Start date:
Course information
Typical offer ABB
UK fee £9,535
UCAS codes G600, G601, G602
International fee £24,500
Institute code L34
Taught by Computing
97% of students in work or further study six months after graduating (The Uni Guide 2023)
Course description
Course description
Do you enjoy programming, or are you convinced you would? Would you like to know more about being an entrepreneur, and setting up a business underpinned by a great software system? Do you want to know how to talk to customers and clients, understand their needs, and be able to specify, design, build and test the software they need? How to work by yourself and also in teams? If you want to do all these things, and also learn about the principles of coding, underpinning mathematics, operating systems and networks, technology, innovation and professional skills, Leicester's Software Engineering programme is for you!
Programming is fun! You no doubt have a phone, laptop, tablet and so on; your car may have a navigation system, park itself, and have surround-space scanners; and you may be able to control your heating from a mobile. All of these cool devices work using program code. At the heart of coding such systems are state-of-the-art technologies including Android, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Prolog and R, and programme development environments such as Eclipse. At Leicester you will be taught to program in a selection of these languages, and have opportunities to learn others in project work. Programming will include mobile and web applications and technologies.
Software Engineering covers the methods for developing software, following rigorous engineering practices and meeting required levels of quality. You will learn how to plan and manage software architectures for practical large-scale development projects, while adopting an academic and rigorous approach which will support you throughout your career. We cover: how to understand customer requirements; specify, design and code a computer solution; and test and release your solution to your customer. You will learn software modelling techniques such as UML, business concepts such as project management, and techniques for developing innovations in technology.
Modules in computer architecture, operating systems and networking cover essential knowledge of modern computing systems (mobile computers to world-distributed computation). And, of course, we cover databases and information systems. In optional modules you can learn about a range of advanced topics including user interfaces, web technologies, mobile applications, security, along with distributed systems and applications.
Project work is highly desired by employers. In your second year group project you will learn the demands of working in a professional environment as you endeavour to deliver software that is often commissioned by a real client. In your final year, you undertake an individual problem-based project, exercising your creativity and innovation to design and implement a software solution to the problem. Previous projects have included 3-D games, mobile phone/tablet apps, security software, internet telephony, a diabetes app, programming robots, a sheet music editor, processor emulators and more.
What's the difference?
Intrigued by computational phenomena, like why and how programming languages actually work? Want to know more about the processes and techniques through which new software systems can be built? The BSc in Computer Science is the course for you. Or, if you want to start your career at a higher level, or study for a PhD, try the MComp which is the BSc with an extra year on the end.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: ABB. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level. General Studies accepted.
- EPQ with A-levels: BBB + EPQ at grade B.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in Maths.
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant Diploma with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction.
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30. Minimum of 4 in HL Maths, or 5 in SL Maths, or 6 in Maths Studies required if grade 5/B not held at GCSE.
- BTEC Nationals: Full Diploma with D*D*D*. BTEC must be in IT, Science or Engineering.
- T Levels: Distinction in either: Digital Production, Design and Development (with an Occupational Specialism in Software development technician), or Digital Business Services
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you can apply for Computer Science with Foundation Year BSc.
Second year entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed, but an additional assessment test may be required. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the School of Informatics.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
Fees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
The tuition fees that will be payable by you to the University for the 2025/26 academic year will be £9,535
- £9,535 in your first year. Tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation, subject to government regulations. The inflation rate used will be the Retail Price Index excluding mortgage payments (RPIX)
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,430 for that year
- Year in Industry: your fee will be £1,907 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £24,500 per year
- Year Abroad: £6,125 which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
- Year in Industry: £3,675 which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Scholarship
Department of Informatics Scholarships are available to international students. The scholarship is a reduction in your tuition fee and is based solely on your academic achievements and any exam results you get before starting your degree. All international applicants will be automatically considered for these scholarships; there is no application form to fill in. However, you must have applied by 31 August in the year you plan to start at Leicester.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Accreditation
Accreditation
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer.
This degree has been accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. An accredited degree entitles you to professional membership of BCS, which is an important part of the criteria for achieving Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status through the Institute. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Many of our modules feature external speakers who are able to give first-hand accounts of how the latest computing innovations are used in industry.
You will work on a project commissioned by a real client and gain an insight into the practices of design, implementation and professional project management. You will be taught how to specify, design and develop software systems, gaining the technical skills and insights that employers value very highly.
Graduate destinations
Graduates from the School of Informatics have gone on to many different careers, whether working for large companies, such as Accenture, BAE systems, Bloomberg and LogicaCMG, or for small, innovative start-ups. You may go on to apply your knowledge directly as a software engineer or systems analyst – or you may apply your IT skills and problem-solving abilities in a related field such as finance, marketing or general business.
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
- Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals
Testimonial
“When I was in Italy, I was introduced to the Arduino Uno, and from that moment, my interest in technology took off. I quickly realised how much I enjoyed creating projects like weather forecast systems, which challenged my problem-solving skills and creativity. When it came time to pursue a degree, Software Engineering at the University of Leicester felt like the perfect fit—it combined my passion for technology with the chance to work on real-world projects. Starting without A-levels was challenging, but the supportive environment enabled me to quickly catch up, and the first-year modules equipped me with the confidence to succeed. Over the past two years, I’ve not only sharpened my technical abilities, particularly in web development, but also developed strong leadership and teamwork skills through leading multiple group projects”
Manpreet, Software Engineering
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
Your first year provides a solid grounding in the theories and technologies that underpin software engineering. We will cover Python and Java programming and program development environments (such as Eclipse) along with basic discrete mathematics for applications. You will also learn about the architecture of modern computers and be introduced to business and financial computing.
Modules
- Computing Fundamentals
- Programming Fundamentals
- Mathematics Fundamentals
- Computer Architecture
- Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
- Requirements Engineering and Professional Practice
- Algorithms, Data Structures and Advanced Programming
- Business and Financial Computing
After the first semester you may be able to transfer to the BSc in Computer Science, subject to achieving the required grades.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
During your second year you will become an expert in all aspects of the software engineering process and apply your skills in a software engineering group project. In addition, you will learn about operating systems, networks, user interfaces, human-computer interactions, and software and technology in large organisations or data analytics.
You will be part of a team project, working together to develop software, typically commissioned by a real client. You will learn to manage a team. Each team works within a teaching framework, broad enough to allow you to work flexibly and innovatively, but moderated to ensure that teams are performing and progressing. You will learn to prepare written reports, and give a group presentation (these are skills that employers rate very highly).
Core modules
- Software Architecture and System Development I
- Project Management
- Operating Systems and Networks
- Databases and Domain Modelling
- Software Architecture and System Development - II
- Software Engineering Group Project
- User Interfaces Design and Evaluation
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year in Industry or Abroad (optional)
Year in Industry or Abroad (optional)
If you want to, you can spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement. Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years.
Year Abroad
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Year in Industry
An industrial placement is normally a paid company position, more than offsetting the additional cost of the extra year. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of a working environment. You must apply for your placement yourself, but we will help you with the process.
During your placement you will be visited by a member of staff; when you return to the University you may give a presentation of your work experience. You will be provided with a log book to document your placement and will write a final report detailing your work, which will be assessed as part of your degree.
We provide excellent careers support, and our Industrial Advisory Board assists us in keeping our degrees fit for industrial needs. A year in industry is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the type of profession that you can choose after you graduate, and can also point you towards postgraduate studies that may help you strengthen the profile that you have identified for your career.
Your placement effectively begins in year two when you will be briefed in writing a CV, interview techniques and the procedures that you need to follow to obtain a placement. In addition, a list of potential industrial partners who have taken students in past years will normally be provided.
A year in industry still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year
Final Year
Your final year is an opportunity to specialise in the areas of software engineering that interest you. The third year project is a chance to follow your own interests in depth, with one-to-one supervision.
Core modules
- Entrepreneurial Project (double module)
- Computers, Society and Professionalism
Option modules
Choose two option modules from:
- Computational Intelligence and Software Engineering
- Software Measurement and Quality Assurance
- Mobile and Web Applications
- Computational Creativity
- C++ Programming
- Internet and Cloud Computing
Then choose two option modules from:
- Analysis and Design of Algorithms
- Big Data and Predictive Analytics
- Foundations of Cybersecurity
- Technology Management
- Emerging Technologies
- Functional Programming
- AI for Space
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
Job prospects are excellent: 97% of our informatics students are employed (or studying for a Masters degree) six months after graduating. (DLHE)
This degree is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS).
In your second-year group project you will get the experience of working in a software development team and delivering a solution to a real client.
You will have 24-hour access to general-purpose labs, containing fully-networked Windows/Linux dual-boot PCs, and wireless access for laptops.
Teaching and learning
Teaching includes lectures and lab classes together with tutorials and small group student support hours. Lectures include innovative software demonstrations and videos, as well as more traditional slide presentations alongside worked examples.
State-of-the-art web-based materials, automated feedback and marking systems, on-line tests and electronic coursework submission all provide an excellent modern learning environment. Apart from project work, which is assessed by coursework only, most modules are assessed partly by coursework and partly by exam.
You will be assigned your own personal tutor who can provide advice about not just academic matters but also welfare concerns and careers development. You can see your personal tutor at any time by appointment or during office hours.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Software Engineering | Qualification BSc | Duration 3 years, full-time | UCAS Code G600 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Software Engineering with Year Abroad | Qualification BSc | Duration 4 years, full-time | UCAS Code G601 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Software Engineering with Year in Industry | Qualification BSc | Duration 4 years, full-time | UCAS Code G602 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
Through my placement year at Nissan, I have been able to see how well Leicester prepares us for all aspects of work.