BSc. (Hons)
Software
Engineering

Bachelor in Software Engineering (BSE) Program

Graduate with a deep understanding of modern 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 intentionally and actively 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 effectively stand out from the crowd with a strong portfolio of technical skills in mobile and web development, cloud computing, user experience design, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, bolstered by a plethora of well-sought-out soft skills like critical thinking, leadership, quantitative   reasoning,   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.

General eligibility requirements
for admission to ALU

Completion of a final national secondary school exam and graduation from secondary school with a certificate of secondary education in Advanced Level (A level) or equivalent

If you did not complete an examination offered by the Rwandan National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA)/REB/WDA, you should apply for an advanced level equivalence certificate review through the irembo.gov.rw site.

Sat and Passed 3 or more A-level subjects or equivalent (see course-specific requirements for further details)

B2 or IELTS 6.0 or better English language proficiency or a pass in secondary school level English language

Programme specific requirements
for BSE applicants:

A pass in 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:

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.

Please note

  1. If the core subject is a Math or Computer Science subject, you must have a minimum C grade.
  2. If Math or Computer Science subjects are not present, the Physical Science subject must have a minimum B grade.
  3. You must also complete the BSE Self Assessment Process in the first trimester of your ALU programme.

If you provide results from subjects closely related to the ‘core’ subjects above, this will be reviewed by the ALU Admissions Committee before acceptance.

Technology for
Social Innovation

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 emphasizes the importance of social innovation and systems thinking, as well as the ability to analyze 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

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Year 2

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Software Engineering
Specialisation 1 
(students select their track)

Year 3

Trimester 1

Software Engineering
Specialisation 2

Trimester 2

Software Engineering
Specialisation 3

Trimester 3

Application
timelines

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

September 2023

Applications open and ongoing.

January 2024

Applications open and ongoing.

Key elements of the
Bachelor of Software Engineering

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The Foundation Series is the core curriculum that all students take at ALU. It focuses on Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development that cover the following critical themes: Learning Process; Reflective Thinking; Self Leadership and Team Dynamics; Communicating for Impact; Responsible Enterprise; Critical Thinking; Computational Thinking; Managing Complex Tasks; and Quantitative Reasoning.

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Knowledge, understanding and skills related to leadership are prevalent in the programme, providing a structured framework that students can use to develop their leadership skills.

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In the Specialisation modules offered from the second year of the BSE program, students will be able to choose one of the following tracks: Full stack Web Development, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, Machine Learning or Low Level Programming. Once chosen, students will remain in the same specialisation track for the rest of the degree program and the Mission Capstone should also be aligned to the chosen specialisation domain and mission committed in the respective learning contracts. They will build upon the Foundations of Computer Science and Software Engineering to prepare students for jobs such as front-end developers, AR/VR developers and embedded system programmers.

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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.

 

  • Professional Skills Development 
  • Skills Immersion
  • Mission Capstone

 

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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