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University of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake offers an online graduate certificate in software engineering. This fully online program allows professionals to upgrade their skills in software engineering, without commiting to a full-fledged degree program. Students receive a holistic overview of all the moving pieces of a successful project, right from lifecycle components to roles and artifacts. The program faculty includes distinguished professors from the industry, who bring first-hand experience to the online classroom.
Admission requirements for the program include a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field with an extensive background in computer science and computer programming, an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or greater, official transcripts from every college or university attended, and English language proficiency for students who were born or educated in a country where English is not the native language. GRE scores are not required for the certificate.
Comprising 12 credit-hours, the curriculum not only involves writing code, but also software construction, requirement development, computer processes, configuration management, and documentation. Courses include requirements engineering, software construction, software processes, and software engineering lifecycle.
Among other skills, students learn how to build valuable products for their organization, iterate on their projects, communicate their ideas, and get a deeper understanding of the software development process. As an added bonus, credits earned in this program can be applied to the master of science in software engineering program.
Kennesaw State University offers an online graduate certificate in software engineering. This online program can both broaden and deepen students’ understanding of computing and also prepare them to work in software development as well as take up further studies in the field.
The major admission requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree in software engineering, computer science, or any other closely related field, or another type of bachelor’s degree with work experience related to the certificate program. Also, students who do not even have a degree in a related field will be required to complete additional coursework to prepare for this certificate, and they would also be advised to first complete the Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering Foundations.
Made up of 18 credit-hours, courses in the program include software engineering, software project planning, object-oriented analysis and design, software architecture, and software testing and verification.
The program provides students with theoretical and practical skills in software engineering. They learn about the main phases of the project management lifecycle, emphasizing project planning and project monitoring/control. They also learn about the object-oriented modeling techniques necessary for solving complex, real-world software engineering problems.
The University of Washington offers an online graduate certificate in software design and development. Ideal for working professionals, this program can either be completed online or on campus. This program is a stepping stone for those who wish to make a career in software engineering, as it opens doors to a master of science degree in computer engineering, software engineering, or cybersecurity at the University of Washington.
In order to get accepted into the program, applicants must submit their unofficial transcripts showing the completion of a bachelor’s degree, (with calculus I and programming I/II), a grade point average of 3.0, a current resume showing detailed relevant work experience, a personal statement, and proficiency in English for each applicant whose native language is not English.
Comprising 18 credit-hours, the curriculum uses C++ for teaching object-oriented programming. The curriculum includes instruction in data structures and object-oriented programming, systems programming, software development processes, software modeling techniques, and software testing and quality.
The program provides students with a primer to programming problems using object-oriented techniques, modeling in software analysis and design, and designing and testing software systems. Students also learn about the core cybersecurity and software engineering concepts, and how to examine the programming aspects and logical design of network communication and operating systems.
Stanford University offers an online software systems graduate certificate. The program is ideal for engineers, as it provides them with coursework in designing and implementation of systems software, including compilers, networks, and operating systems. Students can expect courses that take a deep dive into programming language design, databases, web security, or computer graphics.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better, basic knowledge of operating systems, and programming experience: C/C++ (object-oriented systems design, CS108 or equivalent).
The program comprises four courses essential for any systems software builder. The curriculum includes courses such as compilers, an introduction to computer networking, operating systems and systems programming, and computer and network security.
Students learn how to develop and deploy systems software, as well as about the working of operating systems and networks. They also explore the structure and components of computer networks, packet switching, and layer architectures, gaining the experience and tools required to write protocols and safeguard network security.
The University of Denver offers an online graduate certificate in software design and programming. Students learn how to design software and applications based on the web. They gain practical experience with object-oriented programming and methods.
Applicants to the program must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average, one official transcript from each college or university, a current resume, and proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable). GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
Students have the option to choose between a four-course certificate and a six-course certificate. Classes include web-enabled information systems, object-oriented methods and programming, distributed computing, and the principles of project management.
Through the program, students learn how to use best practices for software design, quality assurance, using programming languages such as Java, PHP, and Python, and also learn how to implement frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, J2EE, and .NET.
On successful completion of the program, graduates can take up roles such as programmer, programming manager, software design architect, software integrator, software developer, and software development manager.
Hazeline Asuncion, PhD University of Washington
Dr. Hazeline Asuncion is an associate professor of computing and software systems at the University of Washington, Bothell. She teaches courses in software engineering, data management, human-computer interaction, software engineering methods, and software modeling techniques.
Her primary research goal is to discover approaches, techniques, and tools that facilitate the management of information. She has published in journals such as the International Journal On Advances in Software, Future Generation Computer Systems, and the Journal of the Association for Information Systems. She completed her PhD from University of California, Irvine.
Soma Datta, PhD University of Houston–Clear Lake
Dr. Soma Datta is an assistant professor of software engineering in the College of Science and Engineering, University of Houston–Clear Lake. Her teaching interests include data science and R in software engineering, software processes, testing, verification and validation, software engineering tools, and agile software development.
Presently, her research work explores modeling and prediction using data mining, software engineering, programming languages, and computer science education. She has published her work in the Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges and Soft Computing by Springer, among others. She completed her PhD from Texas Tech University.
Yan Huang, PhD Kennesaw State University
Dr. Yan Huang is a member of the Department of Software Engineering and Game Development at Kennesaw State University. Some of the classes he teaches include software engineering, software architecture, software evaluation and measurement, and professional practices and ethics.
His research efforts are focused on federated learning, cybersecurity and privacy, and IoT. He has published in respected journals such as the Journal of Network and Computer Applications and the Journal of Universal Computer Science. He earned his PhD from Georgia State University and his MS and BS from Heilongjiang University.
Farheen Gani has researched a wide array of topics related to engineering since 2018. She has written about electrical and computer engineering programs, structural engineering programs, mechanical engineer salaries, environmental engineering programs, and many other subfields of engineering. She...
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