Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
A017
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
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Course summary
- Gain real-world experience that’s relevant to your future career.
- Develop your knowledge of database design and manipulation.
- Study major programming languages and various modern frameworks.
- Learn to produce high-quality, large-scale web, mobile and desktop applications.
- Work on real client software projects
- Prepare for the degree with an extra foundation year at the start
On this course, you’ll learn how to design, implement, and test complex, high-quality and large-scale software applications that can be used in enterprise environments. You’ll develop the skills you’ll need to work as a professional software developer using modern approaches which can be applied to new and emerging technologies.
How you learn
The course is suitable if you don’t meet the entry requirements for our BEng (Hons) Software Engineering course. You share the first year with other computing foundation year students, then move on to the degree. During the first year of study, you will enhance your skills to maximise your academic potential ready to start your learning against the content of the main degree.
At Sheffield Hallam, all our courses are designed to engage you with the world and challenge you to think in new ways. You’ll get to collaborate with others, and you’ll be taught in a supportive environment where you can thrive.
This course starts by helping you develop practical skills in creating software applications through lectures and hands-on tutorial sessions. These sessions will build your understanding of how and when to use appropriate processes, tools, technologies and project management practices.
You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate on real-world projects to produce software prototypes introduced and inspired by industry. Tackling projects found in industry will help prepare you for a career in software engineering, all within a supportive learning environment.
During your final year, you’ll create your own software application, guided by a dedicated project supervisor. As part of this project, you’ll undertake research, and apply new skills while you create a software product that you can be proud of.
The combination of teaching methods applied across the course will allow you to develop a range of skills through practical implementation, problem-solving activities, and teamwork, allowing you to take an active approach to learning and encouraging self-development.
You learn through
- lectures
- hands-on lab sessions and tutorials
- regular feedback
- teamwork and group-based learning
- practice-based applied learning
- discussions
- self-study
You will be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate level employment through a number of key areas. These include
- access to our student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development
- access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to complete a year-long work placement between your second and third year. A placement is widely recognised as the gold standard opportunity to gain personal and professional development through real-world experience.
You will be encouraged to take up this opportunity, as it will benefit your long-term career prospects and salary level, as well as your academic achievements and degree classification. Your course will prepare you to succeed in your placement and you will be supported throughout it.
Your placement will allow you to apply the knowledge and skills gained on your course, in areas such as web development, mobile applications, backend software and desktop solutions.
Students from this course have worked with companies such as:
- 3Squared
- CSE Servelec
- IBM
- Intel
- SN Systems
Your placement year will allow you to gain an Applied Professional Diploma in addition to your degree which will enhance your graduate profile and give you the edge with future employers.
You’ll also be supported to take advantage of work experience opportunities throughout your course, through access to a range of support activities, resources, and employer events from your Employability Team. This will further enhance your employability skillset, confidence, and opportunity-awareness to help you succeed in your career after graduating.
Live projects
In your first and second years you’ll work in a group on a real client-based project. You’ll analyse their requirements, then design, implement and test a prototype which you’ll present to your client. This will allow you to experience the types of demands faced by commercial software engineers – as well as increasing your confidence while you’re applying for your work placements.
Students have worked on live projects for clients including Next, XLN, Elanco and Elaros (Digital Health). These have included using augmented reality and 3D technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, cloud services and mobile development. Students have often found placements with the client as a result of the excellent work they’ve done for these live projects.
Networking opportunities
Throughout the course there are numerous opportunities for you to engage with career management, career fairs and workshops, employer presentations, visits and professional advisers.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- software development
- web-based applications
- mobile app development
- systems and IT support
- project management
- IT consultancy
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Capita
- Plusnet
- 3Squared
- SkyBet
- Raspberry Pi Foundation
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Computing facilities tour
Take a look around the facilities and equipment in the Department of Computing at Sheffield Hallam University.
Equipment and facilities
On this course you’ll work with and have access to:
- modern software IDEs including Visual Studio
- industry-standard software
- state-of-the-art hardware
- IoT and SBC devices
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Media Gallery
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Computer Development -
Computing Equipment -
Computing Labs -
Computing Software
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC qualifications. For example:
- CDD at A Level
- MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4
- Maths at grade C or 4
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying the subject.
Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.
UK students may be able to claim financial support for the course.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Foundations In Computing 1
Foundations In Computing 2
Maths For Foundation Computing
Study Skills For Computing Students
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Databases And System Modelling
Programming
Software Projects
Web Development
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Introduction To Software Engineering
Systems Programming
Elective modules
Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning 1
Game Development
Handling Data In The Cloud
Mobile Applications Development
Professional Software Projects
Study Abroad - Computing And Digital Technologies
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Development Project
Management Of It Projects
Software Architecture And Design
Elective modules
Contemporary Software Engineering
Machine Learning Algorithms And Heuristics
Robotics
Secure Software Engineering
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fees for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2025/26 are regulated by the UK government and are yet to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for School of Computing and Digital Technologies (PDF, 131.3KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
