MS in Software Engineering

Program of Study


All students in the MSEE program take a core curriculum that spans the scope of disciplinary areas relevant to the degree, thereby providing a common foundation for all students in the program.

Students also select an area of concentration, or track, which allows them to take a cohesive, more specialized set of courses supporting their individual career interests. Three tracks are available: Information Science and Technology; Computer Science; and Engineering.

Students in all tracks are encouraged to participate in Drexel's Graduate Co-op (Grad Co-op) program. The MSSE degree can be completed in two years of full-time or three years of part-time study.

Plan of Study

Before the end of the first quarter in the ECE department, for a full-time student, or by the end of the first year for a part-time student, the student must file, a plan of study with the graduate advisor. The form can be found by going to http://www.ece.drexel.edu/grad/plan_of_study_form.pdf

Degree Requirements


The MSSE Degree requirements vary depending on the tracks. Every student takes the required six core courses (20 credits). The remaining Courses are from the track courses.

The Core

Core courses cover topics that are essential for the practicing software engineer. Each of the three colleges offers two specifically designed courses. All MSSE Students take the following six required core courses.

Course Number

Course Title

College

CS 575

Software Design

Computer Science

CS 576

Dependable Software Systems

Computer Science

ECE-C 500

Fundamentals of Computer Hardware

Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE-C 600

Fundamentals of Computer Networks

Electrical and Computer Engineering

INFO 627

Requirements of Engineering and Management

Information Science and Technology

INFO 638

Software Project Management

Information Science and Technology

The Tracks


The following are descriptions of each track. Students in each track will follow the policies determined by the respective college.

Information Science and Technology Track

This track supports students interested in applying software engineering to information systems problems in commercial organizations and other settings. The track's principle focus is the process by which user and system requirements are converted into cost-effective, maintainable software systems. This focus is complemented by a concern for defining, creating, understanding, and evaluating the full range of software life cycle products. The track places particular emphasis on systems values, such as the human-computer interface, front-end user requirements analysis, modeling and validation, and the use of off-the-shelf tools and components to assist in software processes.

Students in the Information Science and Technology track take a total of nine track courses. These include four required track courses, three courses selected from the track distribution courses, and two courses selected from the elective courses or other approved electives. Since most courses in the College of Information Science and Technology are four credits, this track requires a total of 56 credits of which 20 are from the required core.

Required Courses
Human-Computer Interaction
Evaluation of Information Systems
Software Engineering Process I
Software Engineering Process II

Distribution Courses
Introduction to Information Systems Engineering
Database Management I
Distributed Computing and Networking
Information Systems Analysis
Information Systems Management

Elective Courses
Database Management II
Applied Information and Database Technology
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Software Development for Information Systems

Computer Science Track

The computer science track welcomes students who are interested in a variety of technical topics pertaining to the development of software systems such as databases, networks, operating systems, graphics and animation systems, compilers, expert systems, and systems for scientific computing. Students will use languages and apply techniques to specify, design, implement, test, and maintain software systems.

Students in the computer science track take a total of six courses and a three-term project. Of the six courses, four courses must be from one of the six concentrations. The other two courses are electives that may be fulfilled by any course offered for the MSEE degree. In addition to the six courses, students in the computer science track must participate in a three-term course project (equivalent to three courses). Grad Co-op will also be available for up to six credits. Hence, the Grad Co-opoption requires students to take six credits more than the non-Grad Co-op option.

Concentration Courses

Computing Systems Concentration
Operating Systems I, II
Computer Networks I, II

Programming Languages Concentration
Formal Language Theory
Programming Languages
Cmpiler Construction I, II

User Interface Software Concentration
Psychology of Human-Computer Interface Design
Graphical User Interfaces
Computer Graphics I, II

Database Systems Concentration
Database Theory I, II
Applied Information and Database Technology
Knowledge Base Systems

Artificial Intelligence Concentration
Artificial Intelligence
Topics in Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems

Scientific Computation Concentration
Numerical Analysis I, II
Computer Algebra I, II

Engineering Track

Students in the engineering track will pursue techniques to model engineering problems and offer software solutions. The courses in this track will emphasize problems facing electrical, mechanical, environmental, chemical, and other engineering industries. Systems modeling and simulation techniques will be used to solve these problems.

Students in the engineering track take a total of 25 or more credits of track courses. These courses will include three courses from the Computer Engineering area as required courses. The other courses will be from the subspecialty (concentration) areas as indicated below. A total of 45 approved graduate credits will be required for the MSSE which includes the 20 credits of core courses. Students opting for the Grad Co-op option will be required to complete 48 approved credits including six Grad Co-opcredits besides the 20 credits of core courses.

Required Courses
ECEC 511, 512, 513

Concentration Courses

Electrical and Computer Engineering Concentration
Testing of Computer Hardware I, II and Fault Tolerant Computing
Applied Computer Architecture I, II, III
Computer Aided Design and Graphics I, II, III
  or any other ECE Graduate Course at levels 500 and above

Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics Concentration
Microcomputer-based Control of Dynamic Systems I, II
Reliability of Mechanical Systems I, II, III
Finite Element Methods I, II, III
Discrete Time Control and Estimation I, II
Introduction to CAM

Materials Engineering Concentration
Computer Simulation of Materials and Processes I, II
Materials Processing I, II

Chemical Engineering Concentration
Process Systems Engineering
Process Optimization
Advanced Process Design

Civil Engineering Concentration
Analysis of Structures
Advanced Mechanics of Materials
Structural Analysis I, II, III
Behavioral Stability of Structural Members

Admission Requirements


In addition to satisfying the general admission requirements of the University, all applicants to the program will be required to satisfy the following entrance requirements:

  1. The applicant must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education with an appropriate undergraduate major. Appropriate undergraduate majors include, but are not limited to, computer science, engineering, information systems, management science, and mathematics. Applicants might also have master's degrees in similar fields.

  2. The applicant must have an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Exam. An applicant's undergraduate and/or graduate record may justify waiver of this requirement.

  3. Prospective students should possess the following knowledge and/or experience:

    • Advanced capability to program in a block-structured programming language such as Pascal, C, or Ada or an object-oriented language such as C++ or Smalltalk.

    • An undergraduate course in systems analysis and design or software engineering.

    • An undergraduate course in data structures and algorithms.

    • An undergraduate course in discrete mathematics.

    A grade of 'B' or better is required in these courses.

  4. Evidence of an understanding of the development of the industrial-strength software applications. This requirement may be met by having at least two years experience working directly with software system development, or (with permission of an advisor) extensive software-intensive proficiency in particular technologies, operating environments, or programming languages.

After consultation with an academic advisor, students found to be deficient in one or more of the above areas will be required to take up to three foundation courses (these will not count towards the degree) to prepare them for admission to the MSSE program. These foundation courses, to be determined by the advisor, will provide students with the requisite knowledge and skill necessary to begin the master's program.

For More Information


If you have questions about the Master of Science in Software Engineering degree, please feel free to contact any of the members of the standing committee which oversees the program. Here are contacts for the three tracks:

 

 

 

To apply to this program, please reference its major code on the application: 688 - Master of Science in Software Engineering.