African Leadership University
  • About ALU

    African Leadership University is higher
    education for a higher purpose.

    Download our 2022 Impact Report

    ABOUT ALU

  • Why ALU

    Get ready to lead
    Africa forward.

    WHY ALU

  • Study at ALU

    Students choose ALU because they want hands-on, real-world experience led by some of the world’s most innovative educators. They want a place that does not limit their potential with old rules but believes in their capacity to solve Africa’s most significant challenges in new ways. They want their time at a university to lead them to a job or even to launch a company or create social impact. They want to be part of a global network committed to their success.

    STUDY AT ALU

  • Stories

    Watch and listen to the amazing stories and impact created by students of the African Leadership University. Students at ALU declare missions - rather than choose majors - to solve Africa’s greatest challenges with creative, transformative solutions while developing the skills to put those solutions into action.

    STORIES

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NOW

BSc. (Hons)
Software
Engineering

Bachelor in Software Engineering (BSE) Program

Nurturing graduates with a deep understanding of technology, the skills to lead ethical digital transformations, and a global and Pan-African consciousness to solve complex problems

Duration

0
Years

Award

BSc (Hons)
Software Engineering

Tuition

0
USD per annum

Accreditation

Higher Education
Council of Rwanda

About the
Program

Embark on a mission to drive technological change on the Continent with industry-relevant software engineering knowledge and skills you will acquire throughout your learning journey at ALU. Delivered in partnership with one of Silicon Valley’s top tech schools, the Holberton School, the BSE program will challenge you to innovate and learn by doing right from day one at ALU.

Students of the BSE program are equipped with a deep understanding of complex problems on the continent, how technology and innovation is defined in Africa and the role they will play as entrepreneurial technology leaders in solving Africa’s grand challenges. During their learning journey, BSE students gain the technical foundations of being excellent software   engineers who will lead the fourth Industrial Revolution (4iR) and digital transformation of Africa.

Graduates of the Software Engineering programme stand out from the crowd with a strong portfolio of hands-on technical skills in mobile and web development, cloud computing, user experience design, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, bolstered by a plethora of in-demand skills like critical thinking, ethics in software engineering, leadership, quantitative reasoning, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Admissions
Requirement

Each student’s journey is unique.  We believe that good grades alone are not the mark of a true leader. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. As such, we are not only looking for those who are at the top of their class, but also those who have stories of impact and tackle problems without waiting for someone else to solve them.

Any prospective student must meet our general entry requirements and the programme specific requirements to be admitted into ALU.

apply now

Eligibility requirements for admission to ALU BEL program

Applicants supply evidence of :

  • Completion of a final national secondary school exam and graduated from secondary school with a certificate of secondary education on an A Level or equivalent. 
  • B2 or IELTS 6.0 or better English Language proficiency*
  • Passing  3 or more A-level subjects or equivalent, in which one or more of the considered subjects is from this list of core subjects, or combinations that include these subjects.:
    • Math (Any A-level Math) or related subjects
    • Computer Science subjects, such as Computer Engineering, Computer Forensics, Computer Networking, Computer Programming, Cyber Security, Database Administration, Information Security, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Web Development, Algorithms, and Data Structures
    • Physical Science subjects, such as Integrated Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.
    • An applicant who provides results from subjects closely related to the ‘core’ subjects above will have their admission reviewed by an Admissions Committee before acceptance.
  • Attaining a C average or better on the 3 subjects selected.
    • The average must be derived from at least one ‘core’ subject and the best two other grades from A-level (Principal) subjects.
      • If the core course is a Math or Computer Science subject, they must have a minimum C grade and will be directly eligible for BSE and can optionally complete a Self Assessment Process.
      • If Math or Computer Science subjects are not present, or if the student fails to meet the minimum grade in Math or Computer Science subjects, the Physical Science subject must have a minimum B grade or the applicant should submit any evidence for Recognition of Prior Learning.  In both cases an internal test will be administered to prove the Maths Eligibility in the first trimester and the final decision shall be made by the Admissions Committee during the first trimester.


A C average shall mean a point value of 12 or better. An average of C- shall not be considered to meet the minimum criteria.

Please note: 

  • Language of Instruction: The language of instruction at the African Leadership University is English. Applicants must supply evidence of B2 (or equivalent) proficiency. Those who cannot will be tested for proficiency in English at a period to be determined by ALU before the commencement of their degree studies. Those not meeting the B2 threshold will need to complete English proficiency bridging programme(s) offered by ALU or other 3rd-party providers.

Plan of Study

ALU’s Bachelor in Software Engineering program aims to produce graduates who have the knowledge and skills to apply best practices in software development, understand the software lifecycle, recognize ethical and professional responsibilities, and demonstrate an understanding of engineering design.

The BSE curriculum also emphasises the importance of social innovation and systems thinking, as well as the ability to analyse data, make evidence-based decisions, and consider the impact of solutions on various factors. At the end of the program, BSE students should be able to situate their chosen challenge/opportunity within a broader context, considering key stakeholders and ethical implications.

Year 1

Trimester 1

  • Learning Processes
  • Reflective Thinking

Trimester 2

  • Self Leadership & Team Dynamics
  • Introduction to Linux & IT tools
  • Introduction to Programming & Databases

Trimester 3

  • Frontend Web Development
  • Web Infrastructure
  • Responsible Enterprise

Year 2

Trimester 1

  • Communicating for Impact
  • Enterprise Web Development
  • Foundations Project

Trimester 2

  • Introduction to Software Engineering
  • Skills immersion

Trimester 3

Software Engineering
Specialisation 1 
(students select their track)

  • Mobile Application Development
  • Advanced Frontend Web Development (Full Stack Web Development Track) OR
  • Programming in C (Low-level Programming Track)

    Mathematics for Machine Learning (Machine Learning Track) OR
  • Programming in C# (AR/VR Track)

Year 3

Trimester 1

Software Engineering
Specialisation 2

  • Linux Programming (Low-level Programming Track) OR
  • Advanced Backend Web Development (Full Stack Web Development) OR
  • Machine Learning Techniques I (Machine Learning Track) OR
  • Advanced C# Programming (AR/VR Track)
  • Advanced Python Programming (Full Stack Web Development Track) OR
  • Introduction to Machine L:earning (Machine Learning Track) OR
  • Introduction to Unity (AR/VR Track) OR
  • Data Structures & Algorithms in C (Low-level Programming Track)

Trimester 2

Software Engineering
Specialisation 3

  • React Development (Full Stack Web Development Track) OR
  • Machine Learning Techniques II (Machine Learning Track) OR
  • Introduction to BlockChain Development (Low-level Programming Track) OR
  • AR/VR Development with Unity I (AR/VR Track) OR
  • Machine Learning Pipeline (Machine Learning Track) OR
  • BlockChain & Applications (Low-level Programming Track) OR
  • AR/VR Development with Unity II (AR/VR Track) OR
  • Advanced DevOps (Full Stack Web Development)

Trimester 3

  • Ethics on Software Engineering
  • Mission Capstone

Application
timelines

Begin your application to ALU through any of the following intakes.

September 2023

Applications open and ongoing.

Applications close on July 6, 2023

January 2024

Applications open and ongoing.

May 2024

Applications open and ongoing.

Key elements of the
Bachelor of Software Engineering

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The Professional Skill Development, Skills Immersion,  and the Mission Capstone together make up the Skills immersion element of the programme. The Skills Immersion module is envisioned as a work-based placement where students will be able to contextualise and integrate their knowledge and skills in the workplace environment preparing them for future employment. The Mission Capstone is the global challenge(s) the students intend to tackle and will culminate in the Mission Capstone which serves as Honors Project for the programme.

Graduates of the BSE programme can pursue professional
careers in any of the following areas:

Augmented Reality/
Virtual Reality

Game Developer, Mobile Game Developer, Systems Engineer, AR/VR Content Developer, Interactive Designer, Immersive Experience Designer, Gameplay Developer, and post-graduate studies in AR/VR.

Low-Level
Programming

Junior Software Engineer, Software Engineer, Embedded Systems Programmer, SRE, Junior Blockchain Engineer, Unix Developer, Distributed Systems Developer, C Developer, and post-graduate studies.

Full-Stack
Development

Full-Stack Developer, Frontend Developer, React Developer, NodeJS Developer, Python Developer, JavaScript Developer, Backend Developer, UI/UX Developer, QA Developer, and post-graduate studies.

Machine
Learning

Machine Learning Engineer, AI Engineer, Data Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Big Data Developer, Machine Learning Infrastructure Developer, Python Developer, Tensorflow Developer, and post-graduate studies in Machine Learning.

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application process?

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About ALU

ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors.

They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now.

Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world. Join us

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