Software Systems Engineering Degree Program Specialization

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - Specialization in Software Systems Engineering

Successful organizations use technology to find solutions to all kinds of business challenges, and professionals who understand how to use technology to contribute to productivity and the bottom line are valued for their knowledge and skills.

Colorado Technical University’s Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) degree program is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in the fundamental areas of IT that are of critical importance to employers in an increasingly specialized marketplace.

The BSIT core curriculum provides a solid foundation across the major areas within IT. You will then be given the opportunity to acquire a deep knowledge in software systems engineering by taking 16 specialization courses specifically designed to equip you with valuable subject-area expertise.

The specialization in Software Systems Engineering challenges students to explore and practice elicitation techniques, define functional and non-functional requirements, write use-case scenarios, explore user interface alternatives, learn how to analyze and model requirements and develop a requirements traceability matrix that spans the software development lifecycle.

The robust and rigorous project-based curriculum is designed to prepare you with industry-current, firsthand knowledge of the design, development and delivery of high-quality IT projects aimed at meeting management expectations.

In addition to gaining practical experience while acquiring a solid, comprehensive understanding of software systems engineering, students will create a portfolio of projects they can use to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to prospective employers.

What You Will Study

Specialization coursework in this program focuses on a number of substantive areas applicable to the area of software systems engineering. Course content has been designed to help students develop relevant IT problem-solving skills by focusing on the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). For example:

• In The Software Engineering Profession, students are introduced to the breadth of the field, investigate the historical and current practices in the software engineering discipline and explore its future directions.
• In Software Testing, students focus on the types of tests that are conducted during the software development lifecycle, such as unit testing, usability testing, operational testing, integration testing, stress testing and system testing. They then develop a test procedure, a test plan, conduct system and usability testing, and write a test report that documents the results.
• In User Interface Design, students learn that developing usable software products is vital in today’s competitive marketplace by studying computer human interface, user interface design, user profiling, prototyping and usability testing.

Other specialization courses in the BSIT - Software Systems Engineering program include:

• Data Structures
• Object Oriented Methods
• Software Requirements Engineering
• Software Design
• Introduction to Java Programming I 
• Introduction to Java Programming II
• Project Risk Management 
• Project Performance and Quality Assurance 
• Software Processes 
• Software Project Management 
• Human Elements in Projects and Organizations 
• Software Engineering Capstone I 
• Software Engineering Capstone II

Rounding Out Your Education

In addition to the BSIT core and specialization courses, students take general education courses designed to provide them with a well-rounded education. Successful completion of the BSIT program with a specialization in Software Systems Engineering will provide students with an applicable foundation of career-related knowledge and skills, including how to:

• Differentiate between current computer networks, protocols and the role of network management software in organizations.
• Categorize the fundamentals of computer system security requirements. 
• Distinguish between the principles, concepts and fundamentals of operating systems.
• Apply database concepts and capabilities through the creation, organization and maintenance of modern database systems. 
• Differentiate and categorize the legal, ethical and social issues of information technology. 
• Create and design Enterprise Architecture. 
• Solve complex problems through the ability to program in at least one high level programming language. 
• Implement the goals, processes and techniques of software engineering through the development of a software application supported by a project plan.
• Implement the goals and techniques of software engineering through the development of a complex application.

Who Will Teach Your Courses

In addition to a quality curriculum based on industry standards, courses in Colorado Technical University’s BSIT program were developed and are taught by a faculty comprised of experienced IT professionals who bring an impressive range of experience into their classrooms. Their firsthand knowledge and perspectives offer students the opportunity to learn from individuals willing to share their understanding of the qualities and skills sought in today's software systems engineers.

To learn more about CTU, our degree programs or how to apply for admission, please contact us for more information.