The general aim of the programme is to enable software developers and IT experts to develop specialist knowledge in software engineering.

This will involve a comprehensive understanding of software requirements and system architecture design, software testing and validation, people management in a project environment and address issues of quality and costs involved in the development and maintenance of software.

Advanced topics in design and development of service-oriented systems will also be studied; students may choose between mobile software development and formal methods for software verification. 

The programme is designed for exposing students in the principles and applications of software engineering; the programme will cover the fundamental practices that are expect from any software engineer a company would want to hire.

The programme is based on many years of experience on real projects and it is taught by a team of lecturers with research expertise in the different aspects of software engineering.  

Our programme offers you the opportunity to study the current state-of-the-art in engineering software development from requirements to testing and apply these to the practical work environment.

With a large proportion of computer laboratory and other practical work you will reinforce the theories and practices learnt in the classroom with 'hands on' experience. On completion of the programme, the successful student should have a good knowledge and understanding of the state-of-the-art methodologies in software engineering, and should have learnt to use a variety of software tools and environments that are a required knowledge by software companies nowadays.

Along with typical software engineering and project management content, this programme offers specialist competences in service-oriented computing, mobile software development and software verification that are strongly required by different kind of companies. It is expected that the programme team would seek accreditation for professional recognition of graduates, in the near future.

The entry requirement for the MSc programme is normally satisfied by possession of one of the following:

The entry requirement for the MSc programme is normally satisfied by possession of one of a 2:2 or higher honours degree in a science or engineering subject which includes a sufficient level of computing theory and/or programming - such as, for example:

• Computing or Computer Science or Informatics or Computer Networks
• Information Systems, Information Technology or Software Engineering
• Electrical, Electronic or Computer Engineering,
• Digital Systems and/or Communication Engineering,
• Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or Physics.

Alternatively, a degree qualification of a standard equivalent to one of the above-mentioned degrees, obtained after a course of full-time study extending over a period of not less than three years in a recognised university outside the UK.

The programme will be delivered across two semesters of 15 weeks duration for the taught modules of the full-time mode of study, with the project dissertation being completed during the following semester A or B or the Summer Vacation. The part-time provision will span two academic years for the taught modules,  followed by the project dissertation. UK students opting for the part-time mode of study can accumulate credits over a longer period of time and obtain the MSc award in no more than six years.

The programme benefits from access to UEL laboratories, library, computing facilities and IT labs. Teaching is delivered through formal lectures, tutorials, workshops, practical classes and laboratory sessions. Most lectures are supported by programme notes, which allow the student to concentrate on the lecture and complete some independent studies of his/her own. Group work is also encouraged in some modules.

Assessment varies from module to module but will include written examinations, coursework, and project work, and tests on competence in practical sessions.

The School has strong links with industry and benefits from programmes designed to meet the needs of industrial partners. The School also hosts an Industrial Liaison Board meeting with members attending from local industry.

The research dissertation is a key element of this programme and it counts as a double module. Research topics are often developed from work based problems and many are supported by research collaborations with companies.

The objective of the dissertation is to develop the student's ability to study independently, making their own critical appraisal of the chosen subject and drawing conclusions therefrom.

Students will be required to demonstrate that the research undertaken has been completed to an appropriate level for a Masters award. The dissertation must thereforeprovide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Their ability to apply practical and analytical skills present in the programme as a whole
• Innovation and/or creativity
• Synthesis of information, ideas and practices to provide a quality solution together with an evaluation of that solution
• That their project meets a real need in a wider context
• The ability to self-manage a significant piece of work

The research will be required to make a contribution to the understanding of the field studied and will be supervised by a member of staff with a research interest in the field.

Provide Students with improved employment prospects that will enable them to seek jobs as software engineers, software analysts and architects, project managers, in the area of service-oriented computing, mobile systems and safety-critical systems.

Many MSc students successfully move to careers in software and computing industry as software engineers.

However, students can also start a PhD programme in the UK, Europe and USA, while others can work as software architects or project managers.

The School prides itself on its student support systems. Based on the practice of industry we operate an open door policy with students encouraged to consult with their tutors. Personal Tutors and Programme Tutors will monitor your progress and provide assistance and advice with academic and personal problems. The School facilities include dedicated computer labs and equipment, which you are free to use, as long as they are not required for a class. Technical support is readily available supported by academics.

Employer links are maintained through our Industrial Liaison Group and employers are invited to attend the University to talk to students about careers. The professional bodies also visit the University regularly and provide details on the qualification process and the advantages available to members.

The programme benefits from teaching staff maintaining close links with industry and participating in international research projects.

Gain advanced theoretical and critical practical knowledge of all the different aspects of software engineering

• Develop a software system from requirements to testing
• Manage software projects taking into account resources, time, quality, costs
• Design and develop service-oriented systems
• Acquire technical knowledge on mobile software development or formal methods for software verification

Knowledge

• Provide a comprehensive understanding of all the activities necessary to commercial software development
• Develop expertise in service oriented computing and secure software engineering
• Apply software engineering tools to improve software development process

Thinking skills

• Exercise appropriate engineering judgement in decision-making processes.
• Systematically analyse problems and implement effective solutions

Subject-Based Practical skills

• Develop a major software project from requirements to testing
• Manage a software project taking into account resources, quality, deadlines and costs
• Apply and develop expertise in service oriented computing and secure software engineering

Skills for life and work (general skills)

• Demonstrate an ability to study independently and effectively and to be able to present and convey technical information to others.
• Develop interpersonal skills and be able to contribute and work effectively in a team environment

The typical duration of this programme is one year full-time or two years part-time.  It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments.  Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period.

The teaching year is divided into two semesters of roughly equal length.  A typical student registered in a full-time attendance mode will study two 30 credit modules per semester and a typical student registered in a part-time attendance mode will study one or two modules per semester.  The advanced independent research module may occur during the summer period semester C or one of the other semesters.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Various teaching methods are employed on the programme, including lectures, tutorials, seminars and laboratory work. In a lecture period, a member of the academic staff or a visiting lecturer presents ideas or information to a body of students. In a seminar, ideas are discussed by a group of students. The discussion is led by a member of the staff or a nominate student and moderated by one or more members of staff. In a tutorial the students solve problems under the guidance of a member of staff with whom they can also discuss information presented in a previous lecture.

In each field the time allocated over the semester to lecture, tutorials, seminars and laboratory work is left to the discretion of the lecturer involved. While more formal instruction (lectures and laboratory work) necessarily constitutes an important aspect of the work, tutorials, and to lesser extent seminars, are of value in providing time for students to discuss their problems with members of staff. 

To enable students to derive maximum benefit from their period of attendance, lectures are designed to cover only essential subject matter, this being complemented by lecture notes. Considerable importance is attached to home assignments and a commitment to private study. 

You are recommended to plan their work in advance, where practicable a programme of work, requirements of home assignments, together with reading references and tutorial sheets are distributed at the beginning of each section of each module. Regular assessments of the students' work are undertaken in order to monitor progress and identify problem areas.

Modules are allocated a mark out of 100%. The pass mark for each module is based on an aggregate mark of 50%. The aggregate mark comprises marks from components whose threshold is 40%. Assessment may incorporate one, two or three components.

The module specifications specify the mode of assessment for each module. 

Assessment methods include formal examinations, phase tests, time constrained assignments, coursework, project work and group exercises.

Before this programme started, the following was checked:

• there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
• adequate resources would be in place;
• the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
• the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
• the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
• the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning  and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.

This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.

The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:

• external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
• statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
• student feedback.

Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation.  The process is monitored by the Quality and Standards Committee.

Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists.  The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions.  The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.

This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff).  The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality.  The programme committee plays a critical role in the  quality assurance procedures.

The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner.  External examiners have two primary responsibilities:

• To ensure the standard of the programme;
• To ensure that justice is done to individual students.

External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including:

• Approving exam papers/assignments;
• Attending assessment boards;
• Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks;
• Ensuring that regulations are followed;
• Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future. 

The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme:

• Module evaluations
• Student representation on programme committees
• Student/Staff consultative committee

Students are notified of the action taken through:

• circulating the minutes of the programme committee
• a newsletter published three times a year
• providing details on the programme noticeboard

The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties:

• Questionnaires to former students
• Annual student satisfaction questionnaire
• Industrial liaison committee
• Placements Officer

Further information about this programme is available from:

• The UEL web site (http://www.uel.ac.uk)
• The student handbook
• Module study guides
• UEL Manual of General Regulations and Policies http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
• UEL Quality Manual http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
• Regulations for the Academic Framework http://www.uel.ac.uk/academicframework/
• The Schools website http://www.uel.ac.uk/ace
• The Software Engineering group website  http://www.uel.ac.uk/ace/research/dse/
• The Programme Leader website  http://www.uel.ac.uk/ace/staff/paolofalcarin/
• Regulations for the Academic Framework http://www.uel.ac.uk/academicframework/
• School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering web site (http://www.uel.ac.uk/ace/)