately 2,500 student places nationally over five years starting from this autumn.

The initiative aligns with the UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review’s recommendation to boost the pipeline of skilled workers who can contribute to national security.

It also supports the target set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper for two-thirds of young people to participate in Level 4 study or higher, while enabling institutions to invest in cutting-edge teaching facilities.

Marcus Munafò, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University, said: “This investment will help us provide more career pathways and opportunities for our students in high-demand digital and technical disciplines which are increasingly vital to the UK’s future prosperity, resilience and innovation.”

The University has world-leading strengths in areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, quantum technologies, and advanced engineering, supporting its contribution to key strategic sectors.

Bath also has a strong track record in graduate employability, industry partnerships and interdisciplinary research, with well-established partnerships across the engineering, digital technology and national security sectors.