Master of Science in Software Engineering

Program Overview

Stevens Institute of Technology's MS in Software Engineering program provides a comprehensive foundation in software engineering principles and practices. Students gain hands-on experience through rigorous project-based learning and choose from electives in software engineering, engineering management, systems engineering, and computer science. The program prepares graduates for successful careers in various aspects of software engineering, including development, architecture, and management. Graduates have a high employment rate with an average salary of $97,500 within 6 months of graduation.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Software Engineering program at Stevens Institute of Technology's School of Systems & Enterprises is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in software creation, encompassing the inception, design and build, and testing and maintenance phases. The program emphasizes rigorous, hands-on project- and team-based learning, exceeding Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) software engineering curriculum standards. Students gain advanced knowledge in software architecture, project management, technical planning, risk management, and software assurance. The program focuses on the software life cycle process and equips students with the skills to manage software projects efficiently.

Outline:

The program requires 10 courses (30 credits): six core required courses and four elective courses.

Required Core Courses:

• SSW 540 Fundamentals of Software Engineering (3 Credit Hours): This course provides a comprehensive overview of software engineering principles and practices.
• SSW 555 Agile Methods for Software Development (3 Credit Hours): This course explores agile methodologies for software development, emphasizing iterative and incremental approaches.
• SSW 564 Software Requirements Analysis and Engineering (3 Credit Hours): This course focuses on the process of defining, analyzing, and documenting software requirements.
• SSW 565 Software Architecture and Component-Based Design (3 Credit Hours): This course covers software architecture principles and component-based design techniques.
• SSW 567 Software Testing, Quality Assurance and Maintenance (3 Credit Hours): This course explores software testing methodologies, quality assurance practices, and software maintenance strategies.
• SSW 695 Software Engineering Capstone Studio (3 Credit Hours): This course serves as a culminating experience, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world software engineering project.

Elective Courses:

Students can choose electives from Software Engineering, Engineering Management, Systems Engineering, or Computer Science. Students with extensive software engineering experience may be able to substitute additional elective courses for some required courses, with the approval of their graduate studies advisor. Students may also use their electives to take ramp courses in areas like software programming and discrete mathematics.

Teaching:

The program emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning. Faculty are described as interactive and provide in-class assignments to prepare students for real-world scenarios.

Careers:

The program prepares students for careers in software development, systems/software architecture, requirements engineering, software applications engineering, application development, testing engineering, project management, and software engineering.

Other:

The program is available on campus or fully online. The online program was ranked No. 2 in the nation by Forbes in 2023. The program is designed to equip students with the mindset, skills, and abilities to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving technological and professional landscape. The average salary for graduates within 6 months of graduation is $97,500. 100% of the Class of 2023 were employed within 3 months of graduation.