Software Engineering and Business Informatics (Venlo)
- 4 years
- English
- Bachelor
- Full-time
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About
You’ll be trained to become a versatile IT professional. Practice is essential! As you’ll be collaborating with others a lot, the programme’s focus will also be on developing your social and communicational skills. Sound knowledge of information systems is essential, but you’ll also learn how to organise and give advice. This will often be done in group projects, focused of practice with extra guidance. You can always contact your lecturers and student counsellor to discuss your study plan and progress.
Why study Software Engineering and Business Informatics in The Netherlands?
- The first 3 semesters are the same for both students of Software Engineering and Business Informatics. Afterwards, you choose to specialise in one of these.
- You’ll work on projects for a third of each semester.
- You’ll do two internships to gain experience in the field.
- Possibility to specialise (abroad) during your minor programme.
- This is a small study programme, so you’ll be part of a personal community.
This programme is also partly being offered in German. Interested in the German programme?
What are you going to learn?
As a student of our Software Engineering / Business Informatics programme, you learn to shape and make use of new developments. You’ll also learn to collaborate with professionals from different backgrounds, which gives you a head start in the business field. You’ll choose between two specialisations:
- Software Engineering is about the process of making and improving software systems, from the initial idea to implementation and management of the system. You’ll learn how to produce high-quality software systems instead of spaghetti-code with bugs in it. The type of system to develop, the operating system to develop for and the environment to develop in do not play a role, as a software engineer is qualified for all of them.
- Business Informatics includes the knowledge of developing software, the use of IT to digitalise business processes, and supporting managers by giving them information derived from the business processes, so they can make the right decisions. To be able to do all this, you’ll learn how to collect requirements from the various stakeholders, and to use the requirements to define a adapted/new business process which afterwards is to be implemented in software (= digitalised). You’ll learn about specific types of software and software architectures that enable the manager to perform data-based decision making.
Gain practical experience
Take a look at one of our study programme projectsWhat does your week look like?
A typical study week has 4 lectures and 2 practical sessions for developing specific skills, and 3 project sessions. The projects are designed as to give you the chance to apply what you learned in the lectures, while also providing you with a real-life setting since you have to work in small teams and find out the answers yourself. We always try to set all this in a schedule restricted to 4 days - or at least with 2 mornings or afternoons without any scheduled activities.
Get to know our campus
Check out our classrooms, outside area, engineering labs, the city of Venlo and much more via our 360° tour.
Get to know our Software Engineering & Business Informatics programmeGet to know the Software Engineering & Business Informatics study programme at Fontys Venlo. Learn more about the content of the study programme, our courses and the career opportunities!
Courses
Student Katharina shares her experience
The Software Engineering direction will introduce you to a broader set of different types of software systems and programming languages. The Business Informatics side will teach you about business processes, how to describe and design them, and techniques and architectures of systems specifically for the support of decision-making. In both variants, you’ll develop an app (realizing your own ideas for that app) with a cloud-based architecture, this being the project of semester 4.
In the first semester of year 3, you’ll do a work placement at a company and industry of your choice. As a future professional, you’ll be able to practice your application skills that you’ve gained during your studies. You’ll deepen your knowledge in the real business world. The work placement can be completed in a country of your choice.
In the second semester of year 3, you’ll focus on a specific theme in a minor programme. The minor programme allows you to acquire knowledge in a different field than that of your major. You can choose to do this minor at Fontys, at one of our partner universities in the Netherlands, or at one of our 125 partner universities abroad.
You return to Fontys for your final year. During this year, you’ll work on the main project of your study programme: the Software Factory. For this project, you develop customised software solutions that are ready to market in cooperation with one of our partner companies. You’ll also work on your professional skills, and you choose to specialise in elective courses.
You’ll take up another work placement in your final semester and work on a practical problem. Your report about the approach and your solutions to this practical problem is your graduation report. After having finished all parts of the programme, you will be rewarded with the internationally recognised degree Bachelor of Science.
Requirements
Diploma
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards. In order to be admitted to Fontys University of Applied Sciences students must be eligible for higher education through a diploma of secondary education / high school diploma with good results. For international students this means:
- senior high school diploma, which generally grants access to a Bachelor programme in the country of issue
- General Certificate of Secondary Education in 4 subjects with marks ranging from A-C, plus a General Certificate of Education with 2 subjects at advanced subsidiary level
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- Baccalauréat Général
- American High School Diploma (AP courses are strongly recommended)
- For German students specifically: Fachabitur or Abitur (Fachhochschulreife or Allgemeine Hochschulreife)
Language requirements
For all course programmes a minimum level of proficiency in the English language is required. Read more detailed information.
Diploma
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education that is equivalent to Dutch standards. In order to be admitted to Fontys University of Applied Sciences students must be eligible for higher education through a diploma of secondary education / high school diploma with good results. For international students this means:
- Senior high school diploma, which generally grants access to a Bachelor programme in the country of issue
- General Certificate of Secondary Education in 4 subjects with marks ranging from A-C, plus a General Certificate of Education with 2 subjects at advanced subsidiary level
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- Baccalauréat Général
- American High School Diploma (AP courses are strongly recommended)
- For German students specifically: Fachabitur or Abitur (Fachhochschulreife or Allgemeine Hochschulreife)
Language requirements
For all course programmes a minimum level of proficiency in the English language is required. Read more detailed information.
Visa
As a non-EU/EEA student, the Netherlands will require an Entry Visa* (MVV) and a Residence Permit. Fontys will apply on behalf of its students for these documents. We recommend you start the process early, i.e. approximately three months before you plan to enter the Netherlands.
*except nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the USA and Vatican City State.
Diploma
As a prospective Bachelor's student you must have a diploma of higher secondary education. For Dutch students this means: VWO-, HAVO- or MBO-diploma.
Language requirements for Dutch students
For the English taught programmes, the minimum English language proficiency required. As an applicant with a Dutch MBO-4, HAVO- or VWO-diploma you can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test.
Costs
The tuition fees indicator helps you to determine the tuition rate for your situation. The information and tuition rates from this indicator are without engagement.
Statutory tuition fees and institutional tuition fees
A distinction is made between statutory tuition fees and institutional tuition fees. Only if you satisfy all statutory requirements regarding your nationality and if you have not yet been awarded a degree, will you be eligible for statutory tuition fees. Via the tuition fees indicator, you can secure an indication of the type of tuition fees that will be applicable in your situation. To do so, please make use of the indicator above.
Distinctions are made between the following types of Institutional Tuition Fees:
- Low institutional tuition fees
- High institutional tuition fees
Different types of tuition fees and Exemption Regulations
These different types of tuition fees and the Exemption Regulations are fully detailed in the:
The amount to be paid may vary in accordance with the following situations:
- If you have enrolled in more than one course programme (at Fontys and/or elsewhere), it is possible that you may only be obliged to pay one set of statutory tuition fees.
- If you believe that you may be eligible to pay only the statutory tuition fees on the basis of information that may be unknown to us, please report this to your Course Department.
- If it later transpires that you do not meet the requirements for statutory tuition fees, you will be obliged to pay the (higher) institutional tuition fees and if this is the case, you will be notified accordingly.
Some Fontys study programmes offer the Holland Scholarship to their students. Check out the link to see if this study programme participates and for more information.
You might also be eligible for other scholarships not provided by Fontys. These can be found on Grantfinder.nl.
Paying in instalments
Collection will take place in a maximum of ten equal instalments on or around the 26th of the month. Depending upon the processing time required after your enrolment, the direct debit may need to be moved to the following month. If so, the amount outstanding will then be divided and added to the remaining instalments to be executed until and including the June instalment.
If paying the full sum in a single payment
If you commence your studies on 1 September, the direct debit pertaining to your Tuition Fees will be executed on or around 25 September. If you commence your studies after 1 September, the direct debit will be executed on or around the 26th of the month in which you commence your studies.
Non EU students
Incoming Non EU students will receive a payment letter from their study department which must be paid before the deadline. In the following academic years payment can be done by direct debit.
Non-Sepa
If you have a Bank account number, of which the bank is not situated in one of the SEPA countries, and you are a national of a country outside the EEA without an address in The Netherlands, then you will receive a paymentletter from Fontys via your course department.
The Dutch currency unit is the Euro (i.e. abbreviated to ‘EUR’ or ‘€’).
The average living expenses per month for a foreign student living and studying in Holland are between EUR 900 and EUR 1,100 per month. These living expenses cover rent, insurance, food, public transportation, books, clothing and other general costs.
Dutch Immigration Service (IND) requires non-EEA students to proof they have access to € 11,520 per year (€ 5,760 per semester)
Costs within the first months upon arrival will be higher than all other months due to a housing deposit, intro week and books. Study books are usually bought at the start of the semester and therefore it is wise to reserve and have direct access to an amount at the start of the semester which can cover the price of all study books and the living expenses for the first two months.
Before starting your study at Fontys, you must find suitable housing. Unfortunately, it is not easy for international students to find accommodation in the Netherlands due to the housing crisis. Start your accommodation search early. Please be aware that finding a place to live is your own responsibility. However, we are happy to assist in any way we can.
Career opportunities
The demand for good IT personnel is rising and it is expected to keep increasing in the future. This is great for you as an IT graduate! Our graduates work in a range of jobs and positions:
- Software Developer
- Database Developer
- Data Scientist
- Developer for Artificial Intelligence
Matei:“I was attracted by the curriculum of this programme that also has many practical hours.”
Contact Matei
How to apply
All applications for our programmes have to be conducted via www.studielink.nl. Studielink is an online portal that allows applicants to apply and maintain their registration whenever they want to. The application process may differ for EU and Non-EU students, please read below what applies for you.
Application deadlines
| September intake | |
| If you want us to arrange accommodation | 15 June |
| If you arrange accommodation yourself | 1 August |
Start your online application
- Log in to Studielink: www.studielink.nl.
- Submit your personal details (please ensure that you enter your names as stated on your passport and/or identity card), ensuring that all details are entered correctly, i.e. capital letters where required.
- Add 'New Enrolment Application': mind you choose the correct intake (September 2024).
- Add your previous education and answer the supplementary questions.
Within Studielink, choose this option:
| Educational institution | Fontys Hogescholen |
|---|---|
| Location of educational institution | Venlo |
| Programme | ‘B Informatica - Software Engineering (English)’ or ‘B Informatica - Business Informatics (English) |
Application deadlines
| September intake | |
| If you want us to arrange accommodation | 1 June |
| If you arrange accommodation yourself | 1 June |
Start your online application
- Log in to Studielink: www.studielink.nl.
- Submit your personal details (please ensure that you enter your names as stated on your passport and/or identity card), ensuring that all details are entered correctly, i.e. capital letters where required.
- Add 'New Enrolment Application': mind you choose the correct intake (September 2024).
- Add your previous education and answer the supplementary questions.
Within Studielink, choose this option:
| Educational institution | Fontys Hogescholen |
| Location of educational institution | Venlo |
| Programme | ‘B Informatica - Software Engineering (English)’ or ‘B Informatica - Business Informatics (English) |
Whenever you apply in Studielink you choose for either Software Engineering or Business Informatics. After the first year you make your final decision. Hence, you can until then still switch if you prefer the other study programme instead.
Agenda
Sign up for one of our events. There's no better way to find out if this study programme is right for you! Visit a webinar from the comfort of your home or meet us live on campus. Whichever you choose, we hope to meet you soon.
Webinar: Study at Information Technology - Software Engineering and Business Informatics | Online
26 Oct 2023
16:00 - 16:45
Programme
Open day Information Technology - Software Engineering and Business Informatics | Venlo
04 Nov 2023
10:00 - 14:00
Programme
Open Day
January 20 and 21, 2024
Programme
Having trouble making up your mind about your future studies? Or maybe you've already decided? Either way, we invite you to experience it firsthand at our Open Day. Step onto our campus and get a real taste of what your chosen study programme could be like. Our students and teachers will be your guides, ready to show you around.
Mark your calendar for our upcoming Open Days in January 2024:
- January 20 in Tilburg
- January 21 in Eindhoven and Venlo
Do you want to be a part of it? Simply share your details, and you'll be among the first to receive updates.
Study preview
Curious about what a typical study week looks like? Check out this Study Preview, where you can attend lectures and finish assignments.
Go to study preview