BEng Honours Software Engineering with Foundation Year

The BEng (Hons) Software Engineering with Foundation Year at Sheffield Hallam University is a four-year degree. It starts with a foundation year for students who do not meet standard entry requirements. In the foundation year, students strengthen core skills in computing, maths, and physics, ready for the main degree. After that, they progress to the engineering degree and learn how to design, build, and test software systems. The course is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS) and meets the requirements for the Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status. The MEng programme also meets requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) accreditation.

In the foundation year, students study key modules such as engineering introduction, foundations of physics with computing, mathematics, and optional level-sharing maths. Final years include software architecture, project management, and a development project plus optional modules like robotics or secure software. A placement year gives real-world experience through live client projects with firms such as IBM, Autodesk, or Next. Students learn through lectures, tutorials, hands-on labs, group projects, live briefs, and coding workshops. Assessment includes coursework, practice labs, group portfolios, practical tests, exams, presentations, and a final individual software project.

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is one of the largest UK universities, with around 30,000 students, including over 4,000 international students. The Computing School uses modern labs, supports live projects with businesses, and holds competitions that mimic real software challenges. SHU has a Gold rating from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), showcasing strong teaching and graduate prospects. Students have access to career support, study guidance, and wellbeing services. Sheffield itself is a city with a strong tech and design heritage, offering students a lot of help with jobs and placement opportunities. SHU focuses on hands-on learning in a supportive setting.

Grade Requirements:

• Applicants typically need 40 UCAS points, such as BBC–BBB at A-level, including two science or tech subjects like maths or computing.
• Access to HE diplomas are accepted too.

English Proficiency:

• For applicants who do not speak English as their first language, it is necessary to have a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 with no skill section below 5.5.

Sheffield Hallam offers a variety of scholarships and funding opportunities to international students to help them with their studies. High-achieving students may receive Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships of up to £5,000 over their degree. The Opportunity Scholarship supports students with financial need or from underrepresented backgrounds, offering between £1,000–£3,000 each year. Some scholarships are linked to computing or tech degrees. International students may also access fee discounts or merit awards. The university also offers hardship funding and bursaries. Students should check SHU's funding pages early and talk to the Student Finance team for tailored advice.

Graduates of the BEng Software Engineering with Foundation Year from Sheffield Hallam University can get job roles such as:

• Software Developer
• Web Application Developer
• Mobile App Developer
• Systems Programmer
• Game Developer

To apply for the Sheffield Hallam University BEng Software Engineering (foundation + degree), applicants can do so through UCAS. If you have any questions about the process, you can contact our experienced counsellors at AHZ.