Engineering Science in Software Engineering (MSE)

Program Information 

The MSE program in engineering science with a software engineering concentration offers specialized courses founded on the fundamentals and principles of software engineering. The program provides the knowledge and skills needed by a software engineer or software task leader on large and small projects requiring either agile methodologies or formal capability maturity model integration approaches.

The program addresses major software development methodologies, techniques, tools and processes for developing and managing software projects. The curriculum is based on the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge under the leadership of the IEEE Computer Society. Each course places an emphasis on applied assignments and projects that are relative to the student's workplace.

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Admissions Information 

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in computer engineering, software engineering or a related field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 credit hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 12 units of the postbaccalaureate transcript.

All applicants must submit:

1. graduate admission application and application fee
2. official transcripts
3. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency.

Applicants must provide evidence of demonstrated expertise in the area of object-oriented programming, advanced data structures, algorithm design and algorithm analysis; maturity in high-level programming (required); and successful completion of Calculus I (a minimum requirement).

GRE scores are not required.

Graduates of non-U.S. institutions must satisfy admission requirements established by the ASU Graduate College.

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Degree Requirements 

Core Courses: 

• CSE 565: Software Verification and Validation, and Testing (3)
• CSE 566: Software Project, Process and Quality Management (3)

Concentration Course: 

• CSE 591: Software Engineering Principles and Concepts (3)

Restricted Elective Courses: 18- 21 credit hours

Students select 18-21 elective courses. At least 6 credits in CSE. Examples are listed below.  

• CSE 564: Software Design •
• CSE 598: Software Analysis and Design 
• CSE 598: Distributed Software Development 
• CSE 561: Modeling & Simulation Theory and Application 
• CSE 598: Software Integration and Engineering 
• CSE 598: Web Usability: Principles and Techniques 
• EEE 511: Artificial Neural Computation 
• EEE 553: Coding and Cryptography 
• FSE 501: Technology Entrepreneurship 
• IEE 556: Introduction to Systems Engineering 
• IEE 572: Design of Experiments 
• IEE 598: Design for Six Sigma

Culminating Experience: 0-3 credit hours 

• Portfolio (0)  This is written and submitted prior to the last day of final semester. When selecting this option, the student will select 21 elective credits. 
• CSE 593 Applied Project (3) Completed in final semester of program. When selecting this option, the student will select 18 elective credits. 

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Career Opportunities 

Software engineers solve a broad range of disciplinary and transdisciplinary problems and apply new technologies to improve the quality of life. This master's degree prepares graduates for advanced study in computing and engineering, and it provides leadership to software engineering development projects and teams. Graduates of the program have experience using the software development life cycle and tools to solve complex, real-world problems.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software engineers are highly paid, and there is significant growth in the number of employment opportunities. Some software engineering jobs may include:

• developing software to manage new regulatory requirements in industries, such as health care, and administering existing policies digitally
• identifying requirements and developing testing plans for computer systems being built into consumer electronics
• leading software development teams and projects for organizations of various sizes and complexities