Software Engineering with a Foundation Year
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: G651 | Master of Engineering (with Honours) - MEng (Hon)
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: G651 | Master of Engineering (with Honours) - MEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
BBB (any A Level); BBC including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology
Access to HE Diploma
Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 24 at Distinction (to include 12 Maths units), and 21 at Merit + GCSE Maths grade 7/A
GCSE/National 4/National 5
If you are studying both Maths and a science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) at A Level or equivalent, we have no additional GCSE requirements. If you are studying any other subject combination, we require GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32 (any subjects); 31, with Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology at either Higher Level 5 or Standard Level 7
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H2,H2,H2,H3,H3,H3-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3,H3
H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 (any subjects); H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in Engineering or IT + A at A Level (no STEM at A Level) + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering or IT + B in an A Level science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) + GCSE Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering or IT + C in A Level Maths + GCSE Science grade 6/B
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in Engineering or IT + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A
Scottish Higher
A,A,B,B,B-A,B,B,B,B
AABBB (any subjects); ABBBB including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology
T Level
The Digital Production, Design and Development T Level is acceptable with Distinction overall and B in the core component + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
+ BB at A Level (any subjects); B + BC in Maths and either Physics, Chemistry or Biology at A Level
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
If you want to study software engineering but don't meet our standard entry requirements, our foundation year could be for you. You'll learn the fundamentals of maths, physics and engineering in a variety of innovative ways to prepare you for your degree.
**Learn the art of engineering complex software systems, and how to apply that knowledge to this ever-expanding industry.**
If you don't have the scientific or mathematical background for our engineering courses, this degree with a foundation year is for you. The foundation year will build your skills and knowledge in related areas to ensure you're ready to move on to your degree.
Sheffield’s software engineering BEng gives you a solid grounding in the fundamentals of software engineering, as well as computer science and the opportunity to explore aspects of artificial intelligence.
The course not only teaches you state-of-the-art software design and programming technologies, but also lets you practise skills that employers want in every candidate – project management, teamwork and working with customers.
The main focus of your final year is a dissertation project, where you’ll enjoy scope for creative and intellectual exploration. You'll take a specialist module on software testing and analysis giving you the skills to create robust software systems. Optional modules which cover topics such as software re-engineering, cybersecurity, and software for mobile devices give you the scope to tailor your degree to your interests.
**Why study this course?**
- **Professional skills and group work** - professional, communication and presentation skills help to create more employable computer scientists and software engineers.
- **Specialist teaching facilities** - you'll have access to the latest hardware, software and operating systems, plus high-spec graphics computers and a robotics arena in our dedicated computer labs in The Diamond.
- **Support throughout your degree** - our dedicated student welfare advisor is available to provide support, for example, if you are feeling down, overwhelmed or struggling to adjust to student life.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Sheffield
SEFY - Engineering Foundation Years
What students say
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£31k
£44k
£50k
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 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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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?
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