A student in a server room working on a computer

BSc (Hons) Available in Clearing

Software Engineering

Take your coding and programming skills to the next level and become an expert software engineer.

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 3 years
UCAS course code: I300

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with foundation
UCAS course code: I302

Start date: September 2025
Location: Cambridge
Duration: 4 years with placement
UCAS course code: I301

1st

in the East of England for undergraduates employed as managers, directors or senior officials.

Source: GOS 2025

If you're fascinated by coding and looking to take your interest further, our accredited Software Engineering degree is for you.

Study with ARU in Cambridge, and learn to identify, analyse and test IT solutions. You'll develop essential programming skills; create innovative software packages; and learn how to implement sophisticated, secure data systems.

Take the opportunity to get ahead of the game as you apply new models, techniques and tools for implementing custom designed systems while delivering high-standard software products for various platforms.

Accredited course

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional and on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for Incorporated Engineer and partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer. Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Senior Lecturer Philip Payne talks about some of the features of this computing degree, including opportunities to gain work experience.

Why ARU?

Study in the Silicon Fen, home to Apple, Microsoft, Samsung AI and many more – the perfect opportunity to connect with top employers.
Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers, such as The Fellows House and Redgate to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.
You’ll develop a strong set of employability skills through studying with both academics and practitioners.
Accredited by BCS and IET and a Cisco Network Academy for over ten years.
You’ll develop skills in a range of programming languages including Java, C#, C++ and .net framework, supported by popular databases such as MySQL.

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Careers

With our Software Engineering degree, you’ll not only build your skills in coding and programming – you’ll understand what businesses are looking for and why.

You have the option to take a placement year in industry, making contacts and building your knowledge in the kind of environment you may ultimately work in.

You’ll also have 12-month access to Pluralsight courses for programmers, giving you experience of real-world professional training.

What can you do with a Software Engineering degree?

Where have other Software Engineering graduates worked?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

Our course starts with an introduction to high-level programming. You’ll use industry-standard tools to design and test simple programs; and explore programming languages including C#, C++ and Java. You’ll learn about computer and operating systems, and the hardware and software used to process data.

You continue to develop your programming skills throughout the course, as well as exploring databases and security; and designing and programming data-driven applications.

There’s also the chance to explore a subject of interest in your Final Project, which is a substantial piece of research or development work.

Student experience

Hear from ARU Senior Lecturer Dr Razvan-Ion Dinita in this Springpod subject spotlight: Decoding social media: an exploration of programming and platforms. Watch the full lecture on Springpod
Software Engineering graduate Isioma reflects on their university journey and offers advice for future students.
Work closely with students who share your interest in computer science and get expert guidance from academics who will support you through your studies.
Get to grips with the inner workings of computers with hands on, interactive sessions.

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1

Introduction to Programming (30 credits)
Computer Systems (30 credits)
Software Principles (15 credits)
Core Mathematics for Computing (15 credits)
Operating Systems (30 credits)
Into ARU

Year 2

Database Design and Implementation (15 credits)
Object Oriented Programming (30 credits)
Digital Security (15 credits)
Computing Research Methodologies (15 credits)
Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures (15 credits)
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Machine Learning (15 credits)

Year 3

Final Project (30 credits)
Advanced Object Oriented Programming (30 credits)
Professional Issues: Computing and Society (15 credits)
Advanced Relational Database Development (15 credits)
Cloud Computing (15 credits)
Human Computer Interaction (15 credits)

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Foundation in Engineering, Computing and Technology

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement - Computing and Information Sciences

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Software Engineering assessed?

Who teaches Software Engineering at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Philip Payne
Senior Lecturer Practitioner
Dr Arooj Fatima
Senior Lecturer
Dr Razvan-Ioan Dinita
Senior Lecturer
Dr Ian van der Linde
Reader
Dr Mahdi Maktabdar Oghaz
Senior Lecturer
Dr Stiphen Chowdhury
Lecturer

Facilities

As part of your Software Engineering course at ARU, you’ll have access to specialist labs and skills spaces.

Here, you can develop essential skills in programming languages such as JavaScript, Java, PHP and .net framework supported by MySQL and MSSQL Server databases.

There are plenty of opportunities for practical work as you carry out individual and team tasks in the software development lifecycle, from analysis and design to implementation, testing and maintenance.

Take a guided tour and meet our students.

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Entry requirements

UK students

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

International students

We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you'll need to make sure you meet our English language requirements for undergraduate courses.

Check the section 'Standard entry requirements' for IELTS requirements for this course.

Improving your English language skills

If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry onto a degree course.

We also provide our own English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) in the UK and overseas. To find out if we are planning to hold an ELPT in your country, contact our country managers.

You can find out more about the admissions process at ARU, including what happens after you apply and the different types of offer we may make.

We may automatically offer you a place at ARU if you meet any of these criteria:

are a care leaver or care experienced
have a declared disability
are from certain postcodes
provide unpaid care for another person
are currently, or were, in receipt of free school meals during secondary education
are a Service Child, where a parent or carer currently serves in the UK Armed Forces
participated in an approved activity in preparation for entry to higher education
attended a secondary school that had a Progress 8 score of average, below average or well below average

Find out more about contextual offers.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

International students

English language requirements

Contextual offers

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Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

International students

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

Living costs

Bursaries, sponsorship and working

Apply for Software Engineering

Clearing places available

UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start

Apply through Clearing

Apply by phone

UK students, call our Clearing line

01245 686868

UK students

Apply through UCAS for 2026

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply direct

Apply online

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Software Engineering

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Careers

Teaching and modules

Student experience

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Facilities

Entry requirements

BSc (Hons)

Important additional notes

International students

English language requirements

Improving your English language skills

With foundation year

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Apply for Software Engineering

Clearing places available

Apply by phone

01245 686868

UK students

International students

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