BEng Software Engineering

Program Overview

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) in the United Kingdom offers a BEng Software Engineering program designed to equip students with the skills to develop high-quality, reliable, and secure software systems that are essential in today's fast-moving technological world. This dynamic course focuses on helping students adopt a professional approach to the entire software development lifecycle, from initial requirements gathering and design to implementation and final product delivery, using industry best practices. CCCU is one of only a handful of universities in the UK to incorporate the pioneering Conceive, Design, Implement, and Operate (CDIO) international engineering education model, developed by MIT, which emphasizes a practical, hands-on approach to tackling real-life software challenges.

Curriculum: The BEng Software Engineering curriculum at CCCU is highly practical and designed to develop a robust set of technical and personal skills. Students will learn to analyze, design, program, test, and evaluate software solutions, ensuring they can produce secure, high-quality, usable, and adaptable systems. The innovative course is structured with a CDIO-like approach, where teaching is often project-based and inspired by real-world problems. Learning takes place through a combination of lectures, seminars, and practical labs, emphasizing small group work to facilitate discussion and understanding. The curriculum typically includes around 12 contact hours per week, with significant time dedicated to independent study, computer-based exercises, project work, and assignments. The final year culminates in an individual project where students undertake independent research and develop a software-based system under the guidance of a supervisor.

Research Focus: The BEng Software Engineering program at Canterbury Christ Church University is delivered by a diverse, well-qualified, and experienced team of teaching and technical staff, many of whom hold doctoral or professional qualifications and have relevant work or consultancy experience. While specific detailed research foci of the software engineering faculty are not extensively highlighted on the public course pages, the broader School of Engineering, Technology and Design is committed to research and innovation. The university emphasizes a research-informed approach to teaching, ensuring that students are exposed to current trends and developments in the field. Students are trained to engage with real-world inspired projects and apply the CDIO methodology, which naturally involves problem-solving and a degree of applied research in developing solutions. The Kent and Medway Engineering, Design, Growth, and Enterprise (EDGE) Hub at CCCU also fosters collaboration with industry and supports pioneering research in engineering and computer science.

Industry Engagement: Industry engagement is a significant strength of the BEng Software Engineering program at CCCU, designed to ensure graduates are highly employable. The course has been designed in collaboration with industry partners, providing students with excellent opportunities to work with a range of employers. The highly practical nature of the course offers numerous chances to engage with people and organizations working in software development. A key feature is the opportunity to undertake a "Year in Industry" placement between the second and third years of study, allowing students to develop their knowledge and skills in a business or industrial setting and build crucial practical experience for their CVs. The university actively encourages businesses to engage with course development, industry projects, student placements, and guest speaker opportunities through initiatives like the EDGE Hub, which aims to provide industry-sourced problems for students to solve.

Global Perspective: The BEng Software Engineering program at Canterbury Christ Church University inherently incorporates a global perspective, as software engineering is a universally applicable discipline with global challenges and opportunities. The CDIO approach, which the university adopts, is an international engineering education model pioneered by MIT, exposing students to a globally recognized framework for problem-solving and development. While the program is delivered in the UK, the skills acquired in designing, implementing, and operating high-quality, secure, and reliable software systems are in demand across various fields worldwide, from medicine and education to space flight and manufacturing. The diverse student body at CCCU also contributes to a richer learning environment, providing opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration on projects and an understanding of international perspectives on software development practices and challenges.