COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE ACADEMICS

Software Engineering

This is a limited access professional degree program designed for students seeking foundations and skills in the design and development of software and systems. The courses in the major prepare students for SE activities such as analyzing user needs, prototyping, high-level and detailed design, writing specification documents, testing, integration, and maintenance. Courses that supplement the major prepare students for implementation activities.

Students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and either be actively engaged in software development activities through current employment of have significant experience in software development prior to entering the program.

Entry into the SE major is selective and limited. Acceptance into the department's graduate program does not guarantee acceptance into this major. Candidates must first be admitted to the department's general CS major. This assumes an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or the equivalent.

As a special condition of admission to this major, a student must satisfy a Field Experience Requirement, or agree to satisfy the requirement before graduation. The intent is that a student who completes this major will have experience performing a range of tasks that demonstrate the competency expected of a professional in the area. Students must have a minimum of one year of full-time equivalence of documented software engineering experience involving actual work as a member of a software development team, with real customers, for pay.

The faculty member in charge of SE admissions will review and approve documented student experience to assure it fulfills the Field Experience Requirement.

Application for the track is separate from the application for admission to the university. Admissions to the Software Engineering major will be conditional on there being an approved faculty advisor to supervise the student. Students are encouraged to obtain prior approval of an advisor and identify that person on the application. Otherwise, applicants may be admitted with the condition that they find an advisor within twelve months of admission. Changes in advisor require approval by the faculty member in charge of the SE program.

If a student later requires readmission to the university, the decision whether to readmit to the SE major will be a separate decision requiring approval by the faculty member in charge of the SE program.

If you have any questions on the SE major, please contact the current faculty member in charge of the program, Dr. Sara Stoecklin (stoeckli@cs.fsu.edu).