Software Engineering & Project Management

In this course, students will explore the principles and techniques for designing and evaluating interactive systems. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on work, students will learn user-centered design, usability evaluation, and human factors in software development.

This course is designed to introduce a systematic process for planning, organizing and controlling projects. The course will present a practical methodology for completing projects more quickly with fewer problems. Student work will consist of readings, research, class special-topic presentations, group activities, a project management journal, and participation in a real world IT business project. Students will be encouraged to apply project-management techniques to solve existing real-world technology-related business problems.

Be introduced to the foundational ideas of organization development (OD) theory, informed by historical roots and current strategies. Attend to the nature of organizational complexity in today's world and recognize the need for an evolved approach to organizational change. The emerging dialogic mindset is contrasted to the diagnostic mindset that historically pervaded OD practice. Learning is both theoretical and applied; students will form the basis for a change in their own context to integrate theory into practice.

A significant part of organizational life is experienced through groups and teams. This course will explore theories of team processes and group dynamics with an emphasis on how to influence team development and effectiveness in decision making and collaboration. Students will have an opportunity to integrate class learning through applied team projects both within the class and beyond.

Explore the formal and informal communication strategies that help leaders influence beyond their formal authority. Topics will include how to have generative conversations, communication tactics for engaging stakeholders, cross cultural communications, managing conflict, building impactful narratives that engage and inspire, and the impact of technology on communication in today's organizations.

An excellent primer for the capstone, this course is jam-packed with hands-on activities! Students use the virtual environment to test open source software, compare Nmap, netcat and Angry IP Scanner, test WordPress vulnerability scanners, and experiment with Armitage attacks on Metasploitable. Also, students learn to document findings with reporting tools in Kali Linux and even write a test plan.

In SDEV-520, Software Engineering, students learn about the field of software engineering, including project management methodologies applied to the field of Software Development, economic factors that affect development decisions and product life cycle, requirement gathering and assessment, and modelling languages. Disruptive technologies and methodologies and their impact on this field are also covered in this course.

In SDEV-530, students will use software modelling techniques and formal representation, including Unified Modelling Language (UML), to represent and design software systems.

In this course, students study Agile project management methodologies, in the context of software development, as a way of achieving Software Engineering quality goals. Students will learn what projects lend themselves to an agile approach, and how the agile approach relates to traditional project management, while learning the tools and techniques of Agile.

In this course, students will learn how to plan and implement software testing using quality assurance frameworks.

In the Software Metrics and Measurement course, students will learn how to use software metrics and measurement to improve software engineering and project management decisions. The course will focus on practical applications, including case studies and applied work, to help students develop skills on how to apply metrics to real-world software development projects. Through the course, students will gain the skills and knowledge to evaluate software quality, identify process improvements, and design and implement effective software measurement programs.

In this course, students will demonstrate they have mastered the principles of software engineering and project management and can effectively utilize them to analyze and solve complex software development and project management challenges. Using industry standards and best practices, students will complete a Capstone Project and communicate the project's outcomes to a diverse group of stakeholders. Successful completion of a Capstone Project is required.