Software Engineering, MESE

Complex software-intensive systems permeate every aspect of our lives. These systems are among the most complex products humankind has ever tackled. Software engineering is the disciplined application of proven principles, techniques, and tools to the creation and maintenance of cost-effective, user friendly software systems that solve real problems.

To accommodate the demand for well-educated software engineers in almost all industries today, UCCS has established the Master of Engineering degree in Software Engineering (MESE). UCCS offers a unique environment to study, learn, and share experiences surrounding this special engineering discipline. Our faculty comes from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. Many have had years of experience in industry prior to joining the faculty. The result is a diverse melting pot of ideas, technologies, and experiences.

Courses at the graduate level (and the undergraduate courses required for admission to the graduate program) are regularly offered in the late afternoon and evening to enable students from local industry to continue their studies.

Admission Requirements

A Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics, computer science, engineering, information systems or equivalent.
An overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0; awarded within the past five years). Applicants with a grade point average of less than 3.0 awarded more than five years ago may be requested to take the GRE or may be admitted on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with a grade point average between 2.75 and 3.0 awarded within the past five years may be admitted provisionally.
It is recommended that the applicant have two years experience with commercial, industrial or government software development or maintenance.
A concise statement of experience and career goals.
Completed online application, including official transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Program Prerequisites

CS 1150 - Principles of Computer Science
CS 1450 - Data Structures and Algorithms
CS 3300 - Software Engineering I
MATH 2150 - Discrete Mathematics
Note: Some of these courses may have prerequisites. Any comparable course from another approved university will suffice.

Course Requirements (30 credit hours total)

Required Core Courses (12 credit hours)

Degree Completion Courses (18 credit hours)

Three options are available: Thesis, Non-Thesis or Portfolio.

1. Thesis Option

CS 7000 Masters Thesis (6 credit hours)
Plus four elective graduate computer science courses

2. Non-Thesis Option

CS 7010 Masters Project (3 credit hours)
Plus five elective graduate computer science courses

Students will not be allowed to enroll in CS 5320 or CS 5340 without the following:

a) passing the proficiency test, or

b) completing the additional required courses at UCCS (or another program as approved by the MESE program director).

3. Portfolio Option

Portfolio - Submit a 5-8 page paper that describes at least one, and at most four, projects in which the student has been engaged. For each project it will describe the overall project objectives, the team, the students’ role on the team, the formal software engineering/development methodology used, and the lifecycle stages in which the student was engaged. It should explicitly relate the project(s) to at least two of the MESE courses which the student has completed. It should also include examples - at least one example work artifact from the software engineering process, with the artifact not counting toward the 5-page minimum length. The document should be a formal technical paper. It is recommended that students include appropriate references to relevant software engineering sources, such as books, papers and blogs.
Plus six elective graduate computer science courses.

Additional Graduate Degree Requirements

Considering the PhD in Computer Science or Security? A Written Qualifier Exam is required for both degrees.

Engineering-Concentration in Computer Science, PhD

The Written Qualifier Exam consists of four distinct topics: CS 5700 Computability, Automata and Formal Languages, CS 5720 Design and Analysis of Algorithms, CS 5200 Computer Architecture, and CS 5500 Operating Systems. Waiver to the written qualifying examination will be given if the student has passed the required courses listed above at UCCS with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75.

Engineering-Concentration in Security, PhD

The Written Qualifier Exam consists of four distinct topics: CS 5220 Computer Communication, CS 5910 Fundamentals of Network and Computer Security, CS 5920 Applied Cryptography, and CS 5950 Homeland Security and Cyber Security. Waiver to the written qualifying exam may be given, if the student has passed the required courses listed above at UCCS with a minimum average GPA of 3.75.