M.S. in Software Engineering - Online

Program Director

Ozgur Aktunc, Ph.D.

What is Software Engineering?

Software Engineering deals with all aspects of software development to produce successful software. A good software engineer not only is proficient in coding but also understands the steps to produce software including designing a system architecture or eliciting requirements from customers or estimating the cost of a project.

Master of Science Degree in Software Engineering

Software engineering is one of the fastest growing fields in the United States. Employment of software developers is projected to grow 24 percent from 2016 to 2026.

The Software Engineering program at St. Mary’s University is designed to give students a combined experience of classroom learning and hands-on engineering practice, creating software systems that are reliable, efficient and maintainable. The program focuses on both the technical and management skills that equips its graduates to be successful in the job market. It emphasizes the organizational structures, development processes, analysis and modeling techniques, design methodologies, documentation standards, and quality assurance.

The courses are taught by highly knowledgeable full-time and adjunct faculty with vast industry experience.

Our graduates are employed by a variety of companies, including the following: Intel, Microsoft, IBM, Rackspace, USAA, Southwest Research Institute, AT&T, Accenture, and Samsung.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, computer science, or a closely related discipline such as physics or mathematics. The graduate program director will evaluate applicants from other disciplines on an individual basis. If the applicant has not taken the following courses or equivalent courses in their undergraduate program, they may be admitted with the provision they take the prerequisite courses at St. Mary’s University or other institutions: Discrete Mathematics, Object Oriented Programming, and Data Structures and Algorithms.

Master of Science (M.S.) Admission Requirements

·         Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, computer science, or a closely related discipline such as physics or mathematics. The graduate program director will evaluate applicants from other disciplines on an individual basis. If the applicant has not taken the following courses or equivalent courses in their undergraduate program, they may be admitted with the provision that they take the prerequisite courses at St. Mary’s University or other institutions: Discrete Mathematics, Object Oriented Programming, and Data Structures and Algorithms.

·         Have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (A = 4.00) for their bachelor's degree.

·         Have a minimum GRE quantitative score of 148. GRE requirement would be waived for applicants with work experience or for applicants who have a graduate degree.

·         International students must submit minimum TOEFL scores of 80 on the Internet-based test or at least 6.0 on the IELTS. Students who score 6.0 on the IELTS or 80-82 on the TOEFL will be required to enroll in EN6301 Academic Writing for International Students during the first semester of attendance.

·         Submit a completed application form, a written statement of purpose indicating the applicant's interests and objectives, two letters of recommendation concerning the applicant's potential for succeeding in the graduate program, and official transcripts of all college level work.

Applicants who fail to meet any of the above requirements may be admitted on a conditional status. The Graduate Program Director will evaluate these cases on an individual basis.

Prerequisites

Applicants whose Bachelor of Science degree is not in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering are required to demonstrate proficiency or take the following prerequisite courses:

Courses
EG 13053
EG 23423
MT 3323Discrete Math Structures3

Degree Requirements

Non-Thesis/Project Option

Engineering Courses Required
Select 27 hours from the following:27
Software Project Planning and Management
Software Engineering
Software Quality Assurance
Parallel Processing
Requirements Engineering
OO Analysis, and Design Methodologies
Soft. Verification & Valid.
Software Maintenance, Evolution and Reengineering
User Interface Design
Soft. Des & Architecture
Web Engineering
Software Security
Internship
Internship
Internship
EG 8396Capstone Project3
Total Semester Hours30

Thesis Option

Engineering Courses Required
Select 24 hours from the following:24
Software Project Planning and Management
Software Engineering
Software Quality Assurance
Parallel Processing
Requirements Engineering
OO Analysis, and Design Methodologies
Soft. Verification & Valid.
Software Maintenance, Evolution and Reengineering
User Interface Design
Soft. Des & Architecture
Web Engineering
Software Security
Internship
Internship
Internship
EG 8390Thesis I3
EG 8391Thesis II3
Total Semester Hours30