Software Engineering

About the Program

Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering (BSSE): 188.0 quarter credits

The major in software engineering degree is a multidisciplinary degree sponsored by the College of Engineering and The iSchool at Drexel. The program, drawing on the strengths of existing Drexel programs in computer science and information systems, provides a curriculum that encompasses behavioral, managerial and technical aspects of software engineering and attempts to synthesize disciplinary paradigms and themes.

Advances in information technology have captured the public imagination and had tremendous economic and social impact over the last 50 years. These advances offer great benefit, but have also created a great need for highly dependable systems developed at predictable cost. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly clear that our ability to produce the software for these systems in a way that meets cost and quality requirements is quite limited.

For example:

• Studies conclude that cost and schedule overruns on commercial software projects commonly average at least 100%. Some studies report averages as high as 300 - 400%.

• Studies of large projects indicate that about 25% of them are abandoned and never completed.

• There is a growing list of incidents in which software failures have caused injury and death.

Software engineering is an attempt to solve this problem. The notion can be traced to a conference sponsored by NATO in 1967. The conference was organized to discuss the problems in creating software systems reliably. In the years since, there has been some progress, but the problems that motivated the original conference are still very much in evidence. There is good reason to believe that the creation of software will never be easy. But there is tremendous incentive to make the process as efficient and reliable as possible. 

In summary, software engineering can be defined as the application of processes, methods, and tools to the problem of building and maintaining computer software with a defined level of quality, at a predictable cost, on a predictable schedule.

Program Educational Objectives

• Graduates of the program obtain employment as software developers, where their software and communication skills eventually propel them toward technical and administrative leadership positions in industry and government.
• Graduates of the program demonstrate an ability to continue to learn throughout their career and to keep pace with changing technology as appropriate to their positions.
• Graduates of the program specialize and enhance their software engineering knowledge by enrolling and completing technical graduate courses and other technical education to position them to advance software engineering practice as senior technical staff members or managers.
• Graduates of the program specialize and enhance their software engineering knowledge by enrolling and graduating from MSc and PhD degree programs to position them to contribute to the intellectual foundations of the discipline of software engineering as researchers in industrial and government laboratories as well as in academia.
• Graduates of the program advance toward becoming leaders in disciplines other than software engineering by enrolling and graduating from graduate-level degree programs in complimentary disciplines such as law and business, where the BS in Software Engineering program serves as an educational foundation.
• Graduates of the program will demonstrate an awareness of their professional and social responsibility a software engineers by participation in professional activities and application of their knowledge for the good of society.

Student Outcomes

The department’s student outcomes reflect the skills and abilities that the curriculum is designed to provide to students by the time they graduate. These are:   

• for students to be able to apply an engineering approach to the development of software systems by learning how to specify, design, implement, verify, and maintain software systems in a variety of problem domains;
• for students to be able to attain the necessary organizational and business skills to work in teams effectively and to be able to predict the time and cost needed to create and to maintain software systems;
• for students to attain the necessary communication skills to elicit the requirements of a software systems and to create well-written software documentation;
• for students to attain the necessary mathematics and programming skills to solve complex problems by creating and subsequently testing software systems;
• for students to gain an appreciation of the important role that software plays in modern societies and to prepare to make positive contributions to enhance that role.

Degree Requirements 

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Center. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

Sample Plan of Study

5 YR UG Co-op Concentration

Co-op/Career Opportunities

The demand for software engineering professionals is quite strong. Graduates can expect career opportunities in software design and development in a variety of application areas. Software engineering graduates are particularly well suited to work as members or leaders of software project teams. They have knowledge and skills to help them develop quality software within schedule and cost constraints.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer systems software engineers among the 30 fastest growing US careers requiring at least a bachelor's degree, with an estimated 120,000 new jobs by 2018. Although they have jobs in most industries, many computer software engineers work in computer systems design and related services. Employers range from start-ups to well-known industry leaders. A growing number of these workers get jobs on a temporary basis, or work as consultants.

That computer systems software engineers are among the projected fasted growing occupations means good opportunities for college graduates, especially those with co-op experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers are seeking software engineers with strong backgrounds in programming and systems analysis, along with business and people skills.
Most software engineering students enter the professional world right after graduation, but some continue their studies in advanced software engineering programs.

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Dual/Accelerated Degree

Accelerated degree programs combine the practical work experience of a Drexel undergraduate education with the credentials of a graduate degree. Some programs offer the co-operative education option. Students may earn both degrees in the same major or, in some programs, complete a master’s degree in a different field. Each dual degree program has specific requirements and students should work closely with advisors to map out a clear plan of study.
According to University regulations, students can only apply to participate in accelerated/dual degree programs after the completion of 90 credits and before the completion of 120 credits.

Requirements for the Bachelor’s/Master’s Dual Degree in Software Engineering

Applicants to the program must have an overall cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.25 or higher. Letters of recommendation from faculty members from either the Department of Computer Science or the College of Information Science and Technology are required. Students must submit a plan of study. Consult the Graduate Advisor and course schedules for guidance.

Acceptance to the program will be based on a combination of the student's GPA and letters of recommendation. Acceptance may be denied if the plan of study is not feasible. For more information, contact the Department of Computer Science or the College of Information Science and Technology.

Applicants must have completed the following core Software Engineering courses with a minimum GPA of 3.25:

Minor in Software Engineering

The software engineering minor is available to all University students in good standing, with the exception of software engineering majors. A total of 24 credits is needed to complete the academic minor in software engineering.

Prerequisites

Computer programming competence may be established by completing one of the following course sequences:

• CS 171-2 (Computer Programming I-II)
• CS 131-2-3 (Computer Programming A-B-C)
• SE 101-2-3 (Fundamentals of Software Engineering I-II-III)
• CS/ECE203-ECEC480 (Programming for Engineers, Advanced Programming for Engineers)
• INFO 151-2-3-4 (IS Software I-II-III-IV)

Additional computer programming competence may be established by completing both CS 265 Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques and CS 260 Data Structures.

Interdepartmental Faculty