Software Engineering
Software Engineering is the discipline concerned with the systematic design, development, testing, and maintenance of software systems at scale. Where computer science focuses on the theory and foundations of computation, software engineering focuses on the engineering practice of building reliable, maintainable, and efficient software in professional contexts. It draws on programming, algorithms, system design, quality assurance, project management, and human-computer interaction, applying them to the challenge of delivering software that works as intended, can be understood and modified by others, and meets the needs of the people who use it.
At Nottingham Trent University, this four-year full-time programme develops both your technical programming skills and your understanding of the engineering processes that distinguish professional software development from amateur coding. You will study software design patterns, software architecture, testing and debugging, version control, agile and waterfall development methodologies, databases, and software project management. A year abroad is available, giving you the opportunity to study software engineering in a different national and academic context, which broadens your perspective on how the discipline is practised internationally.
The programme includes practical project work throughout, building your experience of working through the full software development lifecycle from requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance.
NTU's strong industry connections and emphasis on graduate employability mean the programme is designed with the professional software engineering labour market clearly in view.
Graduates pursue careers as software engineers, full-stack developers, systems architects, quality assurance engineers, DevOps engineers, and technical project managers. The demand for software engineers continues to grow across virtually every sector of the economy. Many go on to postgraduate study in software engineering, computer science, or specialist technical areas.
The year abroad adds international experience that is increasingly valued by technology employers.