Computational science (also scientific computing or scientific computation (SC)) is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary field that uses advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems. Computational science fuses three distinct elements:[1]

• Algorithms (numerical and non-numerical) and modeling and simulation software developed to solve science (e.g., biological, physical, and social), engineering, and humanities problems

• Computer and information science that develops and optimizes the advanced system hardware, software, networking, and data management components needed to solve computationally demanding problems

• The computing infrastructure that supports both the science and engineering problem solving and the developmental computer and information science

In practical use, it is typically the application of computer simulation and other forms of computation from numerical analysis and theoretical computer science to solve problems in various scientific disciplines.

The field is different from theory and laboratory experiment which are the traditional forms of science and engineering. The scientific computing approach is to gain understanding, mainly through the analysis of mathematical models implemented on computers.

Scientists and engineers develop computer programs, application software, that model systems being studied and run these programs with various sets of input parameters. In some cases, these models require massive amounts of calculations (usually floating-point) and are often executed on supercomputers or distributed computing platforms.

Numerical analysis is an important underpinning for techniques used in computational science.

Information science is one with a long history, unlike the – relatively – very young field of computer science, and is primarily concerned with gathering, storing, disseminating, sharing and protecting any and all forms of information. It is a broad field, covering a myriad of different areas but is often referenced alongside computer science because of the incredibly useful nature of computers and computer programs in helping those studying and doing research in the field – particularly in helping to analyse data and in spotting patterns too broad for a human to intuitively perceive. While information science is sometimes confused with information theory the two have vastly different subject matter. Information theory focuses on one particular mathematical concept of information while information science is focused on all aspects of the processes and techniques of information.

Computer science, on the other hand, is less focused on information and its different states, but more, in a very broad sense, on the use of computers – both in theory and practice – to design and implement algorithms in order to aid the processing of information during the different states described above. It has strong foundations in the field of mathematics, as the very first recognised practitioners of the field were renowned mathematicians such as Alan Turing.

Information Science and computing began to converge in the 1950s and 1960s, as information scientists started to realize the many ways computers would improve information storage and retrieval.

Information and Computer Science is a field that is rapidly developing with job prospects for students being extremely promising with 75.7% of graduates gaining employment. Also the IT industry employs one in twenty of the workforce with it predicted to increase nearly five times faster than the average of the UK and between 2012 and 2017 more than half a million people will be needed within the industry and the fact that nine out of ten tech firms are suffering from candidate shortages which is having a negative impact on their companies as it delays the development of new products being created and it’s predicted in the US that in the next decade there will be more than one million jobs in the technology sector than computer science graduates to actually fill them. Because of this programming is now being taught at an earlier age with an aim to interest students from a young age into Computer and Information Science hopefully leading more children to study this at a higher level. For example, children in England will now be exposed to computer programming at the age of 5 due to an updated national curriculum.

Under 45 years of age, and with good health status

1. Application Form

Please upload your finished application form here.

2. Health certificate

Photocopy of notarized foreigner physical examination record (for durations of study over 6 months)

3. Certificate/diploma of highest education

Graduation certificate in languages other than Chinese or English should be translated into Chinese or English and be certified by notarization.

4. Passport photo

A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant

5. Photocopy of valid passport

With name, passport number & expiration date, and photo included

6. Certificate of HSK

Certificate of HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test)

• Question: What is the cost of applying through ACASC?

Answer: ACASC charges a service fee of 50$ for using its online application portal. Applying through ACASC into Chinese universities attracts a service fee of $50.

• Question: Can I apply to the university directly?

Answer: Yes. ACASC gives the applicants, the chance to directly apply to their desired universities through our online application portal. We have synchronized our system to create a simple platform that connects universities and colleges in China to international students all around the world.

• Question: How can I track my application status?

Answer: To track the application status, please log in your ACASC personal account. Whenever there’s an update, you will be informed on your application status through ACASC system within a day as soon as we receive university’s notification. You will simultaneously receive ACASC auto-email about the application status. To directly inquire about your application status, feel free to send us an email to admission@acasc.cn and our team will keep you updated.

• Question: How to deal with a pending application?

Answer: When an application is pending a decision it means that your school has received it and no admissions decision has been made yet. The admissions office may have reviewed your application package or may not have.

The main cause of a pending application is usually incomplete application documents. As a result you will be requested by the school’s admission office to re-check and modify all submitted application documents or perhaps even add extra documents and then re-submit them.

To avoid further delays, carefully read the university’s comments, modify your application form on ACASC, and re-upload the required application documents. You can contact ACASC on admission@acasc.cn for any help with regards to your pending application

• How long does it take to process my application?

Processing time varies for different applications. For example to process a degree program application requires more time than a Chinese language application. Confirmation for Chinese language application by the admission office usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. However, time for degree programs application differs. For example fall semester application processing is after March, and it takes a period of 1 to 2 months. This also depends on your qualification and the number of applicants.