Software Engineering with Foundation Year

Software Engineers who can collaborate with others in effective teams to produce reliable, robust software on time and on budget are in very high demand.

This is a dynamic course that will develop your skills in analysis, design, programming, testing and evaluation. You will learn to produce secure, high quality, usable and adaptable software systems.

This degree will also develop your skills in analysis, design, programming, testing and evaluation to produce software solutions, ensuring you have all the necessary skills to flourish in your career.

Our Foundation Year option enables you to join the Software Engineering course even if you don’t have the formal qualifications or experience to meet the entry requirements. It equips you with the knowledge to move into formal degree study, setting you up for future success.

A typical offer would be minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points. GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C, or above (or equivalent) is required.

Further entry requirements

If you haven't taken Level 3 qualifications in subjects traditionally aligned to Engineering (e.g. maths, science), are returning to education or are changing careers, the foundation year provides you with the opportunity to build the knowledge base required to continue onto the BEng Software Engineering.

If you already have maths or science qualifications at Level 3 then we would require 32-88 tariff points for entry onto the foundation year.

If you do not have the necessary entry qualifications, we will consider you if you can demonstrate that you can study at a suitable level. You may be invited to attend an interview.

For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated web page.

This course is also available as a BEng. 

You will have the opportunity to take a placement in your third year, providing you meet the requirements.  If you can identify and secure a placement opportunity, with the support from the computing team, a placement will provide you with the further opportunity to develop your skills as a practicing computing professional, a personal development plan and evidence of your abilities for your future employers.  

Year-long placement opportunities in engineering often lead to opening doors to great potential engineering graduate employment opportunities with companies such as IBM, BULL, P&O, UEL and South Eastern Railway.

We have also offered a number of paid summer student internships open to students to apply for. A previous opportunity involved two students who undertook a development internship with us to look at the production of a prototype healthcare system. This was used to demonstrate the capability of such a system to surgical teams in Kent.

Students on this programme can usually expect to go on a small number of optional trips such as the National Computing Museum at Bletchley Park. We also aim to have a number of guest lecturers each year.