Nov 27, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Software Engineering M.S.


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The graduate plan in software engineering leads to the Master of Science degree. The plan prepares students for key software positions in industry, government and institutions where software engineering has become a key activity. It prepares students for jobs such as system analyst, requirements engineer, software architect, software project manager or software process designer, etc. The master’s degree plan requires a total of 30 hours of study. The plan allows for one of four optional specializations:

  • Gaming
  • Robotics Software
  • Software Project Management
  • Data Mining

Credit Earned Before Acceptance

No more than six hours of graduate-level software engineering classes may be applied to the SWEN degree if taken without admission into the program. No more than 6 hours of graduate credit may be transferred to the software engineering degree.

Students accepted in the software engineering program must file a Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) with their assigned faculty adviser within the first semester of study. Specializations in one of the areas listed above may be selected but it is not required. If a specialization is chosen electives must be chosen from within the specialization. The CPS, once completed, will list all courses the student must take to fulfill the degree requirements.

Requirements

Students seeking admission into the degree plan in Software Engineering should hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering or other computing or engineering discipline and have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater. Foundation course requirements include proficiency in one or more high-level languages, preferably an object-oriented programming language such as Java, C, C++ or C#, and data structures. It is preferred, but not required, that candidates have knowledge of operating systems, advanced data structures and algorithms. Foundation courses may be assigned, as additional coursework required if the student is lacking in foundation and must be completed in the first year of enrollment. Candidates can meet these foundation requirements with the following courses from an accredited university:

Programming in C or other high-level programming  language, or UHCL’s CSCI 1470, grade of B or better is required.

Programming in Java, C++, C# or  other Object-Oriented programming course  or UHCL’s CSCI 1471, grade of B or better is required.

Data Structures or UHCL’s CSCI 2305, grade of B or better is required.   

Additional Information

CSCI 1470, CSCI 1471, and CSCI 2305 or CSCI 2315 can be taken to meet the foundation course requirements.  It is possible for an applicant with a non-computing or engineering related degree who has significant software development work experience to demonstrate required foundation competency. In this case, the application materials must include both a letter from the student and a resume detailing the candidate’s professional experience in software development and request consideration of equivalency.

Online Option

The software engineering master’s degree online program can be completed fully online. The online master’s degree plan has the same curriculum, core, elective, and entry requirements as the traditional master’s program. 

Degree Requirements


Software Engineering Capstone Option (3 hours of Capstone + 9 hours of electives)


Additional Information


  • Capstone enrollment is limited to students who are in their graduating semester (last nine hours of study including capstone) and have completed any required foundation courses identified on their CPS.
  • Courses taken as electives in SWEN require permission of the faculty adviser before enrolling. Non-SWEN courses may be taken as electives but require permission of the faculty adviser and must be in an area of study that is beneficial to the SWEN degree.

Software Engineering Thesis Option (6 hours of thesis + 6 hours of electives)


Additional Information


  • Thesis students must form a thesis committee and prepare a thesis proposal in the semester prior to enrollment into the thesis.
  • Independent study courses to prepare a thesis topic require the permission of the SWEN thesis chair as well as the program chair before enrolling. Only three such hours of independent study are allowed.
  • Contact the CSE advising office for instructions.
  • Courses taken as electives require the permission of the faculty adviser before enrolling.

Software Engineering Specializations


Students interested in a specialization in software engineering such as gaming, robotics, data mining or project management should choose electives from the specializations listed below. Any course within a specialization is an allowable elective in SWEN.

Gaming Specialization


Robotic Software Specialization


Software Project Management Specialization


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