Program Overview

Course Overview

The Scalable Software Development course, SWEN 301, introduces students to the processes, practices, and tools required to engineer medium to large software systems. This course addresses challenges arising from the emerging complexity of such systems, covering topics such as software craft, architecture, design, implementation, testing, maintenance, quality assurance, configuration management, build automation, and the principled use of components and libraries, including open-source development.

Course Details

• Dates: 6 July 2026 to 8 November 2026
• Starts: Trimester 2
• Fees:
  • Domestic students: NZ$1,269.45
  • International students: NZ$5,806.35
• Lecture Start Times:
  • Tuesday 3.10pm
  • Wednesday 3.10pm
  • Thursday 3.10pm
• Campus: Kelburn
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.3 hours per week for 18 weeks
• Points: 15

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: SWEN 225
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Taught By

The School of Engineering and Computer Science — Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.

Key Dates

Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be announced once the course has begun.

About This Course

This course integrates key engineering practices such as software architecture design, implementation, process automation, and quality assurance, including testing. Building on foundational programming knowledge from 200-level courses, students develop these skills through weekly labs and help desk sessions.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues involved in the engineering of medium to large software systems.
2. Demonstrate competence in software engineering processes, practices, and tools.

How This Course Is Taught

The course is designed to be taught in person, with all lectures and assessments available online for those unable to attend in person. Regular helpdesks are available on campus, and remote students can arrange helpdesk sessions with the course coordinator. The course includes three lectures and one tutorial or help desk per week.

Assessment

• Exam (2 hours, during assessment period): 40%
• Assignment 1 (25 hours): 20%
• Assignment 2 (25 hours): 20%
• Assignment 3 (25 hours): 20%

Assessment Dates and Extensions

Assessment due dates and information about extensions can be found on the University's online learning environment once enrolled in the course.

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 6 July 2026 to 16 August 2026
• 31 August 2026 to 11 October 2026

What You'll Need to Get

No specific texts or equipment are required for this course.

Past Versions of This Course

Older versions of this course may be accessible through the course archive.

Student Feedback

Previous students' feedback on this course can be searched and read through the student feedback database.