School of Computing & Technology

Software Engineering Bachelor of Software Engineering

4 years
On campus · co-op standard (three paid terms)
September + January intakes
140 seats per year across two intakes

Caldwell's BSE is an engineering degree, not a coding bootcamp stretched to four years. You'll learn why systems fail, how to build ones that don't, and — through three standard paid co-op terms — what professional software work actually feels like before you commit a career to it.

Why this program is built this way

Three paid co-op work terms are part of the standard sequence
Systems focus: operating systems, networks, and reliability, not just app frameworks
Capstone built for a real industry partner with a public demo day
Resilient Systems Group takes undergrad research assistants every year

The four years, year by year

Year 1

Foundations that don't expire

COMP 110 — Programming Fundamentals (Python)
COMP 130 — Systems Programming (C)
MATH 120 — Discrete Mathematics
SENG 115 — Software Engineering Practice I (git, testing, teams)

Year 2

Data structures to first co-op

COMP 210 — Data Structures & Algorithms
COMP 230 — Databases & SQL
SENG 220 — Web & API Engineering
Co-op work term 1 (paid, 4 months)

Year 3

How real systems behave

COMP 310 — Operating Systems
COMP 320 — Computer Networks
SENG 330 — Software Architecture & Reliability
Co-op work terms 2–3 (paid, 4 months each)

Year 4

Capstone and depth

SENG 410 — Capstone Project I & II (industry partner)
COMP 420 — Distributed Systems
SENG 430 — Security Engineering
Technical electives (machine learning, mobile, graphics)

What it takes to get in

High-school diploma with senior-level math — calculus recommended (minimum 78% average — illustrative)
No prior programming required, though most admitted students have some
Transfer applicants from computing diplomas: up to 2 years of block credit
International applicants: English proficiency (e.g. IELTS 6.5 overall)

Full requirements by applicant type — transfer, mature, international — on the admissions page.

Where graduates actually land

Software developer (full-stack, backend, mobile)
Platform / site-reliability engineer
Embedded & systems developer
Graduate study in computer science

Reported starting salary $64,000–$76,000 reported median starting range

Class of 2024 survey, 68% response rate. About half of grads accepted offers from a former co-op employer. The junior market tightened in 2024–25 — co-op experience mattered more than GPA. Illustrative.

Technology

Data Science & Analytics

Bachelor of Science · 4 years

Statistics you can defend, code you can ship, and a domain minor — health, business, or civic data — so your analysis is always about something.

$9,600/yr domestic* September + January intakes

Health

Health Informatics