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What is the Course about?

Software development is the creation and maintenance of software products. These products range from mobile phone apps to highly complex software control systems such as those found in self driving cars. In the broad sense, it includes everything from initial concept identification and design through to the final production of software. It can include identification of required software, analysis of software requirements, system design, programming, testing and maintenance.
 

Course Structure

This course equips students with the range of skills required to become competent software developers. Students follow our new learning-by-doing' model in first year with continuous assessment replacing final exams. Modules for the first three years include a broad range of subjects and an industry work placement. Year 4 concentrates on state-of-the-art, high-level software development topics such as: secure app development, data science, distributed systems and an extensive project.
 

Is this course for you?

Always on the cutting edge and working with the new ideas and technology, software developers enjoy working in diverse teams and solving novel problems with practical solutions. If you have an open, logical and enquiring mind, then software development may be the profession for you.

Special Features:

  • Dedicated software development laboratory for 3rd and 4th year Carlow students sponsored by UNUM.
  • SETU Carlow's final year industry showcase is attended by leading IT employers.
  • Active participation by students in national and international competitions. Carlow Software Development students were recently awarded 2nd place in FIWARE Smart Society' competition in Seville, winning 40,000 in prize money for their My people Care' project.
  • SETU Carlow maintains widespread collaborations with international third-level institution computing departments and has active research links with the Netherlands, France, China, Norway, Hungary and the UK.
  • The computing department in Carlow continues to collaborate with many industry leaders in computing. For example Intel sponsored the use of the Galileo development board and Quark chip at the University and this leading edge technology was incorporated into several undergraduate and graduate research projects at SETU Carlow.
  • Exit Awards: Higher Certificate in Computing (NFQ Level 6) after Year two and a Bachelor of Science in Software Development (NFQ Level 7) after Year three.

Year 1

Semester 1 Semester 2
Applications and Interpersonal Communications (M) Computer Hardware 2 (M)
Computer Hardware 1 (M) Mathematics 2 (M)
Mathematics 1 (M) Networking 2 (M)
Networking 1 (M) Operating Systems (M)
Programming 1 (M) Programming 2 (M)

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 2

Semester 3 Semester 4
Data Structures and Algorithms (M) Assembly and C (M)
Digital Logic (M) Discrete Structures (M)
Object Oriented Software Development 1 (M) Object Oriented Software Development 2 (M)
Systems Analysis and Testing (M) Project (Software Development) (M)
Web Programming and Databases 1 (M) Web Programming and Databases 2 (M)

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 3

Semester 5 Semester 6
Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms (M) Approved Semester Abroad (E)
Advanced Programming (M) Project (Software Development) (E)
Cloud Development (M) Work Placement (Software Development) (E)
Operating Systems (M)
Software Engineering (M)

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

Year 4

Semester 7 Semester 8
Agile Software Development (M) Data Science and Machine Learning 2 (M)
Agile Software Verification (M) Secure Application Development (M)
Concurrent Development (M) Artificial Intelligence in the Wild (E)
Data Science and Machine Learning 1 (M) Bias in Computational Systems (E)
Project (Software Development) (M) Blockchain Technology (E)
Case Studies in Data Science (E)
Cloud Data Centers (E)
Data Engineering (E)
Data Visualisation (E)
Distributed Development (E)
Entrepreneurship (E)
Linux Infrastructure Engineering (E)
Programming Language Design (E)
UI/UX Design and Development (E)

M is a mandatory subject - E is an elective subject

What are the minimum entry requirements?

  • 2H5 & 4O6/H7
  • English or Irish O6/H7
  • Mathematics O6/H7

What follow-on study opportunities are available?

Graduates have the option to progress to postgraduate studies at either masters or doctoral level within at SETU or any other university. Graduates are also eligible to undertake the taught MSc in Data Science, the taught MSc in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust, the taught MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence or the MSc in IT Management at SETU Carlow.

What exemptions will I receive?

-

Notes

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What will I be able to do when I finish the course?

Ireland is a large global player in the software development and software engineering industry with significant employment opportunities for graduates at home and abroad. Graduates of this course are working in Ireland and Worldwide with companies such as UNUM, Google, IBM, Microsoft, HP, AOL, DoneDeal, Symantec and Intel, to name but a few.