Software Engineering Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Software engineers develop and maintain large-scale complex software infrastructures. Our programme combines theoretical computing science with the principles and practices used in the modern software industry and gives you real-world experience.

The Student Tech Society at Glasgow organises regular hackathons and other coding events, bringing together students, staff and industrial software developers to solve exciting problems.

Programme structure

The School of Computing Science launched the pioneering Centre for Computing Science Education in 2017, in recognition of our commitment to leadership and innovation in educational practice.

Year 1

You will take courses on key areas of the subject, including programming, computer systems, databases and human–computer interaction.

Year 2

You will study Java programming, object-oriented software engineering, data structures & algorithms, algorithmic foundations, computer networks, operating systems and web application development.

Years 3, 4 and 5

If you progress to Honours (years 3 and 4), you will study courses which present a practical, design-oriented approach to computing, also covering topics such as databases, software project management and real-time systems.

Year 3 covers a broad range of topics and emphasises the skills needed for team-based software development when working with real-world customers. You will take part in a software engineering team project.

BSc students spend their summer after year 3 on a paid placement in industry. This placement lasts a full year for MSci with Work Placement students.

The final year (4 or 5) includes advanced courses on software engineering and a substantial individual project, frequently in collaboration with employers. BSc students can extend their degree by an additional year and graduate with an MSci.

Faster route

If you have exceptional grades it is possible to follow a faster route, which allows you to complete a standard BSc (Hons) or MSci degree in one year less than usual, by being exempted from most of the first-year computing science material.

Our International Links

You will have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner universities as part of your degree. This won’t add any extra time to your studies.

Career prospects

Our graduates are employed in such companies as Codeplay, JP Morgan, Amazon and HP. We also actively support our graduates in creating their own startups.