Our Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs) provide a fully-funded pathway for individuals to a achieve a degree or for organisations to invest in the talents of their workforce.
Get in touch with our team to find out more:
Join UWS’s BSc (Hons) Graduate Apprenticeship programme in IT: Software Development and shape the future of technology. Our programme is designed to integrate academic excellence with practical industry experience, ensuring you are well-prepared for a successful career in software development or related fields.
Whether you are an employer looking to upskill your talented staff, an experienced computing or software professional seeking formal qualifications, or someone who wishes to earn while they learn, this programme is tailored to meet your needs.
The programme has undergone a major update for 2024 with the goal of further aligning the soft, hard, and meta-skills learned with the demands of the software industry. It starts by providing a solid grounding in computing and software development in the first years, followed by offering options that allow you to choose topics aligning with your interests and employer needs.
The programme uses modern blended learning, minimal exam-based assessment, and combines rigorous academic theory with practical experience. It ensures you are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the workplace. You will attend university classes one day per week, across all three terms.
Within this programme, we emphasise flexibility. By blending online learning with optional on-campus sessions, we aim to provide you with the best of both worlds- comprehensive, flexible education that fits around your professional and personal commitments.
The programme has been designed in partnership with employers to ensure it delivers the skills, knowledge, and understanding required by software professionals, both now and in the future.
We cover relevant and recent topics such as DevOps, Data Science, Machine Learning, and more, ensuring you are well-equipped to succeed in the industry.
The programme is designed to offer a comprehensive blended learning experience. Learning materials will be made available in advance through our Virtual Learning Environment. Classes will primarily take place online.
This will be supplemented by additional, optional on-campus sessions at our stunning Lanarkshire campus, fostering a community of like-minded learners and providing opportunities to meet your lecturers face-to-face.
Apprentices embark on an educational journey, where they integrate their learning into professional software practice from the first day.
Engaging with real projects, they actively contribute to their workplaces, generating tangible and immediate benefits for the business.
All modules include formative and summative assessments. This includes quizzes, case studies, reports, online discussion boards, and more.
These assessments are designed to evaluate your understanding, provide continuous feedback, and enhance your learning experience by applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios.
Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Communication, and Lifelong Learning are just a few of the meta-skills you will gain while undertaking this programme.
Throughout your studies, you will build additional skills and competencies through your academic coursework and daily work-based experiences. This will equip you to successfully manage both your future personal and professional lives.
Flexible entry facilitates recognition of prior industry experience and qualifications.
At UWS, we recognise relevant qualifications and industry experience. We offer advanced entry for appropriate candidates. Please get in touch for further information.
Initially, graduate apprentices work in job roles such as Systems Administrator, IT Helpdesk Specialist, Junior Developer, Software Tester, or Systems Support Analyst.
After successfully completing the programme, they often advance to more senior roles such as Senior Software Developer, DevOps Specialist, Software Architect, and beyond. They leverage their acquired skills and experience to excel in leadership positions within the software industry.
As an apprentice on the BSc (Hons) IT: Software Development you will be in relevant employment therefore the GA will build on your existing employability skills.
Graduate Apprentices are productive members of their companies from an early stage. Your learning will be integrated with your workplace activities and your learning and skills will be applied in a professional environment right from day one. As a Graduate Apprentice you will be uniquely placed to integrate your academic skills, knowledge and practices with workplace practices.
The GA provides a thorough grounding in the principles of programming and associated software engineering approaches, and develops the lifelong learning skills that apprentices will need to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving technologies in software development.
"I have gained a lot of practical, hands on development experience during my time completing my GA which helps me in my current role to develop new software."
Radoslaw Lewandowski, who is a graduate of IT: Software Development and holds the post of Associate Software Engineer at Arnold Clark.
The benefits of apprenticeships are significant, but don't take our word for it. Hear from our student community and discover the power of apprenticeships at UWS.
"The greatest benefit so far has been building my confidence and my learning experience within, not only my academic skills, but in the workplace as well."
Nadia Chinnery, 3rd year IT: Software Development GA student
To apply for a GA you must be resident in Scotland before you start. The premises you work in must also be located in Scotland. As part of your application, you will have to show that you have the right to live and work in Scotland.
GAs are open to existing employees and new recruits.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis.
Do not worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application. We're happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience. Experienced applicants can apply for admission based on Accreditation of Prior Learning / Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning in accordance with the University’s RPL guidelines.
For more information on standard and minimum entry requirements, see our
Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage
All applicants should be in employment and be supported by their employer for the duration of their studies.
Applicants may also be considered with other academic, vocational or professional
qualifications deemed to be equivalent.
Considering the relevance of the programme to industry, applicants can apply for admission based on Accreditation of Prior Learning / Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning in accordance with the University’s RPL guidelines.
Advanced entry in Years 2 to 4 of the programme will be considered on an individual basis. This may be possible if you possess an HNC/HND or BSc degree in a suitable discipline or relevant professional qualifications or experience. Please contact us for more details. In all cases, the University’s RPL and APEL guidelines will apply.
The BSc (Hons) in IT: Software Development is a graduate apprenticeship programme developed in partnership with industry, the education sector, and Skills Development Scotland (SDS). This collaboration ensures that the curriculum aligns with industry needs.
Students participating in the apprenticeship have access to the same learning opportunities and support as those in traditional full-time university programmes. Across the three terms each year, you will typically split your time by spending about 80% working at your job and 20% developing additional hard, soft, and meta-skills required for software professionals through university studies. Employers will provide the necessary time for study as part of your work schedule.
One of the key benefits of a graduate apprenticeship is the immediate application of learned skills. Skills acquired in the workplace can be applied to university tasks and assessments, and topics studied at university can be embedded into your day-to-day work.
Lecturers will ensure that there is a range of collaborative elements and opportunities for students to share their experiences. This ensures that everyone in a class learns about software practices in a range of sectors and organisations, allowing for the exchange of ideas, insights, and best practices.
This programme is delivered over four years, the same duration as traditional full-time undergraduate programmes. You will undertake 120 credits per year (three terms per year). Work-based learning and modules covering industry-relevant topics form the backbone of the course. Term dates and assessment schedules will be provided in advance to support you in managing a balanced work-study-life schedule.
The programme is structured over four years of study, each year building on the previous one.
More Info:
The programme is delivered through blended learning, with the majority of the learning delivered through Work-based Learning. Students are expected to be on campus for a day every 1 to 2 weeks for facilitated workshops and practical sessions to reinforce their online e-learning and workplace experiential learning.
Assessment is through a number of methods including:
For individuals and businesses who wish to find out more about the BSc (Hons) IT: Software Development Graduate Apprenticeship, please contact Dr Jacob Koenig (Programme Leader) at jacob.koenig@uws.ac.uk or Usman Ahmad (Industry Engagement Manager) at Usman.Ahmad@uws.ac.uk
To apply directly to the University for this course you need to be working in Scotland in a position that relates to the field of study and have support from your employer to undertake the GA. Due to the way Graduate Apprenticeships are funded, only students who meet Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) eligibility criteria can apply. Further information is available here
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.