Program Overview

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This is a degree apprenticeship. Those applying to the programme will be employed as an apprentice of a

leading technology employer and will combine traditional university study with work-based learning.

On completion of our exciting four year programme you’ll be awarded a BEng degree in Software Engineering with Digital Technology. As part of the programme, you’ll have gained extensive on-the-job training with PwC. Through this training you’ll have the opportunity to gain an insight into a variety of teams across the technology spectrum whilst developing your technical specialism as you progress through the apprenticeship.

Without software engineering, you wouldn’t be reading this page. Software innovation has transformed the way we think about, and interact with, technology. In fact, all the forms of communication, interaction and access that we take for granted today are made possible by software in some shape or form. Which is why the demand for software engineers has never been greater.

From improving the efficiency of the apps we use in order to make them more sustainable, to developing scalable and secure app infrastructure, Software Engineers have skills that drive innovation. In essence, they are problem solvers with the ability to take an existing software system and creatively refine, enhance and transform it into something even better.

This degree programme is designed to equip you with the analytical, reasoning and practical skills required to design, develop and deploy large software systems. It blends the best knowledge and skills from both Software Engineering and Computer Science. Graduates could find themselves working on a wide variety of projects, from Artificial Intelligence to Augmented Reality and 3D Printing to Drones, we’re using these technologies to help our clients work better and prepare for the future.

Developed through very close partnerships with PwC the degree apprenticeship is designed to combine the analytical, reasoning and practical skills learnt in a typical university degree with key industry attributes like collaboration, teamwork and workload management which they will need to succeed as professional software engineers. As a degree apprentice, you will be employed as an apprentice at PwC for the duration of your traditional University based study.

While on placement you’ll get to meet our world-class clients and work alongside our highly skilled teams. During your time at university you’ll get to experience the full time student lifestyle. But as the placements are paid you’ll have some money to enjoy it too. You’ll gain a degree, and hopefully impress us enough to secure a place on our graduate scheme.

Software Engineering with Digital Technology Partnership Degree highlights

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Industry Links

Our computing courses are well established and are closely aligned with the needs of employers. Over the last decade, we have enabled thousands of graduates to succeed as professionals within the technology sector.

Northern Ireland has an excellent international reputation for the quality and supply of its software engineers. Indeed many companies, both national and international, have opted for Northern Ireland as a base for their computing divisions in recognition of the high quality of graduates produced by the local universities.

Given this situation, it is not surprising that our graduates have had unparalleled job opportunities over the years, both locally and internationally. Because of the achievements of Queen's graduates already in the software engineering profession, a Software Engineering degree from Queen's is a highly respected qualification.

Employers, from large multinational firms to small local organisations, actively target our students, recognising that Queen's Software Engineering graduates are equipped with the skills they need. On graduating the majority of graduates take up posts associated with software design and implementation. Opportunities exist in fields as diverse as finance, games, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, research, consumer products, and public services - virtually all areas of business.

The types of career open to Software Engineering graduates include: Software Developer; Systems Analyst; Web Designer; Games Developer; Programmer; IT Consultant; Project Manager.

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Career Development

As a degree apprenticeship this programme provides the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ experience from day one. Students will develop close working relationships with their employer and have the opportunity to assist on and lead projects within their specialism.

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World Class Facilities

Our courses are delivered within a recently constructed, start-of-the-art facility that provides access to hundreds of modern computers alongside a diverse and flexible range of individual and group study spaces.

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Student Experience

Other than providing a high-quality education, we also run a wide range of extra-curricular events that expose our students to emerging technologies and provide an opportunity to explore how technology can be used to tackle important problems.

Victoria Porter (PwC Apprentice)

How the year has been overall?

I've really enjoyed my first year, it was a lot less stressful than A-Levels! Queen's presented many incredible opportunities throughout the year and I'm looking forward to embracing what PwC has to offer during summer placement.

Has it met your expectations?

It has exceeded my expectations in all honesty, I have learnt a lot and I love what I do. The societies have offered so many opportunities to apply your learning to practical situations, from programming robots to building autonomous wheelchairs!

What has been the biggest challenge?

In the early stages I became so relaxed with the pace of the course that I forgot I had an exam until a couple of days before it! Needless to say it never happened again!

Are you looking forward to next year? And why?

Absolutely, there is so much still to learn and I'm really looking forward to it. I'd like to get involved in more internal projects within Queen's and also hackathons - these are amazing for knowledge expansion and the topics are always so fascinating.

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