Admission Requirements for the Master's Program in Software Engineering

Admission Requirements for the Master's Program in Software Engineering

Admission Procedure, Graduate Certificate Program Admission Requirements, Software Engineering, Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering, School of Computing and Software Engineering Graduate Faculty, Course Descriptions

The Master of Science in Software Engineering program is designed to meet the high demand for a professional degree in Software Engineering within the context of a non-traditional audience (working professionals who attend part-time at night or on weekends). Although no specific undergraduate major is required, applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited school.

Admission Procedure
Applicants for admission to the Master of Science in Software Engineering program must submit the following to the Admissions Office:

An application for admission to the program,
An official transcript from each college the applicant has attended, and
A certificate of immunization.

In addition, applicants must submit the following to the Computer Science Program:

An official copy of scores from the "General Test" of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
A statement of purpose in seeking this degree
Three recommendation forms completed by former or current supervisors, professors, or professional colleagues
Documentation of at least one year of software project-related work experience (or comparable co-op work)

International students should refer to the International Students sub-section for additional admission requirements.

In addition to having a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university and documentation of at least one year of software project-related work experience (or comparable co-op work), one of the following must be met for a student to be considered for this MS program at Southern Polytechnic State University:

Basic

Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better (out of a possible 4.0) or the equivalent
Submission of official GRE scores meeting the current admission profile (350V + 600Q + 500A, with higher scores considered to compensate for a lower GPA); if GMAT has ALREADY been taken recently, official GMAT scores may be considered.

Advanced
The candidate for admission has already earned a recognized master's or doctor's degree in a closely related, quantitative field of study (e.g., engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics), or a baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Software Engineering from a recognized college/university. GRE is strongly recommended if the degree is not from the United States.

Alternative
A student holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited school who does not meet the criteria for Basic or Advanced categories may be admitted upon convincing the faculty of the School of CSE of extraordinary alternative qualifications (e.g., lengthy and distinguished employment in the computer field) that would predict the likelihood of success in completing the MS program.

If the number of applicants meeting the criteria exceeds the recent profile of the program, the applicants will be ranked on academic merit for further selection.
[return to top]

Graduate Certificate Program Admission Requirements
Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college.
Students applying for any of the graduate certificate programs must submit the following to the Admissions Office prior to the registration term:

An application for graduate certificate program admission, along with a $20 nonrefundable application processing fee (check made payable to Southern Polytechnic State University),
An official college transcript showing degree earned date, and
The certificate of immunization

[return to top]

Software Engineering

The Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSWE) program at Southern Polytechnic State University has the primary objective of meeting the high demand for a professional degree in Software Engineering within the context of a non-traditional audience (working professionals who can only attend part-time at night or on weekends).

Software Engineering has emerged nationally as a specialized area of computer science that emphasizes solving the problems and complex issues associated with developing and maintaining mission-critical software to meet the needs of business and industry. It uses the life-cycle concept from traditional engineering with an emphasis on specification, design, and implementation but calls on the focused application of computer science concepts rather than those of traditional engineering.

The position "software engineer" has become a common job title for software developers in business and industry and represents the fastest growing segment of software professionals.

Students accepted for the program must document at least one year of software project-related work experience (or comparable co-op work). The typical student is:

A working professional in metro Atlanta
With at least a bachelor's degree
And the other usual credentials expected for acceptance to a graduate program

However, it is not necessary that students have a formal degree or specific previous coursework in software engineering or computer science since a transition path is available.

The requirements for earning the degree are 36 hours of graduate work as designated below. Only grades of 'C' or better may be applied to meet the degree requirements (including transition coursework). An overall GPA of 3.0 ("B") or better is required over all graduate coursework attempted. A maximum of 2 'C's at the level of 6000 or above may be applied if offset by the same number or more of 'A's at the level of 6000 or above.

Students applying to the program who do not have a degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering may be accepted conditionally. Upon acceptance, the admissions committee will evaluate the student’s transcripts. If the committee determines necessary prerequisite courses the student must take before being fully admitted into the Master's Program, the student will be admitted with Conditionally Matriculated status.

The required prerequisite courses are listed on the student's conditional acceptance letter and are required to make up deficiencies in the student's academic background. Upon completion of the prerequisite courses with a grade of "B" or better, the student will be fully admitted into the MSSWE program and be eligible to register for regular Master's (6000 level) coursework. None of the prerequisite courses (5000 level) will count towards the Master's Program.

Transition Courses:
CS	5123	Advanced Programming and Data Structures	3
CS	5153	Database Systems	3
CS	5183	Object-Oriented Programming	3
CS	5223	Computer Architecture	3
CS	5243	Operating Systems	3
CS	5423	Mathematical Structures for Computer Science	3
NOTE: None of these courses may be used to meet degree requirements. Some students may need to start with the undergraduate Computer Science I course.

Required Core Courses			18 hours
SWE	6623	Software Engineering I	3
SWE	6633	Software Project Management	3
SWE	6723	Software Engineering II	3
SWE	6743	Object-Oriented Analysis and Design	3
SWE	6763	Software Metrics and Quality Management	3
SWE	6883	Formal Methods in Software Engineering	3

Other Requirements
SWE	7903	Software Engineering Capstone (Project)	3
	Electives:		6-9 hours
NOTE: The student may choose electives as needed to complete 36 hours. The electives must be: At the 6000-level Not already used to meet a requirement Approved by the program

Required Electives: Choose one of the following tracks			6-9 hours
Track A - Information Technology: This track is for Software Engineers interested in the design, development, and use of information systems for the managerial and operational needs of formal organizations.
IT	6683	Management Information Systems	3
	and one of the following:
CS	6153	Advanced Database Systems	3
IT	6643	Issues in Information Management	3
Track B - Human-Computer Interaction: This track is for Software Engineers who design and implement graphical user interfaces and practice usability engineering.
SWE	6343	User Interface Design and Implementation	3
	and one of the following:
CS	6323	Human Factors	3
CS	6353	Computer Graphics and Multimedia	3
Track C - Real-Time and Distributed Systems: This track is for Software Engineers who design and implement real-time and distributed systems.
CS	6283	Real-Time Systems	3
SWE	6823	Embedded Systems Analysis and Design	3
	and one of the following:
CS	6103	Discrete-Time Signals and Systems	3
CS	6223	Advanced Computer System Architecture	3
CS	6243	Advanced Concepts in Operating Systems	3
SWE	6843	Embedded Systems Construction and Testing	3

[return to top]

Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering
The Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering prepares practitioners to advance into leadership positions.

Applicants should have:

A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related field (or a bachelor's degree with professional competence and knowledge equivalent to a Computer Science degree)
At least one year of software project-related work experience (or comparable co-op work)

The focus is on sharpening capabilities to function effectively in software engineering teams producing higher quality software.

The curriculum involves an on-campus program including three core courses and the choice of three electives. Participants enroll in two classes per semester for three semesters. The required core courses are:

SWE 6623

SWE 6633

SWE 6723

Participants may select three electives from the following list of nine options:

CS 6153	CS 6323	CS 6353
SWE 6343	SWE 6683	SWE 6743
SWE 6763	SWE 6883	IT 6643

[return to top]

School of Computing and Software Engineering Graduate Faculty

Bobbie, Patrick O., Professor	Ph.D., University of Southwestern Louisiana; M.S., Marquette University, B.S., University of Science & Technology, Ghana
Dasigi, Venu, Professor and Program Head of Graduate Computer Science	Ph.D., University of Maryland; M.S., University of Maryland; M.E.E., Philips International Institute of Technological Studies; B.E., Andhra University
Davis, Steven L., Associate Professor	Ph.D., University of Florida; M.S., University of Florida; M.S., University of Florida; B.S., University of Florida
Duggins, Sheryl L., Professor	Ph.D., University of Florida; M.S., University of Missouri-Columbia; B.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City
Guzman, Juan Carlos, Associate Professor	Ph.D., Yale University; M.S. M.Phil., Yale University, M.S., B.S., Univertidad Simon Bolivar [Venezuela]
Halstead-Nussloch, Richard, Professor	Ph.D., University of Michigan; B.A., Macalester College
Hung, Chih-Cheng, Associate Professor	Ph.D., University of Alabama-Huntsville; M.S., University of Alabama-Huntsville; B.S., Soochow University
Karam, Orlando A., Assistant Professor	Ph.D., Tulane University; M.S., Tulane University; B.S., University of Yucatan [Mexico]
Murphy, Michael G., Professor and Dean, School of CS and SWE	Ph.D., Louisiana State University; M.S., Louisiana State University; B.A., Florida State University
Pournaghshband, Hassan, Professor	Ph.D., University of Oklahoma; M.S., Northwestern University; B.S., University of Tehran
Qian, Kai, Professor	Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln; M.S., East China Normal University; B.S., Harbin Engineering College
Roth, Patricia H., Instructor	M.S.S.W.E., Southern Polytechnic State University; B.A., Dunbarton College of Holy Cross
Rupf, John A., Associate Professor	Ph.D., Purdue University; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.S., University of Kansas
Rutherfoord, Rebecca, Professor and Program Head of Information Technology	Ed.D., Indiana State University; M.S., Southern Polytechnic State University; M.S., Indiana State University; B.S., Indiana State University; CDP
Samra, J. Antonio, Instructor	M.S., Southern Polytechnic State University; M.B.A., East Carolina University; M.A., the Citadel; B.S., Georgia Institute of Technology
Sethna, Madhani Beheruz, Instructor	M.S., Clarkson University; M.A., Columbia University; M.B.A., Indian Institute of Management; B.Com., Gujarat University [India]
Tsui, Frank, Associate Professor	Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology; M.S., Indiana State University; B.S., Purdue University
Wang, Ju An, Associate Professor	Ph.D., Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; M.S., Changsha Institute of Technology; B.S., Zhengzhou Institute of Technology

[return to top]