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software-engineering

Software Engineering MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

Become a highly trained engineer capable of delivering good quality and trustworthy software systems to meet industry needs. This course combines theory and practice, equipping you with detailed knowledge of advanced technology and professional skills sought after by employers.

Overview

Delivered with support from sector-leading organisations such as Airbus and Deloitte UK, our strong partnerships ensure that this course is aligned with the latest industry needs. 

Input from experts from the Software Technology Research Laboratory means that you will also benefit from their expertise and research in the sector. 

Develop your technical skills through modules such as Requirements Analysis and Cloud-based System Design, Internet of Things, Software Quality Assurance and Testing and Critical Systems. 

You will also study Advance Research Topics and Research Methods module in preparation for your final project, during which you will explore a contemporary issue from a wide range of applications, including Electronic Patient Records, London Ambulance System, E-Voting System and Flight Control System. 

Our graduates have gone on to work as software engineers, consultants and project managers for companies such as IBM, BT and Deloitte UK. You will also be well-positioned to continue studying towards a PhD.

Key features

  • Study in an innovative department with an international reputation for research, training and education in software engineering.
  • Access specialist research labs equipped with industry-standard software and with excellent technical support on hand. 
  • Meet like-minded people and get hands-on experience by joining our student societies, such as DMU Hackers, an ethical hacking society that meets weekly to share skills and prepare for competitions.
  • Fit your studies around your other commitments with flexible study options, including full-time, part time and distance learning.
  • Boost your career prospects through an optional one-year paid placement* where you can build industry contacts and gain experience in your area of interest. Previous Software Engineering MSc students have undertaken placements with ARM Ltd, as well as local and national consultancy and software firms.
  • Study for an MSc with excellent career prospects. Graduates have gone on to work in both public and private sector organisations, including IBM and BT.
  • Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

*Country restrictions apply

News stories/case studies

Ugonna Ezema is feeling hopeful about his career prospects after attending a student workshop hosted by Amazon, the world’s largest online market place. The Software Engineering MSc student was notified about the online event – which was designed to support Black and ethnic minority students in their career development – by his faculty placement team at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).

Delivered together with Everything D&I – a company working with employers to create opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds – the event explored career options within Amazon, including how to successfully apply for internships and graduate opportunities.

 

More courses like this:

Computing MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

Artificial Intelligence MSc

 

  • UK
  • EU/International

Programme code: G60071

Location: De Montfort University campus

Start date: January, September

Duration: One year full-time

Fees and funding: 

2023/24 full-time fees for UK students: £17,050 per year

2024/25 full-time fees for UK students: £18,000 per year

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

 

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Programme code: G60071

Location: De Montfort University campus

Start date: January, September

Duration: One year full-time

Fees and funding:

2023/24 full-time fees for EU/International students: £18,780

2024/25 full-time fees for EU/International students: £19,280

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

You should have the equivalent of a British Honours degree (2:2 minimum) in a relevant subject.

We are happy to consider equivalent qualifications from anywhere in the world.

If you have no formal academic qualifications but do have extensive industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

Education 2030

We want to ensure you have the best learning experience possible and a supportive and nurturing learning community. That’s why we’re introducing a new block model for delivering the majority of our courses, known as Education 2030. This means a more simplified timetable where you will study one subject at a time instead of several at once. You will have more time to engage with your learning and get to know the teaching team and course mates. You will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, and have a better study-life balance to enjoy other important aspects of university life.

Read more about Education 2030
 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Academic expertise

 

Course modules

  • Block 1: Cloud Based System Design and Software Quality Assurance
  • Block 2: Internet of Things and High-Assurance System Design
  • Block 3: Critical Systems and Modern Programming Techniques
  • Block 4: Advanced Research Topics and Research Methods
  • Block 5 & 6: PGT Project

See pre-Education 2030 version of this course.


See detailed module descriptions


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

 

Teaching and assessments 

There are provisions for a traditional classroom-based delivery, either part-time or full-time. 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. 

 

The 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.

Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Facilities

The Computer Science laboratories in Gateway House provide 80 computer workstations for students to use. The space is divided into four interconnected laboratories each with 20 machines (20 HP PCs running Windows/Linux).

There are printing facilities available, internal network access and digital projectors to aid in teaching. All the machines are connected via the Faculty of Technology network to a dedicated, high-performance file server for storage and backup of students' work. Many of the software packages are open source which means students can download and run software at home.

The Computer Science laboratories include a study space area, in which you can work individually or in groups.

Learning zones

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Library services

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Blackboard, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

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Graduate Careers

Graduates are prepared for positions in consultancies, software houses or project management and can also undertake further study towards a doctoral or PhD degree.

 

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