Software Engineering (SE) Major

Dennis Helder, Head
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Harding Hall 201
605-688-4526
e-mail: dennis.helder@sdstate.edu
http://compsci.sdstate.edu/

Faculty

Program

Software Engineering combines the principles of engineering with the science of computing. The Software Engineering Curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad background of knowledge related to software, its development, architecture, configuration, revision, human interface, and quality assurance. Software Engineering is the application of engineering concepts, methods and tools to the development of software systems.

The mission of the program is to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering providing a rigorous, practical education for our students oriented toward problem solving; to conduct world-class research with a regional emphasis; and to provide technical assistance to existing and emerging businesses, industry, and government.

The Software Engineering program educational objectives are to equip individuals who, after graduation and initial work experience:

1. Are able to use mathematics, science, computing, and engineering knowledge, along with appropriate engineering tools, to solve problems.
2. Actively contribute to multi-disciplinary teams, communicate effectively, and are able to solve, as engineering, computing, and business problems, contemporary issues arising from society.
3. Utilize approaches and solutions to engineering and computing problems that are always framed in a morally and ethically responsible manner, and whose approaches and solutions indicate an awareness of the impact of their work on society at local to global scales, and who continue to learn in order to best solve such problems.

The program begins in the first year by developing abilities in mathematics, science, communications and basic programming skills. Following this are two years of intense study in software engineering topics. A two-semester capstone sequence taken in the senior year, Senior Design I-II, places every student on a design team that designs, builds, tests, and demonstrates a significant design project. The design projects are often solicited from industry and provide students with valuable “real world” team design experience.