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MSc|Postgraduate Taught

Software Development

Entry year
2025/26
Entry requirements
2.2
Duration
1 year (Full-time)
Places available
TBC (Full Time)

The MSc in Software Development is designed in collaboration with industry to provide a year of intensive education in software development and is specifically designed for graduates of non-computing disciplines. It has an extremely high graduate employability rate and is the highest rated MSc computing course for student satisfaction in the UK.

COURSE CONTENT:

You will learn the foundations of computing and acquire industry relevant skills. These core skills include programming, databases, web development, software engineering and problem solving. You need no computing background at all to do this course, but on successful completion, you will be equipped with the technical, analytical and professional skills required to take on a range of roles in the computing industry.

The curriculum was designed and is continually reviewed in collaboration with significant industrial partners, who helped ensure the most relevant module content. This helps ensure that our graduates are highly trained and much sought after by employers.

WHO WILL BE TEACHING YOU:
Many of the course teaching team have worked in the computing industry and have particular research specialisms in developing novel and effective methods for teaching computing. Several of the team have been awarded student-nominated teaching awards for their work.

WHAT YOU'LL GET UP TO:

You’ll learn how to analyse problems and design robust and elegant software systems to solve the problems. This includes gaining skills in programming, web development, database design, software testing and software engineering.

You will also have the opportunity to learn how to work as part of a development team using modern development techniques and tools.

PLEASE NOTE:

Applications for this course received after 12th August 2025 may not be accepted. In addition, a deposit will be required to secure a place.

This course is also available for part-time study. Search our course listings for more information.

Software Development highlights

Student Experience

The course is the highest rated for overall student experience Computing Master course in the UK (2019).

This includes excellence in student experiences in the quality of teaching and learning, student engagement, quality of assessment and feedback, organisation and management, learning resources and careers and employability.

The course encourages a hands-on approached to learning, with an emphasis on learning by doing. We provide videos of lecture content and continually offer you with opportunities to gauge your progress in each module through self-assessments and practical activities and challenges.

Industry Links

Alongside the core course curriculum, students are also encouraged to take part in a series of Employment and Professional Skills Workshops, which run at regular intervals during the year. The workshops cover CV writing, Technical Interview Technique, Assessment Centres, etc. and later involve events to allow students to network with representatives from some of the largest employers in the Software Development sector in Belfast. Students get the opportunity to mix with a diverse industrial group, ranging from testers and developers up to senior managerial level staff. Students also have the opportunity to get involved in other industrially sponsored events such as hackathons etc.

Career Development

The School has a team of staff specifically dedicated for the development of student employability skills alongside technical capabilities. They provide a range of services to help students gain employment during the course, eg one-on-one CV advice and mock job interviews etc.

World Class Facilities

Most of the lectures and lab based activities are in our Computer Science Building opened in 2016 after a £14 million re-development. The four-storey, 3,000m2, state-of-the-art facility has large well-equipped computing labs and formal and informal student spaces which support a high level of group and project work.

Course Structure

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Course Structure

The programme has two key parts:

1. A set of taught modules which build from foundational to advanced topics of software
engineering and programming

2. A substantial project based element or three Specialised Mini Project based modules

The foundational modules are studied in the first semester and cover introductory programming
using the Java programming language alongside computing foundations, including software
engineering, software testing and databases.

The second semester concentrates coverage of more advanced algorithmic and object-oriented
programming, together with Web programming (php and javascript) and Software Engineering
(with a team based project).

Each module generally involves 3-4 hours of lectures per week along with up to 2-3 hours per
week for tutorials and lab practicals. Alongside these timetabled activities, students are expected
to work on group and individual assignments and projects

Project: You can choose either a single three-month long individual self-directed project or you can take 3 x smaller Mini Projects. The Mini Projects give you a chance to study some state-of-the-art specialisms in computing such as: User Experience Design, Secure Softwarized Networks, Data Analysis & Visualisation, Cloud Computing and Machine Learning

Modules

Programming
Databases
Software Engineering
Web Development
Computing Fundamentals

People teaching you

Software Development Course Director

School of EEECS
Email: askeps@qub.ac.uk

Teaching Times

Teaching takes place in the morning and afternoon (3 days a week); there are between 15 and 18 hours of contact teaching hours per week.

Learning and Teaching

Each module generally involves 3 hours of lectures per week along with up to 2/4 hours per week
for tutorials and computer lab practicals. Alongside these timetabled activities, students are
expected to:

• Work through blended-learning resources and activities on the Canvas Virtual Learning
environment which includes watching videos, reading online materials and taking online quizzes
and practical assignments

• Work on group and individual assignments and projects

Modern software development is typically carried out within a team environment and employers
are very keen for students to have gained significant experience working within teams. Therefore,
many of the project and assessment activities on the course have been designed to give students
exposure to the variety of team-based roles and responsibilities they will encounter in the software
industry.

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Assessment

Each module has its own blend of assessments which cover the full range learning outcomes for the module. This can include:

  • Computer-based tests
  • Individual or group projects
  • Practical programming tests

What our academics say

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Modules

Modules

The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.

  • Year 1

    Core Modules

    Web Development (20 credits)
    Programming (40 credits)
    Databases (20 credits)

    Optional Modules

    Cloud Computing (0 credits)

Entrance requirements

Graduate

Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or above, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any discipline excluding Computer Science or other similar Computing degree.

In addition to the above qualification requirements, all applicants will be required to pass an online aptitude test. If you are successful in the first stage of the application process, we will be in touch to organise this.

Dates for running aptitude tests for the 25/26 intake on the MSc Software Development (F/T & P/T pathways) are as follows:
November 7th – 8th 2024
December 5th – 6th 2024
January 30th – 31st 2025
February 27th – 28th 2025
March 27th - 28th 2025
May 1st – 2nd 2025
June 26th – 27th 2025
August 28th – 29th 2025

This is a very popular course and applicants are advised to apply as early as possible, since it may be necessary to implement an application cut-off date. In such circumstances, applications will be considered in date order, with priority given to those submitted earliest and prior to the cut-off date.

Applications may be considered from those who do not meet the above requirements but can provide evidence of recent relevant technical experience in industry, for example, in programming.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 30th June 2025 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.

Please note: a deposit will be required to secure a place.

The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit the link below for more information.
http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

  • Academic English: 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.

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Careers

Career Prospects

Introduction

Employment opportunities in software engineering are excellent, as evidenced through the consistent and continued growth of the software sector. A career within the profession is not only well remunerated but also rewarding, with software professionals able to select between a range of career progression paths. Given the diversity of careers, the variety of skills gained from a non-IT primary degree are strongly valued by IT employers and will help augment the employment opportunities of graduates from this programme.

WHERE COULD YOU BE IN 5 YEARS?

You could be working for the largest companies on the planet (IBM, Citi, Allstate, Liberty to name a few). You could be doing cutting edge computer science research in topics such as Cyber security or Video Analytics, or creating a software start-up or the next killer app.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 £8,800
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 £8,800
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 £9,250
EU Other 3 £25,800
International £25,800

Software Development: The tuition fees quoted are for 2024-25 and apply to completing the programme full-time in one year. The fee will be apportioned accordingly for studying part-time over a 3 year period based on the modules taken. 

 

1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

Terms and Conditions for Postgraduate applications:

1.1  Due to high demand, there is a deadline for applications. 
1.2  You will be required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the course.
1.3  This condition of offer is in addition to any academic or English language requirements.

Read the full terms and conditions at the link below:
https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/EPS/terms-and-conditions/

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

How do I fund my study?

The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.

A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.

More information on funding options and financial assistance - please check this link regularly, even after you have submitted an application, as new scholarships may become available to you.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships.

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How to Apply

Apply using our online Queen's Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

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Terms and Conditions

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

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