Software Engineering

Major: Software Engineering
Degree Awarded: Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Co-op Option: Available for full-time, on-campus master's-level students
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.0903
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 15-1132; 15-1133

About the Program

The College of Computing & Informatics' Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE) program was created in response to the growing importance of software in modern society and the rapid rise in demand for professional software engineers.

The MS in Software Engineering program draws on the broad strengths of the College of Computing & Informatics to provide a curriculum that encompasses behavioral, managerial, and technical aspects of software engineering. The program is appropriate for students interested in technical and managerial software work across a wide range of application domains, with the objective of transforming from developers to designers, architects, and technical leaders.

All students in the program take a core curriculum that provides a foundation spanning key software engineering topics and providing an integrative software studio experience. Students also take electives allowing them to specialize and gain in-depth knowledge according to their individual interests and career goals. The degree program culminates in a hands-on capstone experience (Software Studio) in which graduate students work for two to three quarters on an intensive team-based software project, with the goal of applying what they have learned to a real-world, ongoing project.

The program provides room for those with an insufficient computing background through completion of the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Computer Science.

Admission Requirements

The Master of Science in Software Engineering accepts applicants who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Please visit the College of Computing & Informatics website for more information on admission requirements.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please visit the College of Computing & Informatics MS in Software Engineering webpage.

Degree Requirements

*

SE 691 taken 2 times for a total of 6.0 credits. Students also have the options to replace with two thesis courses

Sample Plan of Study

Note: Second Year Summer is less than the 4.5-credit minimum required (considered half-time status) of graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. As a result, aid will not be disbursed to students this term.

Dual Degree Opportunities

Graduate students already enrolled in a master's degree program at Drexel have the opportunity, through the dual master's program, to work simultaneously on two CCI master's degrees and to receive both upon graduation. To be eligible, graduate students must be currently working on their first CCI master's degree when requesting admission to the second CCI master's degree. They must obtain approval from the graduate advisors of both programs and work out a plan of study encompassing coursework and/or research (thesis) credits for both degrees.

Some courses may be used to satisfy requirements in both degrees, reducing the total number of courses taken, according to Drexel’s Dual MS Degree Policy. The dual degree for MSSE students is only available to on-campus students. Please contact your advisor for more information on program requirements as some CCI master's degree combinations may require additional pre-requisites.

The dual master's student must complete the Change of Curriculum and Status form and obtain approvals from both graduate advisors. Final approval is granted by the Graduate College. The student is then registered in both majors simultaneously. Upon graduation, the student must file two Application for Degree forms.

Facilities

3675 Market Street

In March 2019, the College of Computing & Informatics relocated to 3675 Market. For the first time in the College's history, all CCI faculty, students and professional staff are housed under one roof. Occupying two floors in the brand new uCity Square building, CCI's new home offers state-of-the-art technology in our classrooms, labs, meeting areas and collaboration spaces. 3675 Market offers Class A laboratory, office, coworking, and convening spaces. In fall 2019, the College opened a third floor which will include additional offices, classrooms, innovative research labs, and a maker space. Located at the intersection of Market Street and 37th Street, 3675 Market will act as a physical nexus, bridging academic campuses and medical centers to the east and south, the commercial corridors along Market Street and Chestnut Street, and the residential communities to the north and west.

The uCity Square building offers:

• Speculative lab/office space
• World-class facilities operated by CIC
• Café/restaurant on-site
• Quorum, a two-story, 15K SF convening space and conference center
• Adjacent to future public square
• Access to Science Center’s nationally renowned business acceleration and technology commercialization programs

Drexel University Libraries

Drexel University Libraries is a learning enterprise, advancing the University’s academic mission through serving as educators, supporting education and research, collaborating with researchers, and fostering intentional learning outside of the classroom. Drexel University Libraries engages with Drexel communities through three physical locations, including W. W. Hagerty Library,  Queen Lane Library, and the Library Learning Terrace, as well as a vibrant online presence which sees, on average, over 8,000 visits per day. In the W.W. Hagerty Library location, College of Computing & Informatics students have access to private study rooms and nearly half a million books, periodicals, DVDs, videos and University Archives. All fields of inquiry are covered, including: library and information science, computer science, software engineering, health informatics, information systems, and computing technology. Resources are available online at library.drexel.edu or in-person at W. W. Hagerty Library.

The Libraries also make available laptop and desktop PC and Mac computers, printers and scanners, spaces for quiet work or group projects and designated 24/7 spaces. Librarians and library staff—including a liaison librarian for computing and informatics—are available for individual research consultations and to answer questions about materials or services.

CCI Commons

Located on the 10th floor of 3675 Market Street, the CCI Commons is an open lab and collaborative work environment for students. It features desktop computers, a wireless/laptop area, free black and white printing, and more collaborative space for its students. Students have access to 3675 Market's fully equipped conference room with 42” displays and videoconferencing capabilities. The CCI Commons provides technical support to students, faculty, and professional staff. In addition, the staff provides audio-visual support for all presentation classrooms within 3675 Market. Use of the CCI Commons is reserved for all students taking CCI courses.

The computers for general use are Microsoft Windows and Macintosh OSX machines with appropriate applications which include the Microsoft Office suite, various database management systems, modeling tools, and statistical analysis software. Library related resources may be accessed at the CCI Commons and through the W.W. Hagerty Library. The College is a member of the Rational SEED Program which provides cutting-edge software development and project management software for usage in the CCI Commons and CCI classrooms. The College is also a member of the Microsoft Academic Alliance known also as “DreamSpark” that allows students free access to a wide array of Microsoft software titles and operating systems.

The CCI Commons, student labs, and classrooms have access to networked databases, print and file resources within the College, and the Internet via the University’s network. Email accounts, Internet and BannerWeb access are available through the Office of Information Resources and Technology.

CCI Learning Center

The CCI Learning Center (CLC), located in 3675 Market Street's CCI Commons student computer lab, provides consulting and other learning resources for students taking computer science classes. The CLC is staffed by graduate and undergraduate computer science students from the College of Computing & Informatics.

The CLC and CCI Commons serve as a central hub for small group work, student meetings, and TA assistance. 

Research Laboratories

The College houses multiple research labs, led by CCI faculty, in 3675 Market Street including: the Drexel Health and Risk Communication Lab, Interactive Systems for Healthcare, Socio-Technical Studies Group, Intelligent Information & Knowledge Computing Research Lab, Evidence-based Decision Making Lab, Applied Symbolic Computation Laboratory (ASYM), High Performance Computing Laboratory (SPIRAL), Drexel Research on Play (RePlay) Laboratory, Software Engineering Research Group (SERG), Social Computing Research Group, Vision and Cognition Laboratory (VisCog) and the Vision and Graphics Laboratory. For more information on these laboratories, please visit the College’s research web page.