Software Development (Part Time) MSc

The MSc in Software Development is designed in collaboration with industry to provide an intensive education experience in software development and is specifically designed for graduates of non-computing disciplines. It has an extremely high graduate employability rate and is consistently one of the highest rated MSc computing courses for student satisfaction in the UK. This part-time option is taught in the evenings (one to two evenings a week per semester) and spread over 3 years to allow you to study while in full-time employment.

The course is completed entirely online, with our innovative live online lectures and interactive lab sessions. All learning materials are hosted on our virtual learning environment, in addition to pre-recorded bite-sized lecture content videos (available before each lecture), feedback quizzes to check your progress, as well as individual support from our lecturers and tutors. You can also optionally attend our on-campus labs on the teaching nights for additional tutor support or if you need a quiet environment to work in.

You also have the option of completing in 2 years. A dissertation project or specialised Mini Project modules can be commenced in the third semester of the second year of the course, once all the taught modules are successfully completed. The project or Mini Project modules must be undertaken full time to enable successful completion in that semester.

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. We have created a short taster session to give you a hands-on introduction to coding and a sense of what to expect during your first week of class. You can access it here: http://go.qub.ac.uk/try-software-dev PLEASE NOTE: Applications for this course received after 12th August 2026 may not be accepted.

In addition, a deposit will be required to secure a place.