Master of Science in Software Engineering

The Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE) program is the first of its kind in Ohio. The program is the successor to the Graduate Certificate Program in Software Engineering and is intended for both practicing professionals, as well as full-time students in the areas of software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or information management.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants with a bachelor's degree in computer science or computer engineering are encouraged to apply.  Applicants in related fields will also be considered for admission, but they may be required to take additional prerequisite courses.  Credits earned for prerequisite courses cannot be used to meet graduate program requirements.  Admission to the program requires a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0.  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required for all international students.

The GRE is also required if one or more of the following conditions is true:
  • The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States or Canada, or by a Canadian institution not accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
  • An unaccredited college or university awarded the undergraduate degree.
  • The undergraduate degree was in a discipline unrelated to software engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or information management.
  • The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate Studies by more than six years.
  • International students should refer to the International Student Admission section of the Graduate Catalog for more information.
If the GRE is required, a minimum score of the 60th percentile in the Quantitative Reasoning portion is required, but this minimum score does not guarantee admission.
 
If an English language proficiency examination is required, then a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based exam, 78 on the internet exam (including at least 20 in reading, 21 in listening, 17 in writing, and 20 in speaking), 6.0 on the IELTS exam, 5.0 on the iTEP exam, or 213 on the computer-based exam, is required.  Students who do not satisfy these requirements, but who do satisfy the University's TOEFL requirements, will be tested upon arrival at CSU by the English as a Second Language Program.  Depending on test results, students may be required to take a writing (ESL 502) and/or speaking (ESL 503) course.
 
Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the following prerequisite knowledge areas. Students must complete prerequisite courses in the areas they lack proficiency, in addition to the requirements for the MSSE degree. These prerequisite courses do not count toward the requirements for the MSSE program. Those who took one or more equivalent courses can have the corresponding requirements waived but must get a prior authorization by the academic/research advisor.
 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

 
Students in the MSSE program may elect a thesis option or a non-thesis option. All students, and particularly those intending to pursue a doctoral degree, are encouraged to select the thesis option.
  • All students:
The MSSE program is planned around a core of required topics and a number of technical electives. All students must complete the core courses listed below.
  • Thesis option students:
Students are required to take 28 credit hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis, for a total of 34 credit hours.
  • Non-thesis option students:
Students are required to take 32 credit hours of course work and 4 credit hours of Software Engineering Project (EEC 626), for a total of 36 credit hours.
 

CORE COURSES

  • EEC 521 - Software Engineering
  • EEC 623 - Software Quality Assurance
  • CIS 634 - Object-Oriented Software Engineering
  • CIS 635 - Software Engineering Metrics, Economics, & Management
 

ELECTIVE COURSES

  • CIS 620 - Advanced Operating Systems
  • CIS 650 - Compiler Design
  • CIS 666 - Artificial Intelligence
  • CIS 675 - Information Security
  • EEC 517 - Embedded Systems
  • EEC 522 - Software Systems Modeling and Analysis
  • EEC 525 - Data Mining
  • EEC 530 - Digital Signal Processing
  • EEC 581 - Computer Architecture
  • EEC 584 - Computer Networks
  • EEC 622 - Formal Methods in Software Engineering
  • EEC 624 - Software Testing
  • EEC 625 - Software Design & Architecture
  • EEC 626 - Software Engineering Project
  • EEC 681 - Distributed Computing Systems
  • EEC 683 - Computer Networks II
  • EEC 684 - Parallel Processing Systems
  • EEC 687 - Mobile Computing
  • EEC 688 - Secure and Dependable Computing
  • EEC 699 - Master's Thesis
 

EXIT REQUIREMENTS

For thesis option students, acceptance of the thesis by the thesis committee and passing an oral defense of the thesis are required. Students must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Format Guidelines, available from the College of Graduate Studies.
 
For non-thesis option students, successful completion of EEC 626 - Software Engineering Project is required.
 
For further information about the MS in Software Engineering program, please contact the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at (216) 687-2589.