Software Engineering BSc (Hons)

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Available with:

  • Foundation Year

  • Placement Year

Accreditations

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Course Summary

Software is the cornerstone of the modern-world; prepare yourself for a career that can help shape the future of humanity with this British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT, accredited course.

Our Software Engineering degree aims to produce industry ready graduates who have the knowledge, skills and experience to succeed. The course structure encourages you to unleash your creative side by designing and prototyping user interfaces, as well as sharpen your problem solving and analytical skills by writing code to develop software for multiple platforms. We harness current industry software tools and teach the latest techniques in software testing, deployment and overall management of projects. In parallel to studying these topics we aim for you to put these skills into practice by contributing to live projects and work placements throughout the course.

Our teaching material is cutting edge, and our techniques are driven by real-world examples. As well as receiving tutoring, mentoring, guidance and support from our team, you may also experience events featuring industry professionals, or perhaps work on an extracurricular project with your peers. The course also has an integrated year in industry (sandwich year) where students will work in paid employment between Years 2 and 3.

Why You'll Love It

Development of logical, problem-solving skills for real world digital applications

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Future proof career prospects with high salary expectations in multi-industries worldwide

Create Festival Gaming Marathon, Computer Science

Accredited by the British Computer Society

This course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT, for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

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A person using a computer

Software Engineering BSc (Hons)

What You'll Study

The Physical and Natural Sciences Foundation Year route is an ideal place to begin your journey in academic sciences.

The Foundation Year is designed to give you a strong knowledge and skills base aligned with your chosen four-year degree. Following a solid grounding in scientific principles or behavioural sciences in your first block of teaching, you will study bespoke modules aligned with your discipline. This could involve studying the human body in health and disease and how to encourage healthy and sustainable behaviours, or the biology of terrestrial and marine animals and the impacts of their interactions with humans, or you might focus on the physical sciences and how they can help change the world for the better. Whatever you aspire to, we can offer you a supportive and incremental introduction to your science degree.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

In Year 1, you will be introduced to user interface design and begin to develop software for the web and desktop applications. The course shares a common first year with Computer Science and Cybersecurity which gives you a taste of each course, and makes it easier to switch if you decide another course suits you better.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Year 2 will extend your theoretical knowledge and develop your ability to apply it to real-world problems. You will undertake a six-week work placement in the three-year degree. On the placement year degree, you will spend the year in industry putting into practice software development skills and applying the knowledge already acquired from your academic modules in a real, working environment. 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

During your final year, you will be able to use the transferable and technical skills developed in previous years. You will also look at software quality.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

How You'll Learn

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This course is designed around in-person study

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There may be some online learning activities

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You will be assessed in a variety of ways

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Curriculum developed to match workforce priorities

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term students’ study 40 credits comprised of either one or two modules.

Scheduled contact hours range between approximately 6 and 10 hours per week depending upon level of study and the complexity of the material being taught. This course is delivered through a mix of in person and online learning. Students can expect to take part in lectures, workshops and peer-led seminars.

Students should expect to spend an average of 30-34 hours per week on independent study which might include following asynchronous learning material on the University’s VLE, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment.

Teaching will be delivered by experience academics and practitioners in the subject. This will be supplemented by occasional guest lecturers and speakers.

There will be a broad range of ‘authentic’ assessment methods so that students are exposed to the different types of tasks they might encounter in the workplace. These will include artefact creation, group assessment and presentations. In some modules students will encounter class tests and group collaborative assessments. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order that they adequately prepare students for graduate level employment.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Entry Requirements

112UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

112 points

GCE A Level

Typical offer – BCC-BBC

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM

International Baccalaureate

28 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4

Scottish Highers - BBBB

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above

T Level

Merit

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: DMM

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

  • IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
  • Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

72 points

GCE A level

72 points overall, including grade D in A level

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP

International Baccalaureate

24 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4

Scottish Highers: CCDD

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall

T Level

T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: MMP

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer.  We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree. 

Fees and Funding

£9,535per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,535 a year, or £1,590 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

You can find more information about undergraduate fees on our Fees and Finance pages.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course. This fee is set for each year of study.

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes. 

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Who You'll Learn From

Jules Barnes

Programme Leader for Software Engineering
Jules Barnes

Andrew Muncey

Programme Leader for BSc Computer Science
Andrew Muncey

Dr Richard Stocker

Senior Lecturer
Dr Richard Stocker

Where You'll Study Exton Park, Chester

The location

Exton Park is close to the city centre of Chester, a city like no other and an amazing place to live as a student. While it is undoubtedly beautiful and packed with history, Chester is also a bustling 21st-century city balancing big-name shopping, eating and living with a thriving independent scene.

Modern learning resources and library

We have dedicated resources and IT services across campus, as well as our Seaborne Library; home to an extensive selection of books, e-books and e-journals, as well as bookable multimedia rooms, video conferencing space, 24-hour access computer labs, and The Hub; a comfortable two-floor study zone, suitable for independent and group study.

Seaborne library, seating and reception area.

Student Services

Exton Park is home to a number of our central support services, including Disability and Inclusion, Careers and Employability, and Student Support.

Fitness facilities

Exton Park boasts an impressive choice of indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities, which are used for both competitive and recreational sports. Our facilities include a swimming pool, gym, squash, and tennis courts, running track and two floodlit pitches.

A male student wearing goggles is swimming in the training pool between the red rope lane marker lines.

Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces

Built in 1847 by former students, the University Chapel offers regular services and a venue to services. The University of Chester also has multi-faith spaces across the campus for prayer or quiet reflection.

Accommodation

Most of our student accommodation is located either on or near Exton Park.

Catering

We have several catering outlets available onsite, offering a wide selection of hot and cold food to students and visitors. Term-time Meal Schemes are also available for those students interested in non-residential catering schemes.

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

Graduates of this course can expect to enter a range of graduate-level careers, including becoming a software developer, software test engineer, systems administrator, project manager, UX developer, product manager or data analyst.

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

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