Software Engineering with a Foundation Year
Birmingham City University
Student rating
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( 4.2) View reviews

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Different course options
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Qualification

Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

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Location

Millennium Point

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Study mode

Full Time

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Start date

SEP-26

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Duration

4 Years

Course info

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Qualification

Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Location

Millennium Point

Study mode

Full Time

Start date

SEP-26

Duration

4 Years

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Subjects

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Computer Science
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Course info

This Software Engineering degree with Foundation Year will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to design and manage complex software systems.The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. In order to progress to the next year of your degree, it ...Read more

This Software Engineering degree with Foundation Year will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to design and manage complex software systems.The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. In order to progress to the next year of your degree, it is necessary to achieve a pass in all of the modules of the Foundation Certificate.The course has been designed to provide you with practical experience of models, techniques and tools that drive innovation in the design of software-based systems. In addition, the course also focuses on crucial professional considerations, such as users and organisations, cyber security and computer ethics, as well as the latest developments in the ever-changing computing field, such as machine learning and cloud-based data storage.You will graduate with skills in software design, artificial intelligence, data structures and algorithms and programming ready for a successful career. You could go into roles such as applications developer, full stack developer, software engineer (design, development and testing), site reliability engineer, game developer etc.


What's covered in this course?

The course covers the fundamental concepts of Software Engineering and Computer Science in the first year, including computer programming, computer systems, data structures & algorithms, software process, requirements analysis.In the second year, you will consolidate your first-year learning by studying advanced subjects that emphasise software engineering skills including software design, social issues & professional practice, project management.In final year, you will broaden your understanding of software engineering by studying specialised subjects like user experience design, and software quality verification & validation. You will also gain insight into artificial intelligence & machine learning, and modern data store. With its emphasis on computer laboratory based practical work and project delivery, the course provides you with ample opportunity to acquire both the technical and transferable skills desired by industry. The philosophy of the course is to promote lifelong self-learning by providing a curriculum that promotes a variety of approaches to study. The curriculum is designed to develop not only the academic knowledge, but also the engineering ethos and practical skills required by the modern Software Engineering professional. Academic members of staff within the Department of Computer Science will teach topics and supervise projects according to their personal research interests. This gives you a cutting-edge experience, one that opens up new opportunities for career advancement in industry. For students who show aptitude for research, there is also the possibility of continuing their studies on a PhD programme.The course structure and its content have been developed by taking into account inputs from various sources including the curriculum philosophy of the School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering where this course is located, the suggestions from industrial partners, the benchmark statements of the British Computer Society (BCS), and the computer science curriculum guidelines released by The Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula comprising Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and IEEE Computer Society.The course also offers you with the opportunity to take a sandwich placement year between your second and third year. This is something that is highly recommended as it will give you an invaluable opportunity to hone your expertise, try out a potential career path and get relevant workplace experience

Key stats

  UCAS
WUSCA ranking:
WUSCA student ranking
These are the 2026 rankings, based on ratings given by past and current students.
43/91
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2026
70th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2026
103rd
What students say
K
Kamran
07 Oct 24

Overall experience is good and good support for international..Read more

E
Emmanuel
25 Jan 24

BCU is a great place to study because it focuses on employability and diverse course offerings. The location is also great because it's situated in Birmingham, vibrant and..Read more

Tuition fees

Students living in

Domestic

£9,790 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Domestic

This is the fee you pay if you live within Domestic. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Domestic. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,790 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,790 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,790 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,790 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£18,570 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£18,570 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

UCAS/IDP Connect

Latest reviews

Latest Software Engineering reviews

Software Engineering
Software Engineering
K
Kamran
07 Oct 24
User Experience Design - MSc
Overall experience is good and good support for international...
Read more
E
Emmanuel
25 Jan 24
User Experience Design - MSc
BCU is a great place to study because it focuses on employability and diverse course offerings. The location is also great because it's situated in Birmingham, vibrant and...
Read more
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How Software Engineering students rated:

Student rating
( 4.5) 11 reviews
5 star
55%
4 stars
36%
3 stars
9%
2 stars
0%
1 star
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How all students rated:

Student rating
( 4.2) 2,160 reviews
5 star
40%
4 stars
42%
3 stars
15%
2 stars
2%
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1%
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Uni info

Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University , Birmingham

Birmingham City University (BCU) is a large and diverse institution inspiring the talent for tomorrow and encouraging students to...

Student rating
( 4.2) View reviews
CUG ranking
103rd
Birmingham City University
1 Curzon Street Birmingham West Midlands B4 7XG United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Birmingham Moor Street  0.2 miles away
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