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 and how to build ones that don't. Three standard paid co-op terms show you 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 and 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 (example minimum: 78% average)
- 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 (for example, IELTS 6.5 overall)
Full requirements by applicant type (transfer, mature, international) are on the admissions page.
Where graduates actually land
- Software developer (full-stack, backend, mobile)
- Platform or site-reliability engineer
- Embedded & systems developer
- Graduate study in computer science
Reported starting salary (example) $64,000 to $76,000 Middle half of reported full-time starting salaries, Class of 2024.
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 and 2025, and co-op experience mattered more than GPA. Illustrative.
Outcomes are what graduates reported, not a promise of a job or a salary. See how we survey graduates on the student outcomes page.
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