Program Overview

Software Engineering BSSE

The College of Computing & Informatics' Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering (BSSE) prepares students to design and build software systems. Software is essential to the functioning of modern society, but high-quality software is very challenging to create. Software engineering focuses on the knowledge and skills to meet that challenge and create high-quality software on schedule within budget.

About the Program

The Software Engineering curriculum addresses a full range of software activities, including gathering client requirements, designing and constructing software solutions, testing software, and modifying and extending existing systems. The curriculum also recognizes that most software is developed by teams, and students develop skills in project management and team operation. This hands-on curriculum combined with co-op provides real-world experience that culminates in a full-year software team capstone project involving in-depth study and application of computing and informatics. Graduates are well-prepared to function as software engineering team members and also move toward software engineering management.

Degree Requirements

• University Requirements:
  • CIVC 101: Introduction to Civic Engagement (1.0)
  • COOP 101: Career Management and Professional Development (1.0)
  • UNIV CI101: The Drexel Experience (2.0)
  • or CI 120: CCI Transfer Student Seminar
• Software Engineering Requirements:
  • CS 164: Introduction to Computer Science (3.0)
  • CS 171: Computer Programming I (3.0)
  • or CS 175: Advanced Computer Programming I
  • CS 172: Computer Programming II (3.0)
  • SE 181: Introduction to Software Engineering and Development (3.0)
  • or SE 201: Introduction to Software Engineering and Development
  • SE 210: Introduction to Requirements Engineering (3.0)
  • SE 211: Introduction to Software Design (3.0)
  • SE 310: Software Design (3.0)
  • SE 311: Software Architecture (3.0)
  • SE 320: Software Verification and Validation (3.0)
  • SE 410: Software Evolution (3.0)
• Computer Science Requirements:
  • CS 260: Data Structures (4.0)
  • CS 265: Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques (3.0)
  • CS 281: Systems Architecture (4.0)
  • CS 283: Systems Programming (3.0)
  • CS 472: Computer Networks: Theory, Applications and Programming (3.0)
• Information Systems Requirements:
  • INFO 210: Database Management Systems (3.0)
  • INFO 310: Human-Centered Design Process & Methods (3.0)
  • INFO 420: Software Project Management (3.0)
• Computing & Informatics Requirements:
  • CI 101: Computing and Informatics Design I (2.0)
  • CI 102: Computing and Informatics Design II (2.0)
  • CI 103: Computing and Informatics Design III (2.0)
  • CI 491: Senior Project I (3.0)
  • CI 492: Senior Project II (3.0)
  • CI 493: Senior Project III (3.0)
• Computing & Informatics Electives: Select from the following courses (18.0)
  • CT 200: Server I
  • CT 210: Open Server I
  • CT 320: Server II
  • CT 330: Network Administration II
  • Any CS (Computer Science) 300+ course
  • Any INFO (Informatics) 300+ level course
  • Any SE (Software Engineering) 300+ course
• Mathematics Requirements:
  • CS 270: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (3.0)
  • MATH 121: Calculus I (4.0)
  • MATH 122: Calculus II (4.0)
  • MATH 123: Calculus III (4.0)
  • MATH 221: Discrete Mathematics (3.0)
  • STAT 201: Introduction to Business Statistics (4.0)
  • STAT 202: Business Statistics II (4.0)
• Science Requirements: Select one of the following lab science sequence options (18.0)
  • Option A:
    • BIO 131
    • & BIO 134
    • & BIO 132
    • & BIO 135
    • & BIO 133
    • & BIO 136
  • Option B:
    • CHEM 101
    • & CHEM 102
    • & CHEM 103
  • Option C:
    • PHYS 101
    • & PHYS 102
    • & PHYS 201
• Arts & Humanities Requirements:
  • COM 230: Techniques of Speaking (3.0)
  • COM 310: Technical Communication (3.0)
  • ENGL 101: Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research (3.0)
  • or ENGL 111: English Composition I
  • ENGL 102: Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing (3.0)
  • or ENGL 112: English Composition II
  • ENGL 103: Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres (3.0)
  • or ENGL 113: English Composition III
  • PHIL 105: Critical Reasoning (3.0)
  • PHIL 311: Ethics and Information Technology (3.0)
  • PSY 101: General Psychology I (3.0)
  • PSY 330: Cognitive Psychology (3.0)
  • Select two of the following (8.0)
    • ACCT 110: Accounting for Professionals
    • ECON 201: Principles of Microeconomics
    • ECON 202: Principles of Macroeconomics
    • Arts & Humanities, Business, or Social Studies elective (3.0)
• Free Electives (12.0)
• Total Credits (187.0)

Sample Plan of Study

5-year, 3 co-op (Spring/Summer Cycle)

• First Year:
  • Fall: CI 101 (2.0), CS 164 (3.0), ENGL 101 or 111 (3.0), MATH 121 (4.0), UNIV CI101 (1.0), Arts/Humanities elective (3.0)
  • Winter: CI 102 (2.0), CIVC 101 (1.0), COOP 101 (1.0), CS 171 or 175 (3.0), ENGL 102 or 112 (3.0), MATH 122 (4.0)
  • Spring: CI 103 (2.0), CS 172 (3.0), ENGL 103 or 113 (3.0), MATH 123 (4.0), UNIV CI101 (1.0), Science Lab (4.0)
  • Summer: VACATION
• Second Year:
  • Fall: COM 230 (3.0), CS 265 (3.0), CS 270 (3.0), SE 181 or 201 (3.0), SE 210 (3.0)
  • Winter: CS 260 (4.0), INFO 210 (3.0), MATH 221 (3.0), SE 211 (3.0), Science Elective (3.0)
  • Spring: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Summer: COOP EXPERIENCE
• Third Year:
  • Fall: COM 310 (3.0), CS 283 (3.0), PSY 101 (3.0), SE 311 (3.0), STAT 202 (4.0)
  • Winter: SE 310 (3.0), Free Elective (3.0), Science Elective (3.0)
  • Spring: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Summer: COOP EXPERIENCE
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: INFO 420 (3.0), PHIL 105 (3.0), SE 320 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: INFO 310 (3.0), PHIL 311 (3.0), SE 410 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Spring: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Summer: COOP EXPERIENCE
• Fifth Year:
  • Fall: ACCT 110, ECON 201, or ECON 202 (4.0), CI 491 (3.0), CS 472 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: ACCT 110, ECON 201, or ECON 202 (4.0), CI 492 (3.0), PSY 330 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (6.0)
  • Spring: CI 493 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Science elective (4.0), Free Elective (3.0)

4-year, 1 co-op (Spring/Summer Cycle)

• First Year:
  • Fall: CI 101 (2.0), CS 164 (3.0), ENGL 101 or 111 (3.0), MATH 121 (4.0), UNIV CI101 (1.0), Arts/Humanities elective (3.0)
  • Winter: CI 102 (2.0), CIVC 101 (1.0), COOP 101 (1.0), CS 171 or 175 (3.0), ENGL 102 or 112 (3.0), MATH 122 (4.0)
  • Spring: CI 103 (2.0), CS 172 (3.0), ENGL 103 or 113 (3.0), MATH 123 (4.0), UNIV CI101 (1.0), Science Lab (4.0)
  • Summer: VACATION
• Second Year:
  • Fall: COM 230 (3.0), CS 265 (3.0), CS 270 (3.0), SE 181 or 201 (3.0), SE 210 (3.0), Science Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: COOP 101 (1.0), CS 260 (4.0), INFO 210 (3.0), MATH 221 (3.0), SE 211 (3.0)
  • Spring: COM 310 (3.0), CS 281 (4.0), PSY 101 (3.0), SE 310 (3.0), STAT 201 (4.0)
  • Summer: CS 283 (3.0), SE 311 (3.0), STAT 202 (4.0), Science Electives (7.0)
• Third Year:
  • Fall: INFO 420 (3.0), PHIL 105 (3.0), SE 320 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: INFO 310 (3.0), PHIL 311 (3.0), SE 410 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Spring: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Summer: COOP EXPERIENCE
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: ACCT 110, ECON 201, or ECON 202 (4.0), CI 491 (3.0), CS 472 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: ACCT 110, ECON 201, or ECON 202 (4.0), CI 492 (3.0), PSY 330 (3.0), Computing & Informatics Electives (6.0)
  • Spring: CI 493 (3.0), Free Elective (6.0)

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Co-Op Options

Two co-op options are available for this program:

• Five-year/three co-op
• Four-year/one co-op

Career Opportunities

The demand for software engineering professionals is quite strong. Graduates can expect career opportunities in software design and development in a variety of application areas. Software engineering graduates are particularly well-suited to work as members or leaders of software project teams; they have knowledge and skills to help them develop quality software within schedule and cost constraints.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, software developer is among the fastest-growing U.S. careers requiring at least a bachelor's degree, with an estimated 409,500 new jobs by 2030. Although they have jobs in most industries, many software developers work in computer systems design and related services firms or software publishers. The field's rapid growth is mainly due to the increase in demand for computer software, especially in healthcare.

Most software engineering students enter the professional world right after graduation, but some continue their studies in advanced software engineering programs.

Job titles of recent software engineering graduates include:

• Software Engineer
• Software Architect
• Software System Project Manager
• Software Project Team Leader

Facilities

The College of Computing & Informatics is located at 3675 Market. Occupying three floors in the modern uCity Square building, CCI's home offers state-of-the-art technology in our classrooms, research labs, offices, meeting areas, and collaboration spaces. 3675 Market offers Class A laboratory, office, coworking, and convening spaces. Located at the intersection of Market Street and 37th Street, 3675 Market acts as a physical nexus, bridging academic campuses and medical centers to the east and south, the commercial corridors along Market Street and Chestnut Street, and the residential communities to the north and west.

The uCity Square building offers:

• Speculative lab/office space
• World-class facilities operated by CIC
• Café/restaurant on-site
• Quorum, a two-story, 15K SF convening space and conference center
• Adjacent to future public square
• Access to Science Center's nationally renowned business acceleration and technology commercialization programs

Drexel University Libraries

The Drexel University Libraries is a one-stop resource for all members of the Drexel community, providing access to millions of print and online books, journals, databases, and other media, as well as hundreds of online course and research guides, workshops, and tutorials. Expert librarians offer a variety of consultation services virtually or in person, including help with course-related projects, strategies for finding and evaluating authoritative information, and approaches to utilizing, organizing, and presenting scholarship.

CCI Commons

Located on the 10th floor of 3675 Market Street, the CCI Commons is an open lab and collaborative work environment for students. It features desktop computers, a wireless/laptop area, free black and white printing, and more collaborative space for its students. Students have access to 3675 Market's fully equipped conference room with 42" displays and videoconferencing capabilities. The CCI Commons provides technical support to students, faculty, and professional staff.

Computer Support for Teaching

The CCI server room houses a multitude of servers to support faculty research, staff operations, and student learning. Services provided include a Linux compute cluster which is open to all faculty, staff, and students, multiple virtualization environments to meet different needs of faculty, staff, and students, and other single-purpose servers to support various operations throughout the college.

CCI Virtual Environments

CCI hosts a variety of virtual environments, which support all levels of research, academics, and administration at CCI. These include OpenStack, Proxmox VE, VMWare, and Xen architectures, backed by storage in CEPH. Multiple environments allow CCI IT to provide researchers with the level of control appropriate for the project at hand and make efficient use of project funding.

CCI Learning Center

The CCI Learning Center (CLC), located in 3675 Market Street's CCI Commons student computer lab, provides consulting and other learning resources for students taking courses offered by the Computer Science Department. The CLC is staffed by graduate and undergraduate computer science students from the College of Computing & Informatics.

Research Laboratories

The College houses multiple research labs, led by CCI faculty, in 3675 Market Street including: the Metadata Research Center (MRC), Interactive Systems for Healthcare (IS4H) Research, Economics and Computation (EconCS), The TeX-Base Lab, SPiking And Recurrent SoftwarE (SPARSE) Coding, Human-System Evaluation and Analysis Lab (H-SEAL), Applied Symbolic Computation Laboratory (ASYM), Security and Privacy Analytics Lab (SePAL), Software Engineering and Analytics Research (SOAR), Software Engineering Research Group (SERG), Social Computing Research Group, Vision and Cognition Laboratory (VisCog).

Program Level Outcomes

The College of Computing & Informatics works continually to improve its degree programs. As part of this effort, the software engineering degree is evaluated relative to the following Objectives and Outcomes.

Program Educational Objectives

Within three to five years of graduating, alumni of the program are expected to achieve one or more of the following milestones:

• Graduates of the program obtain employment as software developers where their software and communication skills eventually propel them toward technical and administrative leadership positions in industry and government.
• Graduates of the program demonstrate an ability to continue to learn throughout their career and to keep pace with changing technology as appropriate to their positions.
• Graduates of the program specialize and enhance their software engineering knowledge by enrolling and completing technical graduate courses and other technical education to position them to advance software engineering practice as senior technical staff members or managers.
• Graduates of the program specialize and enhance their software engineering knowledge by enrolling and graduating from MSc and PhD degree programs to position them to contribute to the intellectual foundations of the discipline of software engineering as researchers in industrial and government laboratories as well as in academia.
• Graduates of the program advance toward becoming leaders in disciplines other than software engineering by enrolling and graduating from graduate-level degree programs in complimentary disciplines such as law and business where the BSSE serves as an educational foundation.
• Graduates of the program will demonstrate an awareness of their professional and social responsibility as software engineers by participation in professional activities and application of their knowledge for the good of society.

Software Engineering Student Outcomes

The program enables students to attain by the time of graduation:

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• An ability to communicate effectively
• The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
• A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
• A knowledge of contemporary issues
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice