Course Catalogue

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Software engineering students will undertake a ten to twelve month assessed placement in industry to gain relevant practical experience.  Assessment materials engage students in the wider software engineering literature and encourage students to reflect on and share their experiences on placement.

Year 1 (UG Level 3): October-March secure placement.

Year 2 (UG Level 4):

June: Placement begins.

September: Visit 1.

November: Skills Workshop (students return to university to give tutorial).

March/April: Final Year Project Proposal

June: Placement ends

Only for Software Engineering students on the MSci Software Engineering Programme

Software Engineering Summer Placement (H)

None

Diary entries encourage students to record their experiences and relate it to required reading.

All assessments are designed to encourage students to think reflectively about the value and context of their experiences on placement, both retrospectively, and prospectively (looking ahead to re-introduction into the University in Year 5).

The first visit is primarily a check, but also identifies incidents that facilitate critical reflective thinking. The second visit probes the student's development of these skills more deeply.

The tools and methods workshop encourages students to identify valuable practical learning and re-present this to their peer group.

The project proposal encourages students to identify a project collaboratively with their employer (although they are not committed to undertaking this project when they return to University).

First Placement visit 25%

40 Weekly diary entries 5%

5 Online Discussions 20%

Tools and Methods Tutorial during Experience Workshop 25%

Final Year Project Proposal 25%

To give students the experience of a real software development environment.

To embed the software engineering theory, principles and tools studied during the previous three years through practical experience.

Enable students to contextualise their own experiences of software engineering within an understanding of the wider discipline

To develop a student's ability to evaluate and enhance their personal software process.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Describe applicability of practices, methods and tool taught in software engineering and other academic computing science courses to real world software development efforts.

■ Select appropriate sources of information on Software Engineering in practice.

■ Critically analyse empirical software engineering, case studies and experience reports.

■ Communicate reflectively on their experiences on placement and the relationship to theoretical material delivered at University.