BEng Software Engineering Degree | Electronics & Computer Science | University of Southampton

Overview

Engineering high quality, secure and reliable software systems has never been so challenging. The modern world is driven by an astonishing variety of interconnected software, from phone apps to systems that control critical utilities and infrastructure.

Our distinctive BEng Software Engineering programme will develop your skills in programming, software design, analysis, quality assurance, and project management and you will study a range of specialist modules such as:

critical systems
web development
advanced databases
scripting languages

You will also have the opportunity to work on an individual project to take a piece of software from development to implementation and evaluation. Major employers worldwide are keen to employ our graduates – in system development, information technology and communications in the IT sector, and in the finance, service, communications and entertainment industries.

We have strong relationships with employers, and our graduates are particularly in demand for their understanding of organisations and their practical abilities in the workplace. We have our own Careers Hub website and run an annual careers fair.

View the 2018/19 programme specification document for this course

View the 2019/20 programme specification document for this course

Accreditation

Our BEng in Software Engineering is accredited by the British Computer Society and by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Programme Structure

Our degree places particular emphasis on practical information technology and professional issues. Students undertake three years of study. Each year there are compulsory Software Engineering modules. However, the degree has been designed to maximise student choice by allowing you to tailor the degree structure to suit your own interests.

To Apply

All undergraduate applications for Electronics and Computer Science should be made online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Find out how to apply and get further details about UCAS' website, phone and contact details.

Key Facts

Southampton University has pioneered many of the most important advances in computer science and web technology of the past 10 years

We are in the UK top ten for Computer Sciences (Guardian University Guide, 2019)

Southampton is ranked in the top 100 universities for Computer Science in the 2018 QS World Rankings, and top 10 in the UK

100% of our Computer Science research impact is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2014)

We are in the top 10% in the UK for the volume and quality of our Computer Science research (REF 2014)

We are recognised as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research by the UK Government and our academics have played a leading role in establishing a European Data Science Academy

Southampton is a University Partner of The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence

"My supervisors both on my BEng and my PhD were excellent in their fields and this raises the expectations from their students. If you are choosing Computer Science I wouldn’t know a better place to study than Southampton."

Davide Zilli

Entry Requirements

Typical entry requirements

For 2020 entry

Qualification	Grade
GCSE	Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
GCE A-Level	AAA including mathematics (minimum grade A) or AAB including mathematics (minimum grade A)
GCE A-Level with Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)	If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A-level offer: AAA including mathematics (minimum grade A) and grade A in the EPQ
GCE A-Level with Contextual offer	We are committed to ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a student’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows: AAA including mathematics (minimum grade A)
A- level additional information	Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. ‘Use of mathematics’ A level is not a substitute for ‘mathematics’ A level. A pass in the science Practical is required where applicable.
Welsh Baccalaureate offer	AAA including mathematics or AA from two A-levels including mathematics, and A from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate or AAB including mathematics or AA from two A-levels including mathematics, and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information	Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. ‘Use of mathematics’ A level is not a substitute for ‘mathematics’ A level. A pass in the science Practical is required where applicable.
International Baccalaureate Diploma offer	Pass, with 38 points overall, with 18 points required at Higher Level, including 6 at Higher Level in mathematics
IB additional information	Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) offer	Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Access to HE Diploma offer	Applicants with an Access to HE Diploma should apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics/Geophysics Foundation Year
Irish Leaving Certificate offer (first awarded 2017)	H1 H1 H1 H2 H2 H2, to include mathematics at H1
Irish Leaving Certificate offer (last awarded 2016)	A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 including mathematics at A1
Scottish Qualification offers	Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U offer	D2, D3, D3 in three Principal subjects including mathematics
Level 3 BTEC (QCF) offer (unreformed)	D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus grades AA in A-levels including mathematics or D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus grades AA in A-levels including mathematics We do not accept the BTEC Extended Diploma We do not accept the BTEC Diploma Applicants with a BTEC Extended Diploma or the BTEC National Diploma should apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics/Geophysics Foundation Year
Level 3 BTEC (RQF) offer (reformed)	D in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus grades AA in A-levels including mathematics or D in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus grades AA in A-levels including mathematics We do not accept the BTEC National Extended Diploma We do not accept the BTEC National Diploma Applicants with a BTEC National Extended Diploma or the BTEC National Diploma should apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics/Geophysics Foundation Year
Level 3 BTEC additional information	Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. ‘Use of mathematics’ A level is not a substitute for ‘mathematics’ A level. A pass in the science Practical is required where applicable.
European Baccalaureate offer	85% overall including grade 9/10 in mathematics
International qualifications	Find a list of accepted international qualifications listed by country This is a list of the international qualifications that are recognised by the University of Southampton. If you are not sure that your qualifications meet the requirements of this course please contact our Admissions Teams.
Non-academic entry requirements	There are no additional requirements
English language requirements	Band B IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in all components

For 2019 entry

Qualification	Grade
GCSE	GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or above
GCE A-level	A*AA in three A Levels (or equivalent qualifications) including mathematics General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted as one of the three A levels
Alternative Qualifications	We welcome applications from candidates offering qualifications other than A and AS levels (including BTEC Higher National Diploma, European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, Irish Leaving Certificate and Scottish Highers). You will be expected to attain an equivalent standard (or higher) to an A level applicant.
International Qualifications	We welcome applications from international students. For information on applying, visit the International Office website.
English language requirements	If English is not your first language, you will be required to pass an approved English test. We normally ask for a score of IELTS 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each competency. For information on other accepted English language tests, please visit www.southampton.ac.uk/admissions_language.

Other Qualifications:

Foundation Year

If you want to study for a degree in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or Geophysics but you did not choose mathematics and physics at A level, our Foundation Year may be of interest to you. The Engineering/Physics/Maths/Geophysics Foundation Year is a one-year full-time course integrated with a further three or four-year degree course. Find out more about the Foundation Year.

Mature Applicants

We welcome applications from mature students. If you will be over 21 at the start of your proposed degree programme, you may be eligible for exemption from our normal entry requirements. However, you will be required to provide evidence of having completed recent study (eg Access, Return to Study, Open University foundation courses) and of your capacity to pursue the course.

Selection process:

We select students on the basis of a UCAS application. UCAS code:G4G6 Course title: BEng Software Engineering Course duration: 3 years

Career Opportunities

Employability is embedded into modules from the first year onwards and right from the first lecture. We explain the degree skills which are being taught throughout the modules and offer a number of optional employability modules.

The technical skills you will obtain are in high demand, as are skills of understanding and analysing problems, together with communicating the results.

Major technology organisations have a special need for computer scientists. You could end up as part of the team writing the next version of Windows, devising a computer based stock control system for an automotive manufacturer, or writing a secure web-based customer interface for a US music distributor.

Through an extensive blend of networks, mentors, societies and our on-campus startup incubator, we also support aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build their professional enterprise skills. Discover more about enterprise and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Careers and employability

Joyce Lewis, Senior Fellow for Partnerships and Business Development, talks about the high profile careers and employability support that ECS students can benefit from through the Careers Hub.

Careers Hub

Learning & Assessment

Breakdown of study time and assessment

Proportion of time spent in scheduled learning, teaching and independent study
Learning, teaching and assessment stage	1	2	3
Scheduled learning & teaching study	30%	29%	21%
Independent study	70%	71%	79%
Placement study	0%	0%	0%

Proportion of assessment by method
Learning, teaching and assessment stage	1	2	3
Written exam assessment	54%	50%	31%
Practical exam assessment	9%	3%	0%
Coursework assessment	37%	47%	69%

Fees & funding

Tuition fees

Course fees for 2017/18 full-time UK and EU undergraduate students are typically £9,250 per year. Tuition fees for international students differ between each course. Most part-time courses cost 50% of the full-time fee.

View the full list of course fees

Funding

Scholarships, bursaries or grants may be available to support you through your course. Funding opportunities available to you are linked to your subject area and/or your country of origin. These can be from the University of Southampton or other sources.

Explore funding opportunities

Costs associated with this course

Students are responsible for meeting the cost of essential textbooks, and of producing such essays, assignments, laboratory reports and dissertations as are required to fulfil the academic requirements for each programme of study.

There will also be further costs for the following, not purchasable from the University:

Type	Description
Approved Calculators	Candidates may use calculators in the examination room only as specified by the University and as permitted by the rubric of individual examination papers. The University approved models are Casio FX-570 and Casio FX-85GT Plus. These may be purchased from any source and no longer need to carry the University logo.
Stationery	You will be expected to provide your own day-to-day stationery items, e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks, etc). Any specialist stationery items will be specified under the Additional Costs tab of the relevant module profile.
Textbooks	Where a module specifies core texts these should generally be available on the reserve list in the library. However due to demand, students may prefer to buy their own copies. These can be purchased from any source. Some modules suggest reading texts as optional background reading. The library may hold copies of such texts, or alternatively you may wish to purchase your own copies. Although not essential reading, you may benefit from the additional reading materials for the module.
Printing and Photocopying Costs	In the majority of cases, coursework such as essays; projects; dissertations is likely to be submitted on line. However, there are some items where it is not possible to submit on line and students will be asked to provide a printed copy. A list of the University printing costs can be found here: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/isolutions/students/printing-for-students.page.

In some cases you’ll be able to choose modules (which may have different costs associated with that module) which will change the overall cost of a programme to you. Please also ensure you read the section on additional costs in the University’s Fees, Charges and Expenses Regulations in the University Calendar available at www.calendar.soton.ac.uk.

Location

Highfield Campus

Highfield is our main campus and the heart of the University. Set in beautiful green surroundings, it’s easily accessible from the city centre. University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ.

Find out more

Related courses

Other University of Southampton sites

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G4G6 BEng Software Engineering (3 Years)

Introducing your degree