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MEng Software Engineering With Placement

Academic Year 2020/21

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title

MEng Software Engineering With Placement

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Master of Engineering

Programme Code

SEP-MENG

UCAS Code

G605

HECoS Code

100374 - Software engineering - 100

ATAS Clearance Required

Mode of Study

Full Time

Type of Programme

Undergraduate Master

Length of Programme

5 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

600

Exit Awards available

INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Teaching Institution	Queen's University Belfast
School/Department	Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Sci
Quality Code https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code Higher Education Credit Framework for England https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england	Level 7
Subject Benchmark Statements https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf	Computing (2016)
Accreditations (PSRB)
British Computer Society (BCS)	Date of most recent Accreditation Visit 17-10-13

REGULATION INFORMATION

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

None

Programme Specific Regulations

The programme is subject to the University General Regulations which can be found at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/

Progression from Stage 1 to Stage 2:

At the end of Stage 1, students enrolled on a Computer Science, Software Engineering or Computing and Information Technology programme may choose to swap programme and transfer into Stage 2 of any of these listed programmes subject to meeting the normal Stage 1 to Stage 2 progression requirements of the chosen programme. Students will not normally be permitted to swap from a Bachelors to Masters programme or from a programme with Professional Experience to a programme without Professional Experience.

Year of Professional Experience:

Students must, unless exempted, spend at least 9 months between Stage 2 and Stage 3 in obtaining professional experience in a manner approved by the School.

Normally students may proceed to the Year of Professional Experience if they have no more than one module fail (20 CATs) at Level 2.

Students wishing to apply for exemption from their Professional Experience Requirement must do so in writing to the Director of Education before 1st December in Stage 2. Applications for exemption will be considered by the Placement Adviser and the Director of Education, with advice from the students’ Advisers of Studies or other staff as appropriate. Exemption will be granted only in circumstances where a student can demonstrate either personal extenuating circumstances or the equivalent of a minimum of 9 months relevant previous experience.

Students who have been granted exemption from the Year of Professional Experience will be required to transfer to the equivalent programme and may proceed directly to Stage 3 subject to meeting the normal Stage 2 to Stage 3 placement requirements.

In September, prior to the start of the first semester, students who are unable to secure a placement will be considered for exemption by the Placement Adviser and the Director of Education, with advice from the students’ Advisers of Studies or other staff as appropriate.

Before a student will be deemed 'unable to secure a placement' he/she will be asked to demonstrate a consistent effort throughout the year in obtaining a placement. Normally, this will be interpreted as a minimum of 20 relevant applications to advertised positions, spread across the year. Speculative enquiries to companies not advertising placement opportunities do not form part of this.

Students who, despite repeated attempts, are unable to obtain a suitable placement may be permitted to transfer to the equivalent non-placement programme and may proceed directly to Stage 3 subject to meeting the normal Stage 2 to Stage 3 placement requirements.

Progression from Stage 2 to Stage 3:

In order to proceed to Stage 3, Stage 2 students must normally have passed a minimum of 6 Level 2 modules, to include any prerequisite modules for core Level 3 modules, and have passed 6 modules at Level 1 and aggregate an overall mark of at least 55% based on the marks achieved in the 6 Level 2 modules of equal weight = 75% of overall mark and the 6 Level 1 modules of equal weight = 25% of the overall mark.

Students achieving an overall mark at the end of Stage 2 less than 55% will normally be required to transfer to the equivalent BEng programme.

Progression from Stage 3 to Stage 4:

To proceed to an MEng degree, students, at the end of Stage 3, must normally have passed 18 modules and aggregate an overall mark of at least 55% based on the marks achieved in the best 6 modules at Level 3 of equal weight = 60% of overall mark, best 6 modules at Level 2 of equal weight = 30% of the overall mark and 6 other modules at Level 1 of equal weight = 10% of the overall mark.

Students who do not achieve an overall mark of at least 55% will normally be required to transfer to Stage 3 of the equivalent BEng degree.

Stage 4 Students:
Those students who have successfully progressed to Stage 4, but have not attained sufficient module passes at Stage 4 to graduate from the MEng Degree will normally be required to transfer to Stage 3 of the equivalent BEng degree.

Award of Degrees:

For the award of an MEng Honours Degree students must normally have passed at least 24 modules to include CSC4006 and have achieved a weighted average mark of at least 50%. The Year of Professional Experience must also be satisfactory completed.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF PROGRAMME

The overall aim of the programme is to provide a broadly-based education in Software Engineering, supported by fundamental topics in Computing Science, which will produce graduates equipped to apply best practice in software engineering to the design and development of a wide range of software systems in organisations. As an integrated Masters programme, students will have the opportunity to undertake advanced study within Software Engineering.

• Embark on careers as professional Software Engineers or undertake research in Software Engineering.

• Understand the fundamental principles of Software Engineering and Computer Science.

• Understand and able to use a range of current, emerging, novel and exciting developments in Software Engineering theory and practice.

• Apply the skills necessary to critically evaluate new developments in technology and take advantage of them where appropriate.

• Maintain a rigorous approach to the design and development of software systems and the analysis of their correctness and complexity, which will remain applicable through changes in technology.

• Exercise high levels of professionalism and an awareness of the wider business and legal environment in which software engineers operate.

• Possess strong interpersonal skills, encompassing team-working skills and effective oral, written, presentation and listening skills.

• Uphold the values, attitudes and competencies needed to undertake CPD and self-directed learning throughout their careers.

• Draw upon practical skills and experience of software development in a business/commercial context.

• Understand and be able to use a range of specialised and advanced topics in Software Engineering.

Consistent with the general Educational Aims of the Programme and the specific requirements of the Benchmarking Statement for Computing, this specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme, and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.

Specifically, students graduating from the programme will have achieved the following learning outcomes, commensurate with degree classification, relating to subject specific knowledge and understanding; intellectual, practical and key transferable skills: