Program Overview
Share Facebook Linkedin Email Postgraduate Taught 2026 autism-practice-msc robotics-artificial-intelligence-msc artificial-intelligence-pgcert history-pgdip engineering-energy-economics-the-environment-pgcert applied-cyber-security-pgcert data-analytics-pgcert technology-management-msc sound-music-pgcert sound-music-pgdip masters-law-mlaw international-commercial-business-law-llm cancer-medicine-mscres public-health-mph education-computingit-digital-skills-creative-enterprise-pgce public-health-systems-policy-theory-into-practice-pgcert international-political-economy-msc sound-music-ma public-health-sciences-pgcert public-health-data-systems-research-pgcert substance-use-substance-use-disorders-msc substance-use-substance-use-disorders-pgcert substance-use-substance-use-disorders-pgdip english-creative-writing-ma data-analytics-msc english-creative-writing-pgdip advanced-healthcare-practice-msc law-technology-llm intellectual-property-law-llm palliative-care-pgdip irish-studies-ma digital-marketing-analytics-msc conflict-transformation-social-justice-ma global-security-borders-ma molecular-biology-biotechnology-msc ecological-management-conservation-biology-msc one-health-parasitology-infection-biology-msc supply-chain-analytics-msc accounting-finance-analytics-msc actuarial-science-msc advanced-clinical-pharmacy-practice-msc advanced-clinical-pharmacy-practice-pgcert advanced-clinical-pharmacy-practice-pgdip advanced-food-safety-msc advanced-healthcare-clinical-practice-msc advanced-pharmacy-practice-msc advanced-social-work-children-young-people-families-msc advanced-social-work-children-young-people-families-pgcert advanced-social-work-children-young-people-families-pgdip ai-business-msc animal-behaviour-welfare-msc anthropology-ma anthropology-pgdip applied-behaviour-analysis-msc applied-cyber-security-msc applied-cyber-security-professional-internship-msc applied-developmental-psychology-msc applied-digital-construction-management-msc architecture-march artificial-intelligence-msc arts-humanities-mres arts-management-ma bioinformatics-computational-genomics-msc biomedical-clinical-research-msc biopharmaceutical-engineering-msc biopharmaceutical-engineering-pgcert biopharmaceutical-engineering-year-industry-msc building-information-modelling-project-management-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc building-information-modelling-project-management-industrial-internship-msc building-information-modelling-project-management-msc business-agrifood-rural-enterprise-msc business-agrifood-rural-enterprise-pgcert business-agrifood-rural-enterprise-pgdip business-analytics-msc caring-children-young-people-complex-needs-msc childrens-rights-msc childrens-rights-participation-pgcert city-planning-design-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc city-planning-design-msc city-planning-design-pgcert climate-change-msc climate-change-pgdip clinical-anatomy-msc clinical-education-pgcert clinical-health-psychology-msc clinical-health-psychology-pgdip cognitive-behavioural-practice-pgcert cognitive-behavioural-psychotherapy-pgdip construction-project-management-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc construction-project-management-industrial-internship-msc construction-project-management-msc creative-games-technologies-ma criminology-criminal-justice-llm digital-business-msc education-english-pgce education-mathematics-pgce education-modern-languages-pgce education-religious-education-pgce education-science-pgce education-social-science-pgce education-studies-med educational-leadership-msc engineering-management-pgcert english-literary-studies-ma english-literary-studies-pgdip english-poetry-ma english-poetry-pgdip environmental-engineering-msc environmental-engineering-pgdip film-ma finance-msc finance-trading-msc financial-analytics-msc financial-risk-management-msc geopolitics-ma geopolitics-pgdip history-ma human-resource-management-msc hydrogen-energy-systems-pgcert inclusion-special-educational-needs-med independent-prescribing-pgcert industrial-pharmaceutics-msc international-business-msc international-human-rights-law-llm international-public-policy-msc international-public-policy-pgdip international-relations-ma international-relations-pgdip interpreting-ma law-llm leadership-sustainable-development-msc leadership-sustainable-rural-development-msc linguistics-ma linguistics-pgcert linguistics-pgdip management-msc marketing-msc master-business-administration-internship-mba master-business-administration-mba mechanical-engineering-management-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc mechanical-engineering-management-industrial-internship-msc mechanical-engineering-management-msc mechanical-engineering-management-pgcert mechanical-engineering-management-pgdip mechanical-engineering-pgcert media-broadcast-production-ma media-broadcast-production-pgdip mental-health-mental-capacity-law-msc mental-health-mental-capacity-law-pgdip mental-health-pgdip midwifery-msc net-zero-engineering-distance-learning-msc net-zero-engineering-msc net-zero-engineering-year-industry-msc pharmaceutical-analysis-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc pharmaceutical-analysis-industrial-placement-msc pharmaceutical-analysis-international-industrial-placement-msc pharmaceutical-analysis-msc philosophy-ma philosophy-pgdip planning-development-higher-level-apprenticeship-msc planning-development-msc planning-development-pgcert politics-ma politics-pgdip prescribing-pharmacists-pgcert professional-nursing-adult-nursing-msc professional-nursing-children-young-people-msc professional-nursing-learning-disabilities-nursing-msc professional-nursing-mental-health-nursing-msc professional-practice-architecture-pgcert psychological-science-msc public-history-ma social-science-research-mres social-science-research-pgdip sociology-global-inequality-msc software-development-msc software-development-part-time-msc specialist-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-msc sustainable-energy-systems-management-msc sustainable-energy-systems-management-pgdip systemic-practice-family-therapy-msc systemic-practice-family-therapy-pgcert systemic-practice-family-therapy-pgdip systemic-psychotherapy-msc teaching-english-speakers-other-languages-applied-linguistics-msc translation-ma violence-terrorism-security-ma violence-terrorism-security-pgdip youth-justice-msc youth-justice-pgdip zero-carbon-engineering-pgcert Share Facebook Linkedin Email Undergraduate 2025 MSc | Postgraduate Taught Software Development Apply now Register Interest Entry year Academic Year 2026/27 Entry requirements 2.2 Attendance 1 year (Full-time) Places available tbc (Full Time) Overview Course content Modules Entry requirements Careers Fees and funding Apply The MSc in Software Development is designed in collaboration with industry to provide a year of intensive education in software development and is specifically designed for graduates of non-computing disciplines. It has an extremely high graduate employability rate and is the highest rated MSc computing course for student satisfaction in the UK. 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.
Key Program Features
Software Development highlights
Industry Links
Alongside the core course curriculum, students are also encouraged to take part in a series of Employment and Professional Skills Workshops, which run at regular intervals during the year. The workshops cover CV writing, Technical Interview Technique, Assessment Centres, etc. and later involve events to allow students to network with representatives from some of the largest employers in the Software Development sector in Belfast. Students get the opportunity to mix with a diverse industrial group, ranging from testers and developers up to senior managerial level staff. Students also have the opportunity to get involved in other industrially sponsored events such as hackathons etc.
Career Development
The School has a team of staff specifically dedicated for the development of student employability skills alongside technical capabilities. They provide a range of services to help students gain employment during the course, eg one-on-one CV advice and mock job interviews etc.
World Class Facilities
Most of the lectures and lab based activities are in our Computer Science Building opened in 2016 after a £14 million re-development. The four-storey, 3,000m2, state-of-the-art facility has large well-equipped computing labs and formal and informal student spaces which support a high level of group and project work.
Student Experience
The course is the highest rated for overall student experience Computing Master course in the UK (2023). This includes excellence in student experiences in the quality of teaching and learning, student engagement, quality of assessment and feedback, organisation and management, learning resources and careers and employability.
Career Opportunities
Career Development
The School has a team of staff specifically dedicated for the development of student employability skills alongside technical capabilities. They provide a range of services to help students gain employment during the course, eg one-on-one CV advice and mock job interviews etc.
World Class Facilities
Most of the lectures and lab based activities are in our Computer Science Building opened in 2016 after a £14 million re-development. The four-storey, 3,000m2, state-of-the-art facility has large well-equipped computing labs and formal and informal student spaces which support a high level of group and project work.
Student Experience
The course is the highest rated for overall student experience Computing Master course in the UK (2023). This includes excellence in student experiences in the quality of teaching and learning, student engagement, quality of assessment and feedback, organisation and management, learning resources and careers and employability.
The course encourages a hands-on approached to learning, with an emphasis on learning by doing. We provide videos of lecture content and continually offer you with opportunities to gauge your progress in each module through self-assessments and practical activities and challenges.
Program Curriculum
Course Structure
Course Structure
The programme has two key parts: 1. A set of taught modules which build from foundational to advanced topics of software engineering and programming 2. A substantial project based element or three Specialised Mini Project based modules The foundational modules are studied in the first semester and cover introductory programming using the Java programming language and progressing to advanced algorithmic and object-oriented programming. This runs alongside the computing foundations module which includes foundational knowledge of computing including numerical representations, abstract data types, algorithms, and an introduction to Artificial Intelligence. The second semester further expands upon Software Development skills and concentrates coverage of Databases, together with modern Web based programming (JavaScript, Node JS, Express JS) and Software Engineering (with a team based project). Each module generally involves 3-4 hours of lectures per week along with up to 2-3 hours per week for tutorials and lab practicals. Alongside these timetabled activities, students are expected to work on group and individual assignments and projects Project: You can choose either a single three-month long individual self-directed dissertation project or you can take 3 x Mini-Project modules*. The Mini-Project modules give you a chance to study some state-of-the-art specialisms in Computing such as: User Experience Design, Principles and Practices of Machine Learning, Cloud Computing and Machine Learning. (*subject to availability)
Modules
Programming Databases Software Engineering Web Development Computing Fundamentals
People teaching you Dr Leo Galway Software Development Course Director School of EEECS Email: askeps@qub.ac.uk
Teaching Times
Learning and Teaching
Each module generally involves 3 hours of lectures per week along with up to 2/4 hours per week for tutorials and computer lab practicals. Alongside these timetabled activities, students are expected to: • Work through blended-learning resources and activities on the Canvas Virtual Learning environment which includes watching videos, reading online materials and taking online quizzes and practical assignments • Work on group and individual assignments and projects Modern software development is typically carried out within a team environment and employers are very keen for students to have gained significant experience working within teams. Therefore, many of the project and assessment activities on the course have been designed to give students exposure to the variety of team-based roles and responsibilities they will encounter in the software industry.
Admission Requirements
How to Apply
Apply using our online Queen's Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply .
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study. Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions .
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 15,200/year (international)
Tuition Fees
| Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £7,700 |
| Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £7,700 |
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £10,400 |
| EU Other 3 | £27,600 |
| International | £27,600 |
1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
More information on postgraduate tuition fees .
Additional course costs
Terms and Conditions for Postgraduate applications: 1.1 Due to high demand, there is a deadline for applications. 1.2 You will be required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the course. 1.3 This condition of offer is in addition to any academic or English language requirements.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Financial Aid & Funding Opportunities
A range of funding options may be available to students enrolling at Queen's University Belfast. Explore all options early — many scholarships have deadlines months before programme start.
- University Scholarships: Queen's University Belfast may offer merit-based, need-based, or programme-specific scholarships for postgraduate students. Contact the international or financial aid office for current awards.
- Government Scholarships (): National governments often fund outbound and inbound student mobility. Check your home country's government scholarship schemes (e.g., national student loan bodies, ministry of education awards).
- International Scholarships: Major funders include: Commonwealth Scholarships, Fulbright (USA programmes), Chevening (UK), Erasmus+ (Europe), DAAD (Germany), Campus France, Australia Awards, and many more.
- Employer Sponsorship: Professionals returning to study may negotiate tuition sponsorship with their employer, particularly for MBA or executive programmes.
- Graduate Assistantships / Fellowships: Some universities offer funded research or teaching assistant positions that include a stipend and partial or full tuition waiver.
- External Foundations: Rotary Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, Ford Foundation, and many discipline-specific bodies fund postgraduate study globally.
- Payment Plans: Flexible instalment plans may allow you to spread tuition payments across the academic year.
About Queen's University Belfast
Queen's University Belfast
Botswana, Botswana
Visit the university profile page to learn more about this institution.
University Profile- Application Deadline 2018-06-15
- Start Date 2018-09-26
- Language English
- Duration 12 months
- Credits 60 ECTS / 180 credits (1-year programme)