Expand+How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/...

Hide-How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/apply.

When to Apply

UCAS will start processing applications for entry in Autumn 2017 from 1 September 2016.

The normal closing date for the receipt of applications is 15 January 2017.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

Earlier applicants normally receive decisions more quickly, however, UCAS accepts that some applicants, especially those from outside the UK, may find this difficult. Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Take care to enter the details of the institutions and courses clearly and correctly on the application. For Queen's, the institution code name is QBELF and the institution code is Q75. These should be entered in the Choices section of your UCAS application. A Campus Code is not required.

Queen’s University Belfast Terms and Conditions 2017 Entry
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.

http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/TermsandConditions/

Expand+Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
MEng (including sandwich options)
A-level:
AA...

Hide-Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
MEng (including sandwich options)
A-level:
AAB including Computing, Mathematics or Software Systems Development + GCSE Mathematics grade C
OR
AAA including Chemistry, GCE A-level ICT (not Single Award Applied ICT), Physics, Technology and Design or Double Award Applied ICT + GCSE Mathematics grade C.

BTEC Extended Diploma: a relevant computing, engineering or scientific BTEC Extended Diploma with 160 credits at Distinction and 20 credits at Merit + GCSE Mathematics grade C.

Irish Leaving Certificate:
H2H3H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in Mathematics
OR
H2H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in Chemistry or Physics + Ordinary Level grade O4 in Mathematics.

All applicants: Computer Science, Computing Information Technology and Software Engineering share a common core of modules in the first year, so students may therefore transfer between these courses at the end of first year, subject to meeting the normal progression requirements. In addition, applicants for the the MEng degree will automatically be considered for admission to the BEng degree if they are not eligible for entry to the MEng degree both at initial offer making stage and when results are received.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please click on Your Country in the International Students website.

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO at Queen's is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including the International Foundation in Engineering and Science and the International Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability to entry to this degree. Please click the links below for more information:
•English for University Study - an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
•Pre-sessional English - a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Expand+Learning and Teaching
The School has a world class reputation for research and provides excellent facilities, including access to major new research centres in Secure Information Technologies, Electronics, Communications and Information Technology a...

Hide-Learning and Teaching
The School has a world class reputation for research and provides excellent facilities, including access to major new research centres in Secure Information Technologies, Electronics, Communications and Information Technology and Sonic Arts. A number of modules on the course are closely linked to the research expertise of these centres and evolve and change rapidly to reflect some of the current, emerging and exciting developments in the field.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

On the Software Engineering degree we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.

Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
•Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
•Practicals: where you will have significant opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. Comprehensive demonstrator support is provided – typically one demonstrator per 8-10 students.
•E-Learning technologies: Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
•Seminars/tutorials: A number of modules will make use of seminars/tutorials (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
•Self-directed study: This is an important part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
•Work placements: A student taking this programme can spend a year gaining professional experience in industry in a paid full-time post. Students are helped to obtain suitable places and the School has excellent links with over 500 local, national and international employers such as Microsoft, Liberty IT, Kainos, IBM,Deloitte, BT, Citi Group, SAP and Dell. It is expected that students will gain a Licentiateship of the City and Guilds from this period of work experience.
•Projects and teamwork: A number of modules throughout the degree will use supervised projects as a means of enabling you to put your technical understanding into practice. The extensive use of team based projects from first year will provide you with the opportunity to develop skills widely used by employers. In final year, you will be expected to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic or practical methodology. You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you.
•Personal Tutor: Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.
•Peer Mentoring: Queen’s runs a peer mentoring scheme for Computing students – a group of students from all year groups (except first year) are trained to provide support for the 1st year students, in terms of offering advice and guidance, organising social events etc. The School also has a Computing Society (QCS – Queen’s Computing Society) who organise a range of activities, including social events and more formal activities such as industry lectures, for all Computing students. A games club also meets once a week and this is open to all computing students in the School (not just those studying for the games degree).

Students have access to a wide range of computers (laboratories are equipped with several hundred PCs) and specialised software packages. Networks link the School and University computers to powerful machines in Great Britain.

The course emphasises the professional and practical application of software engineering. As such, students are encouraged to build strong links with local software engineering companies through employer involvement within projects, lectures and other forms of teaching contact.

Expand+Overview
Software is a fundamental part of today's 'digital society', controlling everything from the results that are displayed when you use a search engine, how we interact on social media, through to how video is streamed and rendered on your s...

Hide-Overview
Software is a fundamental part of today's 'digital society', controlling everything from the results that are displayed when you use a search engine, how we interact on social media, through to how video is streamed and rendered on your smartphone. Without software, the forms of communication, interaction and knowledge processing that we all take for granted today could not exist. In the future, software will become so embedded in our lives that virtually all of our human process will be affected by the design and development of software.

In particular, software engineers are concerned with developing and maintaining software systems in a manner that is efficient, reliable and affordable. Software engineers must also understand the needs of those who will use the software, and be able to create products that are capable, safe and intuitive. This degree programme is designed to equip graduates with the analytical, reasoning and practical skills they will need to design, develop and deploy large software systems.

Expand+Course Content (including module information)
These degrees teach the fundamental principles of Software Engineering, together with the necessary skills, tools and techniques to enable our graduates to embark on careers as professional software engi...

Hide-Course Content (including module information)
These degrees teach the fundamental principles of Software Engineering, together with the necessary skills, tools and techniques to enable our graduates to embark on careers as professional software engineers. Special emphasis is placed on individual and team-based software development projects in preparation for industry.

Stage 1
•Computer Architecture
•Fundamentals of Programming
•Introduction to Computing
•Programming Challenges
•Reasoning for Problem Solving
•Software Engineering and Project Management

Stage 2
Stage 2 modules build on Stage 1 to include core aspects of Software Engineering such as database design and networking:
•Advanced Programming using C# and C++
•Data Structures and Algorithms
•Database Systems
•Networks and Communications
•Professional Practice
•Software Engineering and Group Project

Students taking the Single Honours BEng spend a year on a paid full-time placement. The School has links with over 500 local, national and international employers eg BT, Liberty, Asidua, Kainos (Belfast), IBM (England), Microsoft, Sun Microsystems (Dublin), Fujitsu (Japan) and Siemens (Germany), and students are assisted in obtaining placements. It is expected that students would gain a Licentiateship of the City & Guilds from this period of work experience.

Stage 3
•Agile Software Development
•Computer Architecture and Operating Systems
•Concurrent Programming
•Requirements Engineering and Software Quality
•Software Design Principles and Patterns
•Software Engineering Project
•Software Verification and Testing

These advanced modules permit each student to tailor their skills towards one or more areas of software engineering specialism.

MEng (Stage 4)
This four-year extended degree has been established to provide a supply of particularly well-qualified graduates who will become industry leaders. It has a blend of Software Engineering knowledge and skills and business practice and management. Students can undertake a year of professional experience.

The first two years and much of Stage 3 are common with the BEng, and transfer from the BEng to the MEng is possible for selected students at the end of Stage 2, subject to satisfactory performance.

•Advanced Software Design
•Algorithms: Analysis and Applications
•Innovation and Entrepreneurship
•Software Engineering Research Project

Expand+Assessment (general): The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their firs...

Hide-Assessment (general): The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. Accounting modules are typically assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and a final written unseen examination. Continuous assessment consists of:

1.Student Tutorial Portfolio – this involves the completion and submission of workshop exercises on a weekly and individual student basis. These are collected in the workshops from students each week and assessed, with the mark awarded contributing to the continuous assessment element of the module mark. The mark awarded reflects timeliness, presentation, accuracy and completeness of the required work. Consistent with employer feedback, students are also required to prepare and make a small group presentation on a pre-assigned case study type or discussion-based topic. In addition students are required to submit a 100 word summary on the accounting significance of each of the presentation tutorial topics. The group tutorial presentation and summaries are assessed, with the mark awarded contributing to the continuous assessment element of the module mark.

2.Small Group Project / Presentations – this involves the completion of a small group project / Presentation (three/four students per group) which is assessed and contributes to the continuous assessment element of the module mark.

Feedback (general): As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

•Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.

•Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.

•Placement employer comments or references.

•Online or emailed comment.

•General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.

•Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.

•Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.

•Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.

Expand+Career Prospects
Studying for a Software Engineering degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates fr...

Hide-Career Prospects
Studying for a Software Engineering degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by employers (local, national and international).

Consultations
We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, Asidua and Liberty IT, who provide sponsorship for our students as well as Citi and Kainos who are members of the employer liaison panel for the course.

Placement Employers
Our past students have also gained work placement with organisations such as:

•Citi
•Kainos
•Liberty IT
•Microsoft
•Cybersource
•NYSE (New York Stock Exchange

Employer Links
The School has links with over 500 IT companies both here and abroad. We benefit from the fact that there are more software companies located in N Ireland than any other part of the UK, outside of London. This offers benefits on many levels for our students, from industrial input to the content of our courses, through to year long and summer placements as well as activities such as competitions organised by the companies etc.

Northern Ireland has an excellent international reputation for the quality and supply of its software engineers. Indeed many companies, both national and international, have opted for Northern Ireland as a base for their computing divisions in recognition of the high quality of graduates produced by the local universities.

Given this situation, it is not surprising that our graduates have had unparalleled job opportunities over the years, both locally and internationally. Because of the achievements of Queen's graduates already in the software engineering profession, a Software Engineering degree from Queen's is a highly respected qualification.

Employers, from large multinational firms to small local organisations, actively target our students, recognising that Queen's Software Engineering graduates are equipped with the skills they need. On graduating the majority of graduates take up posts associated with software design and implementation. Opportunities exist in fields as diverse as finance, games, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, research, consumer products, and public services - virtually all areas of business. Some of the employers include BT, Liberty IT, Kainos, Accenture, Citi, Wombat Financial Software.

The types of career open to Software Engineering graduates include: Software Developer; Systems Analyst; Web Designer; Games Developer; Programmer; IT Consultant; Project Manager.

You should also take a look at www.prospects.ac.uk for further information concerning the types of jobs that attract Software Engineering graduates.

Further study is also an option open to Software Engineering graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics see the School website www.qub.ac.uk/eeecs for more information.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers. Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives: Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s. Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports.

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students). Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts. As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies. These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.