Software Engineering (Taught)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The MSc in Software Engineering is a part-time taught course covering modern software engineering principles, tools, and methods, with intensive modules and a final project and dissertation completed over three to four years.

The MSc in Software Engineering offers professional study in around 30 different subjects within the area of software engineering, 15 of which are in security.

Each course is delivered by an expert in the subject and is based around a single, intensive teaching week of classes, practical sessions, and group work; class sizes are kept small to facilitate interaction and to promote effective learning. Each subject is taught at least once a year - some are taught two or three times - and most can be studied in any order.

Course structure
To earn an MSc in Software Engineering, you must complete courses in ten different subjects, the majority of which must be in the area of software engineering.

An assignment is typically distributed on the last day of the teaching week. This builds upon the learning of the week, allowing you to test and extend your understanding through application outside the classroom.

You will also complete a short project and associated dissertation. The project must be an original demonstration of ability and understanding, but there is no requirement to advance the state of the art in the field. You only need to choose and apply an appropriate selection of existing ideas and techniques-provided that your choice, the process of application, and any outcomes are properly explained. Generally, the project and dissertation represent the same effort as two more courses.

The project assessment involves compulsory attendance at a one-week project course, at which you will present and refine your proposal, and attend teaching sessions on research skills, engineering in context, and social, legal and ethical issues.

The Department of Computer Science also offers another master’s degree, the MSc in Software and Systems Security, available to those who take the majority of their courses, and their project and dissertation, in that area.