Master of Science in Software Engineering (M.S.S.E)

The Computer Science Department offers a master's program with a special focus on software engineering. It is is intended for students, practitioners and managers who are interested in gaining a deeper insight into the problems and solutions in developing large-scale, practical software systems.

This program is similar to our current Master of Science in Computer Science degree, but with a heavier concentration in software engineering courses. Many of the software engineering courses are already being offered for our MS program and may be transferred to the MSSE degree. The MSSE degree is also available through the UAH College of Engineering.

For information about admission to the University and how to apply for the program, start with the UAH Graduate School.

Objectives

• Provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals of software development. This will be done through classes that cover all phases of the software development process, starting with specification of requirements, formal methods, design techniques, testing methods, quality assurance, configuration management, software metrics, process assessment, and other relevant topics.
• Produce graduates who can apply their classroom knowledge as a member of a software development team.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the M.S.S.E. program is subject to all the normal admission requirements of the UAH Graduate School as stated in the current Graduate Catalog. Specific requirements include the following:

1. GRE score of 1700
2. Demonstrated competence in the following:
   • programming
   • data structures
   • discrete structures
   • object-oriented analysis and/or design
   • design and analysis of algorithms
   • operating systems
   • computer architecture
3. Satisfaction of breadth requirements in computer science and mathematics. The breadth requirements can be satisfied in one of the following ways. Consult a departmental advisor for additional information.
   1. Completion of the course at UAH with a grade of B or better
   2. Completion of an equivalent course at another institution with a grade of B or better
   3. Testing out of the course, where permitted by departmental policy
   • Computer Science Breadth Requirements
     • CS I, CS II An Intoductory Sequence on Programming and Data Structures based on C/C++/Java
     • CS 321 or 307 Object-Oriented Programming
     • CS 214 Introduction to Discrete Structures
     • CS 317 Introduction to Design and Analysis of Algorithms
     • CS 490 Introduction to Operating Systems
     • CS 513 Introduction to Computer Architecture or CS 309 and 413
   • Mathematics Breadth Requirements
     • MA171 Calculus A (4 hrs.)
     • MA172 Calculus B (4 hrs.)
     • MA244 Introduction to Linear Algebra
     • MA385 Introduction to Probability

Degree Requirements (takes effect as of Fall 2005)

Degree Requirements and Restrictions

The Master of Science in Software Engineering is conferred under Plan I or Plan II.

Plan I. (thesis) A minimum of 27 semester hours of coursework and the writing of an acceptable thesis is required. At least six hours of thesis credit (CS 699) must be earned. A student must present his/her thesis and pass an oral examination based on the thesis and related coursework. Plan I students must register for CS 699 each term they receive supervision form their advisor.

Plan II. (non-thesis) A minimum of 33 semester hours of coursework is required. A Plan II student must pass a written comprehensive examination over the core courses given below. Plan II students must complete at least 18 hours of coursework before taking the written comprehensive examination. The examination may only be taken twice.

The following requirements and restrictions apply to a student in either plan.

Course Requirements

All students completing the M.S.S.E. must take the following three core courses (9 semester hours):

• CS 617 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• CS 650 The Software Engineering Process
• CS 655 Formal Methods in Software Engineering

All students completing the M.S.S.E. must take one of the following (3 semester hours) as their fourth core course:

• CS 613 Computer Architecture
• CS 690 Advanced Operating Systems

All students completing the M.S.S.E. must take the following four courses (12 semester hours):

• CS 652 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
• CS 656 Software Testing
• CS 666 Software Studio I (personal software process)
• CS 668 Software Studio II (group software process)

Students completing the M.S.S.E. under Plan II (non-thesis) must take 9 additional semester hours of general elective courses. Students completing the M.S.S.E. under Plan I (thesis) must take 3 additional semester hours of a general elective course. A general elective can be any graduate-level course that can be applied toward any graduate degree program.

No more than 50% of the hours in the program of study may be 500-level courses. No more than three hours of selected topics or independent study courses may be included in a program of study. Exceptions must be recommended by the student’s advisor and approved by the department chair.

Grade Requirements

A grade of B or better must be earned in each of the core courses. No grade lower than C can be counted toward a graduate degree. A 3.0 average must be maintained in all graduate work at UAH and in all work to be counted toward the degree.

Time Limit

The degree must be completed within six years. Courses older than six years may be validated according to Graduate School policy. Courses older than ten years may not be applied to the degree.

Transfer Credit

Graduate work may be transferred from another institution according to Graduate School Rules.