2024/25 entry
BSc (Hons) Software Engineering with Foundation Year
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Minimum UCAS points required: TBC
Why study Software Engineering with Foundation Year at Liverpool John Moores University?
- Accredited by the British Computer Society
- Opportunity to undertake a year's industrial placement
- Strong links with local and national companies including Corus, Unilever, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and IBM
- £6 million invested in state-of-the-art teaching facilities including 150 high-performance computers and industry-standard software
- Excellent career prospects, with most students finding employment soon after graduation
About your course
The BSc (Hons) Software Engineering with Foundation Year at Liverpool John Moores University is the ideal course if you are interested in this subject but lack the necessary qualifications to study it at degree level.
Software engineers design, implement and maintain all kinds of software ranging from large systems to websites and for all areas of business from banks to small companies. To be successful in the software engineering field, you need to be proficient in programming languages such as java and C# and to be able to apply them to a variety of problems. This requires an understanding of specific requirements and designing a viable solution that must be tested and then maintained to ensure that it can adapt to a changing world. This degree is designed to enable you to do this and more.
About the Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don't have the qualifications to enter directly onto the Software Engineering honours degree programme. Once you pass the Foundation Year you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree.
If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).
"My understanding of software as a whole has vastly increased due to the carefully designed modules. I like the mixture of technical and non technical materials which makes it suitable for people with different competences."
Professional accreditation/links
This course is accredited by the British Computer Society.
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- Library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to programme-appropriate software
- Library and student IT support
- Free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you'll find all of the information you need on our specialist funding pages.
Employability
This course provides the skills to work in any area of the software industry. Many of our students have found employment with their placement provider and most find employment quickly after graduation.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website. There are opportunities for flexible, paid and part-time work through Unitemps, LJMU's in-house recruitment service, and we also offer fully funded Discovery Internships.
One-to-one careers and employability advice is available via our campus-based Careers Zones and we offer a year-round programme of events, including themed careers and employability workshops, employer events and recruitment fairs. Our Start-Up Hub can help you to grow your enterprise skills and to research, plan and start your own business or become a freelancer.
A suite of learning experiences, services and opportunities is available to final year students to help ensure you leave with a great onward plan. You can access LJMU's Careers, Employability and Start-up Services after you graduate and return for one-to-one support for life.
Go abroad
LJMU aims to make international opportunities available to every student. You may be able to study abroad as part of your degree at one of our 100+ partner universities across the world. You could also complete a work placement or apply for one of our prestigious worldwide internship programmes. If you wanted to go abroad for a shorter amount of time, you could attend one of our 1-4 week long summer schools.
Our Go Citizen Scheme can help with costs towards volunteering, individual projects or unpaid placements anywhere in the world. With all of these opportunities at your feet, why wouldn’t you take up the chance to go abroad?
Find out more about the opportunities we have available via our Instagram @ljmuglobalopps or email us at: goabroad@ljmu.ac.uk.
A life-changing experience
There's so much more to university than just studying for a degree.
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Teaching and work-related learning
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
You will begin the course with a three day induction and then spend approximately 15 hours per week in the classroom.
Independent study is a fundamental element of the course and accounts for about 70% or 35 hours of your weekly study time.
Teaching is mostly via lectures with more informal lab sessions, online activities and small-group tutorials to reinforce ideas discussed in the lectures and to give you a chance to develop ideas with staff and other students.
Work-related Learning
There are many paid work placement options for you to choose from in your third year and extensive support is provided to enable you to apply for and gain a relevant placement in the computing industry. The department maintains wide-ranging links with industry, promoting successful placements, with global companies such as Microsoft, Barclays, Experian, GlaxoSmithKline, Sony, IBM, etc. as well as many local software and IT businesses. These placements facilitate the practical application of the skills learnt on the course and provide invaluable industry experience. The vast majority, if not all, students completing this sandwich degree go on to obtain full-time employment in the computing industry.
Support and guidance
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
From the moment you enrol at LJMU, you will be allocated a personal tutor who will work with you on setting targets for yourself as part of your personal development plan, and provide one-to-one support on course-related or other matters.
Should you choose to undertake a years work placement, this support will continue as a supervisor will stay in close contact and visit you two or three times at your workplace.
Assessment
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
You will be assessed by a combination of coursework and exams plus an independent final year project, which contributes substantially to your final mark.
Your tutors will give prompt and constructive feedback via Canvas (our virtual learning environment), face-to-face or as written comments. This will help you to identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Facilities
What you can expect from your School
This programme is delivered in the Byrom Street complex of LJMUs City Campus. Here you'll find high quality lecture theatres, meeting and seminar rooms plus social spaces and a large café. The Avril Robarts Library is just minutes away on Tithebarn Street.
The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
Further information on the terms and conditions of any offer made, our admissions policy and the complaints and appeals process.