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Software Engineering

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, including an A level in a relevant subject.

112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject.

Cambridge Pre-U score of 54-56, to include a Principal Subject in a relevant subject.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29

29 points from the IB Diploma. 655/754 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level - 29 points from the IB Diploma. 664 at Higher Level, with one relevant subject at Higher Level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3


To include a Higher Level in a relevant subject.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

Must be in a relevant subject.

112-120 Tariff points, including an Advanced Higher in a relevant subject.

T Level

M

Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development, T Level in Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning, T Level in Digital Business Services, T Level in Digital Support and Services, T Level in Science, T Level in Engineering and Manufacturing Design and Development, T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing, T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control

UCAS Tariff

112-120

112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including an A level in a relevant subject.

112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels one of which must be a relevant subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Software engineering

**This is a Connected Degree**

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

**Overview**

Create software that could help save lives – and even the planet.

Software powers society, from smartphone apps and laptops to healthcare systems and cyber security. This BSc (Hons) Software Engineering degree will help you master the software development process, from inception to maintenance, so you can play an integral role in the future of society.

You'll develop systems across diverse infrastructure and build the confidence to discuss complex solutions to issues around software application, such as security considerations and how user lifestyles impact the evolution of software engineering.

**Course highlights**

* Specialise in topics such as data science, AI, robotics, educational computing, graphics, and ethical hacking

* Apply your skills through our work with charities and organisations such as Code Club, where you'll help 9-13-year-olds with their Scratch, HTML/CSS, and Python projects

* Benefit from our Student Union clubs and societies, such as the IT Society, AI and Robotics Club and Gaming Society

* Get the opportunity to study abroad at one of our international partner universities in Europe, South Asia or North America, boosting your global experience and employability skills

**Accreditation**

This course is accredited by the British Computer Society, partially meeting the educational requirement for CITP.

**Careers and opportunities**

100% of our graduates from this course are in work further study 15 months after graduation, with 100% of those in work in highly skilled roles (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted in 2019).

Our graduates have worked for companies such as:

* IBM

* Trainline

* Office for National Statistics

* Khipu Networks – cyber security specialists

* General Dynamics – global aerospace and defence company

Our graduates now work in roles including:

* business developer

* software engineer

* cloud software engineer (DevOps)

* IT support specialist

* technical analyst

* test analyst

* android developer (self employed)

Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.

Get experience while you study with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities and work experience. Towards the end of your degree and after graduation, you'll get 1-to-1 support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to find your perfect role.

**Placement year (optional)**

Taking an optional placement year will give you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role after graduation.

We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.

Previous students have taken placement roles such as:

* business analyst

* software developer

* junior android developer

* marketing technology specialist

* business applications developer

They've completed placements at organisations including:

* BAE Systems

* IBM

* Radweb

* Verint

* ParkNow

Modules

**Year 1**

Core modules in this year include:

- Application Programming – 40 credits
- Architecture and Operating Systems – 20 credits
- Core Computing Concepts – 20 credits
- Database Systems Development – 20 credits
- Networks – 20 credits

There are no optional modules in this year.

**Year 2**

Core modules in this year include:

- Data Structures and Algorithms – 20 credits
- Database Principles – 20 credits
- Software Engineering Theory and Practice – 20 credits
- Usability Engineering – 20 credits
- Web Programming– 20 credits

Optional modules in this year currently include:

- 3D Computer Graphics and Animation – 20 credits
- Computing Undergraduate Ambassador – 20 credits
- Data Analytics and Visualisation – 20 credits
- Discrete Mathematics and Functional Programming – 20 credits
- Ethical Hacking – 20 credits
- Modern Foreign Language (Institution-wide Language Programme) – 20 credits
- Security and Cryptography – 20 credits

**Year 3**

Core modules in this year include:

- Complex Problem Solving – 20 credits
- Individual Project (Engineering) – 40 credits
- Software Engineering Culture – 20 credits

Optional modules in this year currently include:

- Advanced Database Concepts – 20 credits
- Artificial Intelligence – 20 credits
- Business Analytics – 20 credits
- Distributed Systems and Security – 20 credits
- Graphics and Computer Vision – 20 credits
- Internet of Things – 20 credits
- Practical Data Analytics and Mining – 20 credits
- Robotics – 20 credits
- Security and Cryptography – 20 credits
- Usability Testing – 20 credits

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment methods

* multiple choice tests
* written exams
* mini projects
* presentations
* written reports
* review articles

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£9,250
per year
International
£19,200
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Portsmouth

Department:

Faculty of Technology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

72%
Software engineering

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

Teaching and learning

63%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
62%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
57%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

83%
UK students
17%
International students
91%
Male students
9%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
14%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
7%
Information technology technicians

A specialist subject, and not surprisingly graduates tend to go into software engineering roles or related. The degree classification students achieved made a particular difference last year — computing graduates with the best grades were much less likely to be out of work after six months and employers can even rate a good grade as important as work experience. Most students do get jobs, though, and starting salaries are good — particularly in London, where average starting salaries for good graduates were getting towards £38k last year. Be aware that at the moment, recruitment agencies are much the most common way for graduates from this degree to get their first job, so it may be worth getting in touch with a few specialist agencies in advance of graduation if you take this degree to get a foot in the door.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Software engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£27k

£27k

£31k

£31k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here