BEng (Hons) Software Engineering With Foundation Year

Program Overview

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Course Details

Congratulations. You’re considering a career in the world’s most in-demand profession (1). Software engineering is a truly global activity that concerns building and maintaining software systems and other computer-based solutions. By examining all elements of the process – from an initial understanding of the problem to be solved, through analysis, design, and development, to testing, documentation and maintenance – this degree offers you a focused education in software engineering, ready to impress potential employers.

The foundation year is the first year of this degree, offering an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of computing, programming and mathematics. It's designed to prepare you for degree-level study.

Our dedicated staff team offers a balance of academic rigour, industrial experience and advanced technical expertise. We'll support you to explore the underlying principles of software engineering while helping you gain knowledge and practical experience of the latest technologies. You'll be encouraged to appreciate both the technical and human aspects involved in areas such as the lifecycle of software systems, software design, systems analysis, programming, database specification and design, and system security.

Our focus is on helping you develop industry-relevant knowledge and skills to prepare you for a career in software engineering.

(1) https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/minisite/most-in-demand-professions accessed on 16 September 2022

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Highlights

Our Computer Science courses are top in the UK for student satisfaction, according to The Complete University Guide 2022.

Our Computer Science courses are also placed first in the UK for teaching quality and student experience by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.

Our dedicated staff team has a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials, offering you a variety of perspectives and broadening your horizons.

We prefer to keep lecture and practical classes relatively small so that you have plenty of opportunities to us ask questions and get help, as well as benefit from the ideas and support offered by your classmates.

We have well-established links with the software engineering industry and continually monitor and update the course to ensure the content is industry-relevant and introduces you to the latest thinking and innovations.

We're committed to helping you develop your employability and career network. You'll be encouraged to attend guest lectures that enhance your learning, help you make contacts in the industry and contribute to your professional development.

By designing the course assignments and projects to mimic industry pipelines and standards, we aim to give you a real feel for a career in software engineering.

To boost your employability, you’ll study a number of different programme languages and approaches. Each new language you experience and approach you master will enhance your ability to impress potential employers, opening up a wider variety of graduate job opportunities.

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Key Features

We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, purpose-built teaching facilities, and excellent student support and library services.

We want to work with you as an individual, giving you access to the help and support you need to succeed.

Our dedicated IT suites feature high-specification hardware and industry-standard software.

Many of our computing facilities can be accessed across the internet, allowing you to work on your assignments whenever and wherever you choose.

We'll help and support you in developing a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills in readiness to impress potential employers.

In addition to technical knowledge and expertise, you'll have opportunities to gain experience in teamwork, communication and presentation, problem-solving and time management.

By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.

Program Outline

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 graduate, you'll possess a wide range of technical and transferable skills such as advanced IT skills, analytical skills, 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 their way up to positions of greater responsibility, for instance, as software architects or project managers.

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

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Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Roles include:

Advertising, marketing and PR

Banking, finance and accountancy

Energy and utilities

Manufacturing and production

Public sector and defence

IT consultancy

Radio and TV production

Systems analysis

Telecommunications

Multimedia programming

Digital copywriting

Network engineering