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This course is highly vocational with an emphasis on providing students with practical experience as software engineers. The curriculum comprises projects, placements and even the option of a sandwich year so that you can gain real-world experience.
The first stage of this course is shared with other BSc degrees in Computer Science, and from this platform you will engage in specialist study that will make you confident with the principles and practices of software engineering. The focus will be on large-scale software design, development and deployment. You will emphasise the entire lifecycle of the system and put the production of quality software systems into management and organisational contexts.
With the support of teaching staff experienced in the industry and commerce, your studies will culminate in a final year project in which you take your specialist work to greater depth, leading to the possibility of future research. Students in the past have found that this project allows them to demonstrate their capabilities to prospective employers, and as a result this course maintains an excellent track record of graduate employability.
This course will prepare you for career opportunities including software engineering and trainee positions in project management, safety-critical systems and software development. On-course industry networking will help you to secure contacts that can help you transition from a student to a working software engineer. Alternatively, this course provides a great platform from which to begin further research or postgraduate study.
During the course you will:
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
The curriculum structure is composed of core subjects combined with strands that allow a deeper exploration of particular aspects of a broadly based subject. The core comprises fundamental subjects entwined around the software engineering lifecycle as a central supporting pillar.
This thematic approach to software engineering enables students to orient their studies towards particular learning outcomes leading to the ability to progress towards specialisation whilst maintaining the flexibility that the core provides. On completion of the Honours degree students will be capable of making a positive contribution to a variety of software engineering, computing and related industries. The programme aims:
The emphasis of the programme is to provide vocationally skilled software engineers who have both a general overview of the discipline of software engineering and more detailed knowledge and skills of an area such as Object Oriented programming and Object Oriented design, software engineering lifecycle planning, testing and deployment.
During the induction and PPAD there will be a series of diagnostic tests designed to identify the need for any specialist support (e.g. dyslexia). If identified, students will be referred to the University of Bedfordshire Disability Support Unit.
All students are supported by induction sessions at the start of each year, by personal and project tutors, by academic advice sessions and by dedicated technical support staff. Student support is provided on a formal basis by the personal tutor system and in practical sessions, as well as informal support in the use of Blackboard. The University provides general help for learning skills through a centralised support tutor system, as well as academic English modules mainly for International students.
All students undertake Computer Assisted Diagnostic assessment. The results of such diagnostics enable a personalized program to address individual learning requirements in basic mathematical or language skills. Academic advice is provided both at Field level and also at Corporate level.
Group assessments and informal group activities (in laboratories or tutorial sessions) are part of many modules and the skills needed to work with others are specifically addressed as part of preparing for professional life. As such students will come across group working as a core concept within the pathway frequently. Students are expected to contribute to team discussions, to complete tasks as part of a team and, in general, be able to demonstrate that they are able to work effectively with others.
Career paths:
It is possible to identify three roles that software engineering graduates are expected to fulfil - competent technician, responsible engineer, and professional engineer - and these vocational outcomes have formed the basis of this strategically planned curriculum. Initially, students are likely to gain jobs as a skilled software engineering technician, with the prospect for later progression leading to posts of responsibility supervising agile software teams within significantly large, innovative and challenging software projects in industrial and commercial settings. Thus, the pathway is designed to not only enable a graduate with the knowledge and skills relevant to their first post, but also to facilitate their later development to posts of higher responsibility.
Further study:
MSc in a Software Engineering related topic; MPhil / PhD.
Standard:
Standard entry requirements for UK students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/ukugentryreqs
Students from the European Union - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/eu/guides
International students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/international/apply
Additional:
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
Communication:
Communication skills are assessed at the start of each course and individualised help is provided as required by teaching staff. In addition, many (if not all) assessments address the need for the development and demonstration of both written abilities, especially with regard to technical subjects, and spoken and visual communication skills.
Information Literacy:
Written reflective reports are often required for in-course assignments (using, for example, Microsoft Word). Students will also experience a wide range of computing-specific packages and tools including the use of on-line library sources. To enhance students information literacy they will also have access to a wide range of Learning Resources courses (e.g. referencing) and the Professional Personal and Academic Module will develop these abilities.
Research and Evaluation:
Students are expected to work independently, and to produce assignments which show their ability to synthesise and evaluate disparate sources of information, to critically evaluate these and to undertake self-directed research activities in order to come to a fully supported rational and objective conclusion. Thus, practical work always requires a supportive analytic commentary and rationale whilst written and/or oral presentations are based upon core research and evaluative skills.
Creativity and Critical Thinking:
Students are given opportunities to solve problems both informally in groups, during practical activities through exposure to given general scenarios from which they need to devise solutions and more generally are given tasks that develop critical arguments to support hypotheses. This is particularly evident at Level 3, but the development of these skills starts at level 1 and is reinforced at level 2.
To ensure that standards are adhered to, the programme has been designed so that students will be educated about the professional standards of their field (this is covered within the Fundamentals of Computing module at Level 1, as well as the Social & Professional Project Management module at level 3).
It is also expected that students undertaking their final year project will sign an ethical form to show that the work they undertake during their project will be conducted in an ethically accepted manner. Many of the academic staff are BCS members so are able to act as champions and role models in this area.
