MSc in
Master of Science in Software Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Key Information
Campus location
Rochester, NY, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
USD 41,424 / per year **
Application deadline
Request info *
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* applications are taken on a rolling basis
** $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Introduction
As you pursue a software engineering master's your educational experience will parallel the realities of the industry as you learn how to define, design, develop, and deliver modern software. Utilize computer science theories to create software that allows computers to meet the demands of an ever-changing, technologically-dependent society. Conduct research in many areas including big data analysis and mining software repositories. And gain hands-on experience through team-based projects that help you master modern software engineering techniques.
Our program accepts students from many educational backgrounds, including new graduates and professionals interested in a software engineering career. We have a bridge course that we offer to help students get up to speed on programming and basic computing concepts. We have successfully graduated students with degrees in engineering, science, business, and education. Our graduates master modern software engineering techniques in a team setting using state-of-the-art tools and platforms.
RIT is renowned for its Co-op and Career Services program that will help you find paid internships and permanent high-paying jobs working for major companies. The RIT SE master’s program has successfully placed students at Citrix, SpaceX, Intuit, Amazon, Microsoft, and many others. We also offer various scholarships and assistantship opportunities.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op: cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study: graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available each year, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
RIT’s software engineering master's degree focuses on team-based activities. Since these systems are rarely the result of a single individual's effort, our team-based approach recognizes the significant role teams play in the design, development, and implementation of software systems of varying size and complexity. Our students are actively engaged in software architecture, software security, and mining of software repository research. They also are involved in the software engineering department's emerging areas of research in big data analysis for software engineering and software engineering for big data. As a result, our software engineering master's degree prepares you to contribute to and lead software development projects from day one.
In RIT's software engineering department, you will learn and receive personalized attention from faculty who are working in accessibility and software processing for computational science and engineering. Outfitted with the latest hardware and software technology, our facilities include studio labs, project labs, team rooms, a collaboration lab, and a real-time and embedded systems lab – all designed to help you collaborate on projects, polish your skills, and collaborate with faculty. The department has partnered with a number of software companies to provide you with access to a wide range of software products for learning and research.
Our average enrollment/student base is about 70 domestic and international graduate students (plus over 550 undergraduate students), as well as 18 faculty with strong research and industry backgrounds. The Department of Software Engineering was the first department of its kind in the country and is part of the Golisano College for Computing and Information Sciences (GCCIS). Being part of GCCIS allows students to take electives from the Department of Computing Security, Department of Computer Science, Department of Information Science and Technology, and the School of Interactive Games and Media.
Software Engineering (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- SWEN-610 Foundations of Software Engineering
- SWEN-640 Research Methods
- SWEN-746 Model-Driven Development
- SWEN-777 Software Quality Assurance
- Electives
Second Year
- SWEN-732 Collaborative Software Development
- SWEN-755 Software Architecture
- SWEN-790 Thesis
- SWEN-799Independent Study
- Electives
Software engineering (capstone option), MS degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- SWEN-610 Foundations of Software Engineering
- SWEN-746 Model-Driven Development
- SWEN-640 Research Methods
- SWEN-777Software Quality Assurance
- Electives
Second Year
- SWEN-755 Software Architecture
- SWEN-780 Capstone Research Project
- Electives
- SE Elective
Career Opportunities
Industries
- Internet and Software
- Defense
- Electronic and Computer Hardware
- Other Industries
Typical Job Titles
- Software Engineer
- Software Developer
- Software Quality Assurance Engineer
- Web Applications Developer
- Data Analyst
- Software Tester
- Database Developer
- Software Design Engineer
- Software Requirements Engineer
- Web Developer
- Programmer
English Language Requirements
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