Software Engineering

Software Engineering

The Master of Science program in Software Engineering (SSW) emphasizes the skills needed to apply software technologies to the realization of software products on time, within budget and with known quality.  It is a systems-oriented approach to building software products and embedded software in other products.

The Master of Science in Software Engineering is geared towards the following students:
•The formally educated computer professional who aspires to a managerial career and wants comprehensive hands-on training in the skills needed to identify customer requirements, develop software designs, manage a software development team and evaluate the resulting software product relative to customer specifications.
•The formally educated computer professional who wants to remain an individual contributor yet needs to employ systems thinking, manage outsourced projects, and attain a solid foundation in the practical application of engineering technologies to the realization of software products
•The computer professional whose educational background is not in computer science or computer engineering, but who has learned software skills on the job and who now needs software and systems engineering education.
•The student who plans a career in business management or investment in software intensive industries.
•The systems engineer whom needs a firm base in software concepts.

This Master of Science in Software Engineering program consists of ten courses (six core and four advisor-directed electives) and includes:

SSW 540 Introduction to Software Engineering
SSW 533 Software Cost Estimation and Metrics
SSW 564 Software Requirements Analysis and Engineering
SSW 565 Software Architecture and Component-based Design
SSW 567 Software Testing, Quality Assurance and Maintenance
SSW 689 Software Systems Reliability Theory and Practice

Students are encouraged to take an integrated four-course sequence leading to a graduate certificate for the four advisor-approved electives or four additional courses in Software Engineering, Engineering Management, Computer Science, Financial Engineering, and Enterprise Systems. Most of these certificates are offered online via web-based instruction. Approved four-course sequences include: 

Agile Systems and Enterprises,
Construction Management,
Enterprise Architecture and Governance,
Financial Engineering,
Logistics and Supply Chain Analysis
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practices,
Project Management,
Systems Engineering and Architecting,
Systems Engineering Management, or
Systems and Supportability Engineering

A faculty advisor must approve other options. Note that all of these certificates are available to undergraduate students as part of the four plus one program.