BEng (Hons) Software Engineering with foundation year

• 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) and computing-related subjects are preferred.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English Language and Mathematics. If you didn't study GCSEs or don't have the required grade in English Language or Mathematics, please contact us for details of other acceptable qualifications.
• If you have non-traditional entry qualifications and relevant experience, or a suitable portfolio of work that we consider a reasonable substitute for the qualifications we typically accept for this course, then we will be happy to consider your application.
• You’ll be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work. As part of your interview, you may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
• Every application will be considered on its individual merits.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 5.0 with no less than 4.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details. Where we think you’ll benefit from English language tuition, we’ll support you to improve your English language skills as part of your foundation year. This will help you to succeed at degree level.
• Please visit www.rcl.ac.uk to find out more about our London Academic Centre and Regent College London.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Software engineers may work at any stage of the software development life cycle. Duties can include producing project requirements, writing algorithms, coding, testing, deployment, or maintenance.

As a BEng (Hons) Software Engineering with a foundation year graduate, you'll possess a wide range of technical and transferable skills such as advanced IT, analytical, communication, creativity and innovation, independence, logic, numeracy, project management and organisation. The demand for skilled and qualified software engineers is increasing. This is fostered by a transforming economic landscape driven by the need for computing technology solutions.

What can I do with this qualification?

Software engineering graduates who are new to the field often start out as programmers and work up to positions of greater responsibility, such as software architects or project managers.

Jobs directly related to a software engineering degree include games development, systems development, web design, search engine optimisation, information systems management, and business analysis. A wide variety of career options are also available in sectors such as business, engineering, health care, gaming, publishing, IT, retail, education, medicine, aerospace and cyber security.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use this qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include the following:

• IT consultancy
• Systems analysis
• Telecommunications
• Multimedia programming
• Digital copywriting
• Network engineering

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2023-2024 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2023-2024 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Lectures introduce the core course content, while practical laboratory sessions offer practical experience and help consolidate your learning. Tutorials allow you to ask any questions to ensure you understand the topics covered in lectures and laboratory sessions. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help you learn to apply academic theory to real-life problems, allowing you to gain insights into software engineering in industrial environments.

Guest lectures/presentations by a variety of visiting speakers from relevant employment areas offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and understanding further.

Regarding assessment, you can expect time-constrained exams and coursework, such as essays, reports, presentations, and portfolios. These contribute to your final marks and allow you to demonstrate that you've met the learning outcomes for the course.

We also use other assessment forms to help you learn, provide feedback, and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final marks. For instance, you might be asked to complete quizzes or undertake programming exercises. You'll also receive feedback on assessment drafts. These will help identify any areas that would benefit from extra attention on your part or where you need additional support from your tutor.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Fundamentals of Programming
• Logical Analysis and Problem Solving
• Computer Systems
• Foundation Project
• Introduction to Software Development
• Computing Infrastructure
• Databases
• Computer Science Fundamentals
• Advanced Programming
• Data Structures and Algorithms
• Software Engineering
• Advanced Databases and Big Data
• Undergraduate Project
• Agile Programming
• Enterprise Systems Development
• Machine Learning
• Software Quality Management

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.