Master of Software Engineering (MC-SOFTENG) // Attributes, outcomes and skills

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates will:

• have gained knowledge and practice in software engineering topics including software processes, project management, requirement analysis, modelling, design, architecture, implementation and testing;
• have gained knowledge and practice in advanced software engineering topics which include designing secure and reliable software, high integrity systems, distributed systems and advanced software architectures;
• be able to apply their knowledge to plan, manage, analyse, design and implement software products using appropriate processes;
• have developed problem solving and trouble shooting skills that may be applied in professional practice;
• be able to demonstrate proficiency over established and emerging engineering methods and tools to solve practical engineering problems;
• be able to explain the basic principles underlying the management of physical, human and financial resource;
• be able to effectively work in teams to solve complex, open-ended software engineering problems that require significant research and exploration;
• have effective verbal and written communication skills that enable them to make a meaningful contribution to the changes facing society;
• be conversant with important issues relevant to sectors influenced by software engineering, such as the sustainability of resources, the efficient operation of all processes and privacy and security in the age of the internet; and,
• know and epitomize professional ethical behaviour and responsibilities towards their profession and the community, including having positive and responsible approaches to sustainable development, process and personal safety, management of information and professional integrity.

Generic skills

• an advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in software engineering;
• advanced skills and techniques applicable to software engineering;
• well-developed problem-solving abilities, characterised by flexibility of approach;
• advanced competencies in engineering professional expertise and scholarship;
• a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in oral and written forms of communications;
• an advanced understanding of the international context and sensitivities of software engineering;
• an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of software engineering projects;
• a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work;
• an ability to evaluate and choose software technologies and frameworks used in software engineering;
• a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship;
• an appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge equips the student to offer leadership in the specialist area;
• the capacity to value and participate in projects which require team-work;
• an understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge to the wider community (including business and industry);
• a capacity to engage where appropriate with issues in contemporary society; and,
• advanced working skills in the application of software engineering processes, principles and technologies, and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies.

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Master of Software Engineering will have: