Master of Software Engineering (MC-SOFTENG) // Course structure
About this course
Contact
Patanamon Thongtanunam
This course is available in My Course Planner
Course structure
The Master of Software Engineering requires the successful completion of 300 credit points.
The Master of Software Engineering is a three-year degree (full time).
To obtain the degree (no specialisation) students must complete:
- 62.5 credit points of Year 1 compulsory subjects
- 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Software Engineering selectives
- 25 credit points of Year 1 Group A (Level 2 & 3 B-SCI Discipline subjects) and Group B (Level 3 COMP subjects) electives including
- A minimum of 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Group B (Level 3 COMP) electives
- 75 credit points of Year 2 compulsory subjects
- 50 credit points of Year 3 compulsory subjects
- 75 credit points of electives including
- A minimum of 62.5 credit points of Software Engineering electives
- A maximum of 12.5 credit points of Approved electives
To obtain the degree with a specialisation, students must instead complete:
- 62.5 credit points of Year 1 compulsory subjects
- 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Software Engineering selectives
- 25 credit points of Year 1 Group A (Level 2 & 3 B-SCI Discipline subjects) and Group B (Level 3 COMP subjects) electives including
- A minimum of 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Group B (Level 3 COMP) electives
- 75 credit points of Year 2 compulsory subjects
- 50 credit points of Year 3 compulsory subjects
25 credit points of electives including:
- A minimum of 12.5 credit points of Software Engineering electives
- A maximum of 12.5 credit points of Approved electives
50 credit points of Year 2 and 3 specialisation subjects including:
Between 12.5 and 50 credit points of core specialisation subjects depending on respective specialisation requirements
AND
A maximum of 37.5 credit points of specialisation electives and/or Software Engineering/Approved electives depending on respective specialisation requirements
Note:
1. To obtain the degree with a specialisation, please refer to the individual specialisation page for full detail.
2. Students entering the course with advanced standing who plan on completing a specialisation may need to enrol in core specialisation subjects in their commencing semester. Please check and follow the structure outlined for your intended specialisation and seek course planning advice.
3. Students who commenced prior to 2025 can complete their degree following the course structure as per their year of entry/admission. Students in this group can also complete ENGR90051 as part of their Year 1 Group A selective subject options.
To complete this degree without specialisation students should complete in the following order:
Year 1
- 62.5 credit points of Year 1 compulsory subjects
- 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Software Engineering selectives
- 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Group A electives
- 12.5 credit points of Year 1 Group B electives
Year 2
- 75 credit points of Year 2 compulsory subjects
- 25 credit points of Software Engineering electives
Year 3
- 50 credit points of Year 3 compulsory subjects
- 50 credit points of electives including
- A minimum of 37.5 credit points of Software Engineering electives
- A maximum of 12.5 credit points of Approved electives
Note:
For specialisations, please refer to the individual specialisation page.
Progression:
The core subject lists are divided into specific year levels, reflecting the recommended order of completing the course. There is, however, some flexibility between Year 2 and 3 core subjects, depending on the requisites set between them. Check the individual Handbook entries of these subjects for more detail.
Engineering Practice Hurdle Requirement
Students enrolled in the Master of Software Engineering degree will need to satisfy the requirements of the Engineering Practice Hurdle prior to being awarded the degree. Students will be introduced early in their degree to the online e-portfolio system as a way of documenting their attainment of graduate attributes which accord with University and professional accreditation standards. Students will keep a record of their stepwise attainment of these capabilities throughout their engineering studies at Melbourne. The artifacts recorded in the e-portfolio may include formal study elements, such as design reports, as well as reflections on extracurricular activities such as employment and volunteering activities.
Hurdle Requirement
In order to achieve the Engineering Practice Hurdle requirement, students will need to document the attainment of professional skills at an adequate level. This may include the successful completion of any of the following:
1. Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP)
2. ENGR90033 Internship subject
3. An agreed level of internship at an approved engineering form (without receiving University credit)
Completion of the degree will not be approved until this requirement has been met.
Study options (without specialisation)
Year 1 compulsory subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP30026 | Models of Computation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| INFO20003 | Database Systems |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| SWEN20003 | Object Oriented Software Development |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| SWEN30006 | Software Modelling and Design |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENGR90051 | Interdisciplinary Design for Engineers |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Note: Students who commenced prior to 2025 can complete their degree following the course structure as per their year of entry/admission. Students in this group can also complete ENGR90051 as part of their Year 1 Group A selective subject options.
Year 1 Software Engineering selectives
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP20003 | Algorithms and Data Structures | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP20007 | Design of Algorithms | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Year 1 Group A electives
Any level 2 or 3 subject drawn from the Bachelor of Science program
Year 1 Group B electives
12.5 credit points of Level 3 Computer Science subject
Year 2 compulsory subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP30023 | Computer Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90004 | Modelling Complex Software Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90006 | Security & Software Testing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90009 | Software Requirements Analysis | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90014 | Masters Software Engineering Project | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90016 | Software Processes and Management |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Year 3 compulsory subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWEN90007 | Software Design and Architecture | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90010 | High Integrity Systems Engineering | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SWEN90017 | Masters Advanced Software Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| SWEN90018 | Masters Advanced Software Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Software Engineering electives
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP90048 | Declarative Programming | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90049 | Introduction to Machine Learning |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90050 | Advanced Database Systems |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90053 | Program Analysis and Transformation | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| COMP90054 | AI Planning for Autonomy |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90073 | Security Analytics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90074 | Web Security | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90077 | Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90085 | Volunteer Experience in I.T. | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| COMP90086 | Computer Vision | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90087 | The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGR90033 | Internship |
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENGR90036 | Leadership for Innovation |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90084 | Quantum Software Fundamentals | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90014 | Algorithms for Bioinformatics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90015 | Distributed Systems |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90016 | Computational Genomics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90017 | Sensor Networks and Applications | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| COMP90018 | Mobile Computing Systems Programming | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90020 | Distributed Algorithms | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90024 | Cluster and Cloud Computing | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90025 | Parallel and Multicore Computing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90042 | Natural Language Processing | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90043 | Cryptography and Security | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90044 | Research Methods |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90045 | Programming Language Implementation | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| COMP90051 | Statistical Machine Learning |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90083 | Computational Modelling and Simulation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90089 | Machine Learning Applications for Health | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90070 | Information Security Consulting | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| INFO90003 | Designing Novel Interactions | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| INFO90006 | Fieldwork for Design | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| INFO90007 | Social Computing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOM90007 | Information Visualisation | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| INFO90004 | Evaluating the User Experience | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| INFO90005 | Information Architecture | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| COMP90090 | Text Analytics for Health | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90069 | Digital Transformation of Health |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
July (Online)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90055 | Research Project |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ISYS90120 | Cybersecurity Practice in Organisations | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Approved electives
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUSA90473 | Business Practicum |
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Winter Term (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
12.5 |
| BUSA90485 | Global Business Practicum |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
July (Off Campus)
November (Off Campus)
|
12.5 |
| ENGM90006 | Engineering Contracts and Procurement | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGM90011 | Economic Analysis for Engineers | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGM90013 | Strategy Execution for Engineers | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGM90014 | The World of Engineering Management | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGR90026 | Engineering Entrepreneurship | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MCEN90031 | Applied High Performance Computing | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| ENGM90012 | Marketing Management for Engineers | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ELEN90095 | AI for Robotics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ELEN90096 | Hardware Accelerated Computing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENGR90034 | Creating Innovative Engineering | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Last updated: 6 April 2025