About the course
Course content
About the course
The Software Engineering MSc offers a combination of theory and practice, equipping you with high standards of learning and scholarship in advanced technology. This course is industry focused through partnerships with our Industrial Advisory Group, consisting of: Airbus, BT, and Deloitte UK and Rolls-Royce; meaning we can ensure the relevance of our programme to real organisational needs. You will study in an innovative department with an international reputation for research, training and education in software engineering, with access to facilities and expertise from the Software Technology Research Laboratory (STRL).
Reasons to Study
• Gain an industry-recognised accreditation
the course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS) to Chartered Engineering (CEng) level
• Taught by expert academic staff
taught by experienced experts within the Software Technology Research Laboratory (STRL) with international reputation for research, training and education in software engineering, with access to specialist facilities
• Specialise your learning to your area of interest
combine modules from across Cyber Security, Cyber Technology, Digital Forensics and Software Engineering, allowing you to tailor the course to your areas of interest
• Flexible study options
full-time, part time or distance learning study options available; making the course suitable for recent graduates and professionals in work
• Benefit from our Research Expertise
our internationally recognised Software Technology Research Laboratory (STRL) will have input into the course and will explore and allow you to understand the current research issues
• Excellent career prospects
graduates have gone on to work in both public and private sector organisations, and have been employed in positions in consultancies and worked for companies including IBM, Deloitte, Airbus and BT
Course Structure
• Requirements Analysis and Cloud-based System Design
• Internet of Things
• Software Quality Assurance and Testing
• Modern Programming Techniques
• High Assurance System Design
• Critical Systems
• Advanced Research Topics in Cyber Technology
• Legal, Ethical and Professional Practice and Research Methods
We offer a great opportunity to boost your career prospects through an optional one year placement as part of your postgraduate studies. We have a dedicated Placement Unit which will help you obtain this. Once on your placement you will be supported by your Visiting Tutor to ensure that you gain maximum benefit from the experience. Placements begin after the taught component of the course has been completed - usually around June - and last for one year. When you return from your work placement you will begin your dissertation.
Teaching and assessment
There are provisions for a traditional classroom-based delivery, either part-time or full-time, as well as distance learning. Teaching will include formal lectures, tutorials and labs. You will also be expected to undertake independent study and research to support your assignments and dissertation. Assessment will be 100 per cent coursework. It will involve various group and individual methods, including oral exams, projects, presentations, written essays and reports.
Contact and learning hours
The time allocated to study is around 30 hours per week, carried out in block teaching. The taught element of the course lasts for the first two semesters, while the third semester is devoted to the project.
Academic expertise
he Software Technology Research Laboratory is one of the largest software engineering research groups in the UK and its research activities are acknowledged as being at the highest level of international excellence. In the last UK HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), 85 per cent of the research produced by the group was considered to be world-leading, internationally excellent or international.
The major themes within the lab include computer security and trust, software evolution, theory and computational paradigms and semantic web and service oriented computing. The staff working in these areas bring to the course their academic excellence and their experience of applying their work to various industrial sectors.