Saxion University of Applied Sciences
Associate Degree in Software Development
- Deventer, Netherlands
- Enschede, Netherlands
Associate Degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Jun 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,694 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* deadline for EU/EEA: 15.08.2026
** For non-EU/EEA students tuition fee: € 9360/year
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
During your studies
The first phase of the program consists of 124 increasingly challenging assignments. Most of the assignments are very technical and very practical. You'll usually work individually, though help from classmates and the teachers is never far away. Some of the more complex assignments allow you to work in pairs or small teams. The second phase is about designing and creating large-scale software while working as a team. You'll experience real-life projects, including two company internships.
Want to know everything about studying at Saxion? Join us online, on campus or abroad and embark on a journey to discover your future at Saxion!
NL Scholarship (NLS)
A scholarship meant for NON-EU/EEA students who pay the full institutional tuition fee, and meet the specific requirements: a GPA of 80% or higher and an IELTS 7.0 or higher. The scholarship amounts to € 5,000. You will receive this in the first year of your studies.
Saxion Talent Scholarship (STS)
A scholarship meant for NON-EU/EEA students who apply for a Bachelor's programme, pay the full institutional tuition fee and meet the specific requirements: a GPA of 70% or higher and an IELTS of 6.0 or higher. The scholarship amounts to € 2,500. You will receive this in the first year of your studies.
Saxion Excellence Scholarship (SES)
You can apply for the SES each year following your first year as a student. You may be granted the SES multiple times.
Top program
The associate degree in Software Development has been rated as a top program by the Keuzegids HBO 2025.
The first year, you will work from our beautiful office garden and learn how to program well. In the second year, you will apply those skills on a larger scale and in a team setting through internships and projects, and you will deepen your knowledge of software design and methodologies.
Study load
- 20% Theory
- 75% Practical and group assignments
- 5% Study career guidance
First Year
In the first year, the focus is on learning how to program. And not just a little! The format is pretty intense: you are to work full-time in our office environment with your fellow students and teachers. You will work individually, at your own pace, on about 100 challenging (programming) assignments. Depending on your prior knowledge and aptitude, the first "year" may take you between 6 and 18 months. You will be supported by your classmates and the teachers, who are also present full-time. They do not teach, but coach, provide feedback, and refer to good online resources. In addition, they work on a fun and productive "company culture" so that everyone feels comfortable.
Subjects year 1
- Python programming
- Static web
- SQL databases
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Dynamic web
- Algorithms & data structures
- DevOps
- Android programming
- UX design
- Low-level programming
- Client-side web
- Software teams
Second Year
As in the first year, there are some assignments to work on. Some involve programming on a pretty high level, but we're also diving deeper into the design of software, and how to work in teams.
In addition, you will intern at two different companies. You already know how to develop software, but during your internships, you will learn to apply your skills in large-scale projects and in a team setting. Additionally, you will carry out two programming projects at school, in which you design and implement cool software according to your own ideas. Based on your work during the two internships and the two projects, you will create a portfolio demonstrating a sufficient skill level on each of the eight end-qualifications.
Subjects year 2
- Protocols & parsers
- Technical design
- Open Source
- Graduation
After completing the program, you will receive an internationally recognised Associate degree (Ad) title. With this degree, you can work as a software developer in disciplines such as frontend, backend, full-stack, or embedded. If you wish to pursue further studies, you can enrol in HBO-ICT with two years worth of exemptions.