Admission Procedure, Graduate Certificate Program Admission Requirements, Software Engineering, Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering, 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.

• 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)

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.

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

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

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.
 

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 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:
 

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