University course · real outcomes from HESA / Discover Uni · part of Careermash

University degree

Software Engineering

Nottingham Trent University · Nottingham

Qualification

Degree

Length

4 yrs

UK fees / yr

£9,535

Study

full-time

Robin · your guide

Here's the honest picture on this course - what you'd study, whether you'd likely get in, what it pays, and where it leads. Everything's real data.

About this course

Software engineering is the discipline of building reliable, maintainable, and efficient software systems at scale. While programming is its foundation, software engineering is concerned with much more than writing code: it addresses how complex systems are designed and architected, how teams collaborate to build large codebases, how software is tested and quality is assured, how projects are managed and delivered, and how systems are maintained and evolved over time. It is an engineering discipline in the full sense, applying rigorous principles and systematic methods to problems of enormous practical importance.

At Nottingham Trent University, this four-year, full-time degree includes a built-in foundation year, making it accessible to students who want to develop their mathematical and computing foundations before progressing to the main programme. NTU has a strong computing faculty with close ties to the software industry, and the programme is designed to develop graduates who are ready to contribute to real development teams from day one. Once in the main degree, you will study programming and algorithms, data structures and system design, software architecture, databases, operating systems, software testing and quality assurance, project management, and agile development methodologies.

You will work on substantial software projects, developing the habits of professionalism and collaboration that the industry demands. A typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points indicates the accessible entry route the programme provides.

Software engineering develops disciplined thinking about complexity, the ability to work systematically within a team, and the technical depth to build systems that actually work under real-world conditions.

Graduates work as software engineers, developers, systems architects, test engineers, technical project managers, and DevOps engineers across every sector of the economy. Software engineering skills are in consistent high demand, and the career prospects for well-trained graduates are strong across the world.

Could you get in?

The grades students arrived with

<48 pts1%

48-63 pts1%

64-79 pts7%

80-95 pts15%

96-111 pts23%

112-127 pts17%

128-143 pts13%

144-159 pts9%

160-175 pts3%

176-191 pts1%

How they qualified

55% got in with A-levels. The rest came in a mix of ways:

A-levels55%

other higher education27%

Other11%

an Access course2%

the IB2%

Could I get in? Try your grades

120 UCAS pts

Pay & prospects

90%

In work or further study after

92%

Continue past first year

82%

Student satisfaction

What graduates earn over time

£26,500

3 years on

£34,500

5 years on

What graduates actually go on to do % of leavers

Elementary occupations15%

Information Technology ProfessionalsHighly skilled55%

Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsHighly skilled20%

Sales occupations5%

Natural and social science professionalsHighly skilled5%

What students say National Student Survey

82%

of students are satisfied with the course overall

Teaching81%

Assessment & feedback85%

Academic support86%

Well organised83%

Learning resources85%

Student community86%

In students' own words

★★★★☆

Good but not perfect

It's been a mixed experience, but mostly positive. The best part: the career fair connections with top tech employers are genuinely valuable. If I'm honest, the timetable has some awkward 9am / Friday afternoon slots. On the city — the city…

Third year · Full-time

★★★★☆

Worth it overall

It's been a mixed experience, but mostly positive. The best part: the opportunity to do independent research in the final year is a highlight. If I'm honest, would like to see more industry guest speakers in later years. On the city — the c…

Class of 2024 · Full-time

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