Bachelor Programme
Software Engineering
Software Engineering at Western starts with the common first year of Engineering (Foundations of Engineering Practice, Statics and other core courses) before students enter the discipline. Upper-year courses cover algorithms and data structures for object-oriented design, software requirements and analysis, human-computer interface design and information security, with a software design project. Students can add an Ivey HBA or Law combined degree, and Engineering co-op terms can be 4 months (summer) or 8 to 16 months.
University
Western University
Country
Canada
Level
Bachelor
Field
Software Engineering
Duration
4 years (up to 5 with long co-op terms or a combined degree)
Language
English
Campus
London, Ontario (Main Campus)
Degree
Bachelor of Engineering Science (BESc) in Software Engineering (combined with Ivey HBA or Law available)
Intake
September
Application Deadline
January 15, 2027 (OUAC application deadline for equal consideration); English test results by mid-April 2027; last Casper test date March 2, 2027
Tuition Information
International: CAD 64,310 tuition in year 1 (67,384.46 single-payment total with ancillary fees and health plans) under Western's 2026-27 Engineering rate. International tuition rises no more than 4% per year after year 1. Canadian students (2026-27): Ontario residents CAD 12,539 tuition (14,665.46 total), out-of-province CAD 15,688 tuition (17,814.46 total). The 2026-27 schedules are marked draft and Fall 2027 rates are not yet published.
Admission Requirements
- Apply on the OUAC using Western code EE
- Ontario: OSSD with at least six Grade 12 U/M courses (excluding co-op), including ENG4U; each required course needs at least 70%
- Ontario required courses: ENG4U, MHF4U, MCV4U, SCH4U and SPH4U
- IB: full IB Diploma with at least 27 points (including TOK and Extended Essay), six subjects with three at HL, and no mark below 4. Program IB requirements: Chemistry and Physics (HL or SL), plus Math Analysis and Approaches (HL or SL) or Math Applications and Interpretation (HL only)
- Applicants from other curricula (A Levels, AP, US high school and national curricula by country) are assessed against Western's curriculum- and country-specific requirements
- Not direct entry to the discipline: apply to Engineering (OUAC EE) and choose Software Engineering after the common first year
- Engineering applicants must complete the Casper test (the last test date for Fall 2027 is March 2, 2027); no offer can be made without the result
- Admission average guideline: high 80s to low 90s (Engineering) (Averages reflect Ontario high school students. Reaching the guideline does not guarantee admission)
- English language proficiency is required if English is not your first language (tests written from January 1, 2025 and before March 2027): IELTS Academic 6.5 (6.0 in each section), TOEFL iBT 83 (20 in each section) for tests before January 21, 2026 or 4.5 overall (4.0 in reading, speaking and writing; 4.5 in listening) for tests on or after that date, PTE Academic 58 (56 in each section), Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 176 (169 in each section) or Duolingo 115 (100 in each subscore). A waiver may be possible, for example after four full-time years of secondary school in English