Overview

Software engineering covers both technical and management issues related to the planning, development, marketing, and evolution of large software systems used in society today, covering techniques, models, and processes from the initial market analysis and product planning, through product requirements gathering, system architecture and product design, product implementation, verification and validation, product release, and all the way to post-release product support, maintenance, and evolution. Issues related to software products and systems specific to different problem domains, such as software used in information processing, aerospace, telecommunications, financial services, etc., are also the subjects of study of software engineering.

The Doctor of Engineering, major in Software Engineering, (DE/SE) program is motivated by the need for technical leaders who have both a solid foundation in software engineering as well as breadth across a range engineering disciplines. It aims to simultaneously achieve the following educational goals:

The majority of the DE/SE students are expected to be full time working professionals. Additional financial aid for full-time graduate students is available through research or teaching assistantships

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Degree Requirements

DE/SE requires successful completion of the School of Engineering requirements for Doctor of Engineering. Specific credit, course, and praxis requirements are described below.

Credit Requirements:

Core Courses in Software Engineering

The following courses, or their equivalents, must be included in the degree plan:

Core Courses in Engineering Management

The following courses, or their equivalents, must be included in the degree plan:

In addition, at least 2 of the following courses:

Praxis

The student must perform a suitable engineering praxis proposed by the student and approved by the praxis advisor and the supervisory committee. The praxis must include a significant and industrially-relevant engineering innovative experience, typically revolving around a well-defined project relevant to current software engineering practice. Good scholarship and the significance of the student’s praxis could be demonstrated by relevant technical publications, patents (or patent applications), or invention disclosures. As a culmination of the doctoral program, the student must submit an acceptable written praxis report and pass the oral praxis presentation and defense.

Sample Doctoral Degree Plans

The courses comprising a degree plan for a DE/SE student in the program will be determined by the student’s supervisory committee. The plans will vary among students depending on their background and praxis topics. Sample degree plans cover both basic degree requirements above and technical specialties. In particularly, sample technical specialty tracks are shown below:

Technical Specialty

All students must select a technical specialty track approved by their committee that relates to their praxis topic. The following are examples of technical specialty tracks appropriate for DE in SE candidates:

Security

Recognition of Previous Post-Baccalaureate Course Work

Students with an MS in Software Engineering, Engineering Management, and other related areas, may apply up to 30 hours of their MS degree credits toward their DE/SE, subject to approval of their supervisory committee.

Faculty