When you study a Bachelor of Software Engineering at the University of Newcastle your degree will develop your capability to solve global challenges. You may develop software for digital forensics analysis to help fight crime, or work in defence and combat cyber attacks. You could design wearable health management devices or write the software that powers robotically assisted surgery. Or you might create sophisticated apps that support waste minimisation processes.

What is software engineering? Software engineers focus on analysing a client’s needs. You will learn to design the best software architecture solutions, as well as to coordinate the implementation, integration and testing. Through a unique coursework program you will learn to document the results of your research and how to provide long-term maintenance. Software engineering is behind much of the everyday technology we take for granted - from our ipads, computer software and mobile phones through to digital televisions, computer games and online banking.

What you will study

Learn critical technical and software engineering skills in:

• database management systems
• enterprise software architectures
• formal languages and automata
• programming languages and paradigms
• software architecture and quality management
• software development

Connect with industry through guest lectures and interdisciplinary projects solving real world problems with software engineering solutions. Gain invaluable practical experience through your industry placement.

Become job-ready through our professional practice courses. You'll learn to tackle ‘wicked problems’ and develop essential workplace skills in finance, project management, sustainability, communication and entrepreneurism.

Diversify your skills and engineering degree with an elective pathway, a cluster of courses which can be used to:

• deepen your technical competence in your engineering field
• broaden your expertise in another area of engineering
• learn skills in areas outside engineering, such as business or maths
• study overseas at one of our many partner institutions.

Software engineers play a vital role in a wide range of industries, as well as in government and commerce. They may work in:

• mining and manufacturing
• banking and finance
• defence and security
• aerospace
• power generation and distribution
• computer games and other entertainment-related industries

Average starting salaries for engineers are great – more than $80,000 per annum.

Software engineering is flexible and diverse. You may prefer hands-on fieldwork, design and development, or a leadership role managing people and projects. Typical positions include:

• internet and web engineer
• telecommunications engineer
• software development manager
• control systems engineer
• applications software developer

Remarkably, engineering is the most commonly held degree among the highest performing Fortune 500 CEOs – the CEOs of companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Tesla Motors are all engineers.