Program Overview
Introduction to the Software Engineering Program
The Software Engineering program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in software engineering, including courses in requirements engineering, software validation and testing, and software architecture. The program culminates in a challenging project course where students must demonstrate their use of software engineering techniques.
Mission of the Department of Computer Science
The mission of the Department of Computer Science is to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for productive careers in industry, academia, and government by providing an outstanding environment for teaching, learning, and research in the theory and applications of computing. The department prioritizes establishing and maintaining innovative research programs to enhance education quality and make it a regional, national, and international resource center for discovering, integrating, and applying new knowledge and technologies.
Goals for the Software Engineering Program
The undergraduate Software Engineering program aims to provide students with a high-quality education and prepare them for long and successful careers in industry and government. Graduates will be ready for immediate employment and further education in graduate school. The program's objectives include:
- Preparing students for successful, long-lived, software engineering-based career paths
- Meeting the needs of industry or academia
- Contributing to and leading software engineering-based teams
- Actively pursuing continuing learning
ABET Accreditation
The BS program in Software Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering Degree Requirements
The degree requires 124 semester credit hours. The faculty for the Software Engineering program is the same as for the Computer Science program.
Core Curriculum Requirements
The core curriculum requires 42 semester credit hours, including:
- Communication: 6 semester credit hours
- RHET 1302 Rhetoric
- ECS 3390 Professional and Technical Communication
- Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
- MATH 2413 Differential Calculus or MATH 2417 Calculus I
- Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
- PHYS 2325 Mechanics
- PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves
- Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
- Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture core courses
- Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
- Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts core courses
- American History: 6 semester credit hours
- Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History core courses
- Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
- GOVT 2305 American National Government
- GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
- Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
- ECS 3361 Social Issues and Ethics in Computer Science and Engineering
- Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
- MATH 2413 Differential Calculus or MATH 2417 Calculus I
- MATH 2419 Calculus II
Major Requirements
The major requires 71 semester credit hours, including:
- Major Preparatory Courses: 20 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
- ECS 1100 Introduction to Engineering and Computer Science
- CS 1200 Introduction to Computer Science and Software Engineering
- CS 1337 Computer Science I
- CS 2305 Discrete Mathematics for Computing I
- CS 2336 Computer Science II
- MATH 2413 Differential Calculus or MATH 2417 Calculus I
- MATH 2418 Linear Algebra
- MATH 2414 Integral Calculus or MATH 2419 Calculus II
- PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I
- PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II
- PHYS 2325 Mechanics
- PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves
- Major Core Courses: 42 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
- SE 3305 Requirements Engineering
- SE 3340 Software Design and Construction
- SE 3354 Software Engineering
- SE 3361 Software Project Management
- SE 4141 Software Testing and Validation
- SE 4337 Software Architecture and Design
- SE 4341 Web Application Development
- SE 4351 Human Computer Interaction
- SE 4367 Software Testing, Verification, Validation and Quality Assurance
- SE 4381 Software Project Planning and Management
- SE 4485 Software Engineering Project
- Major Guided Electives: 9 semester credit hours
- SE guided electives are 4000 level SE courses approved by the student's SE advisor
Elective Requirements
The elective requirements include 11 semester credit hours of free electives. Both lower- and upper-division courses may count as free electives, but students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.
Fast Track Baccalaureate/Master's Degrees
A Fast Track program is available to well-qualified UT Dallas undergraduate students, allowing them to take up to 15 graduate semester credit hours that may be used to complete the baccalaureate degree and also satisfy requirements for the master's degree.
Honors Programs
The Department of Computer Science offers an Honors Program called Software Engineering Computing Scholars (SECS), which is an intense Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering Degree Program created for exceptionally gifted students. The program has a specially designed curriculum, and admission is mainly by nomination and invitation.
Certificates
A Certificate in Information Assurance can be obtained by completing the required courses, including CS 4389 Data and Applications Security, CS 4393 Computer and Network Security, and CS 4398 Digital Forensics. The certificate is intended for those individuals who are working in the industry and who already have a background similar to a BS degree. SE majors who complete the required classes, as well as students who complete the Minor in Information Assurance, will be awarded certificates in Information Assurance.