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Software Engineering with Computer Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

D,D

From a minimum of two A levels

AQA Level 3 (Foundation) Technical Level (360 glh)

D

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (1080 glh)

PPP

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (540 glh)

MM

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (720 glh)

MP

In combination with other qualifications.

In combination with other qualifications.

In combination with other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

MP

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate

D

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

PPP

OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma

MM

OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma

D

OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma

MM

In combination with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MP

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PPP

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

M

T Level

P

Pass grade (D or E)

UCAS Tariff

48

A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP or equivalent. We will consider mature students who haven't recently undertaken a formalised course of study at A-level or equivalent, but who can demonstrate relevant workplace or voluntary experience, indicating their ability to complete the course successfully. We will also consider overseas applicants in an equivalent situation to UK students (as outlined above) and who have been taught in English or have IELTS 5.5 or equivalent. We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds. Applicants who are not in possession of the minimum entry requirements but are able to demonstrate aptitude, enthusiasm and motivation will be considered on an individual basis and may be admitted subject to satisfactory interview and/or portfolio. Please contact us for further details.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

A

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Software engineering

Passionate about computing careers, but not quite ready to undertake a full honours degree? Coming to computing with no formal background in the subject? This one-year computing foundation is the ideal way to learn essential programming, web design, networking and security skills before starting a specialist three-year course.

Our computing courses are part of the Department of Science and Engineering, where there are courses covering every aspect of computing and media technology. On completion of the Foundation Year you will be able to join the first year of a course within the computing area.

You’ll get to grips with the basics of computer programming by taking part in creative and fun practical projects. These will be carried out under the guidance of a teaching team with a wide portfolio of experience and skills.

Personal development is crucial - you will be supported in improving your academic confidence and start on the road to becoming an independent learner. We encourage teamwork and cross-discipline collaboration, both of which are highly valued by employers.

Solent’s computing team maintain a strong network of industry and employer contacts. You will be encouraged to utilise these networks to seek work experience placements, attend industry events and learn from specialist guest speakers.

Our talented and supportive team – many of whom have direct and current industry experience - teach on this computing degree course, so they’ll know exactly what skills you need to move successfully forward.

**What does this course lead to?**
Upon successful completion of this one-year foundation course, students will progress onto the BSc (Hons) Software Engineering course.

**Who is this course for?**
This foundation course is ideally suited to students who want to earn a specialist degree in an area of computing, but don’t yet hold the qualifications or experience required to start on the first year of an undergraduate course.

Modules

FOUNDATION MODULES
Digital Media Technologies
Foundation Computing
Foundation Mathematics
Group Technology Project
Individual Degree Related Project
Problem Solving

On successful completion of the foundation year, you will automatically progress onto the BSc (Hons) Software Engineering course where you will study the following modules:

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Problem Solving through Programming
Introduction to Networks and Security
Data Structures, Algorithms and Mathematics
Introduction to Databases
Software Testing and Reliability Engineering
Web Technologies

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Web Application Development
Advanced Database Systems
Research Methods Project
Object Oriented Design and Development
Mobile Application Development

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Dissertation Project
DevOps
Industrial Consulting Project

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Immersive Technologies
Advanced Mobile Development and 3D
Data Science
Machine Learning

Assessment methods

The computing foundation year is assessed entirely through coursework. Coursework projects will require you to bring together and demonstrate your overall understanding of the topics covered.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£14,000
per year
International
£14,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Science and Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

75%
Software engineering

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
75%
Staff are good at explaining things
71%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
71%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

75%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
61%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

59%
UK students
41%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Software engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
81%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

75%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
8%
Information technology technicians
4%
Artistic, literary and media occupations

A specialist subject, and not surprisingly graduates tend to go into software engineering roles or related. The degree classification students achieved made a particular difference last year — computing graduates with the best grades were much less likely to be out of work after six months and employers can even rate a good grade as important as work experience. Most students do get jobs, though, and starting salaries are good — particularly in London, where average starting salaries for good graduates were getting towards £38k last year. Be aware that at the moment, recruitment agencies are much the most common way for graduates from this degree to get their first job, so it may be worth getting in touch with a few specialist agencies in advance of graduation if you take this degree to get a foot in the door.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Software engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here