NDSU Software Engineering Program Ranked #4 Nationally

FARGO, N.D., October 6, 2017 (Newswire.com) - North Dakota State University’s Software Engineering master’s degree programs have been recognized as among the top in the nation by AffordableColleges.com, a popular college and university program ranking website. NDSU’s programs have been ranked as the fourth-best in the United States. The website ranks programs based on a value score that focuses on program value to recognize the “distinction between the programs that appear cheap up-front and those that will pay off in the long run.”

The NDSU Computer Science Department offers both online and traditional on-campus software engineering programs. A Master of Science degree, with thesis and project options, is offered, as is a coursework-based Master of Software Engineering degree. The department also offers Ph.D. degrees in software engineering.  All three are popular options.

It's a very applied software engineering program, where students hone their software development skills. The way we set up courses — we use case studies and real-world software problems — lets the students see how the work relates to software industry practices.

Gursimran Walia, Software Engineering Program Coordinator and Associate Professor

“It’s a very applied software engineering program, where students hone their software development skills,” noted software engineering program coordinator and associate professor Gursimran Walia. “The way we set up courses — we use case studies and real-world software problems — lets the students see how the work relates to software industry practices.”

As part of the master’s program, students go through the entire software development process. They begin with talking with clients to gain an understanding of their needs and take a system all the way through development completion. Many students begin with the master’s program — either online or on campus — and continue to complete the Ph.D.

“We developed the software engineering graduate programs in 2002,” noted professor and department associate chair Kenneth Magel. “These programs have advanced with the rapidly changing needs of industry, both locally and nationally.  We review every course each year and update the material and approach as needed.”

The software engineering degree program that can be completed entirely through distance education was added to the department’s on-campus offerings in 2009.  

The NDSU Computer Science Department was founded in 1988 (though computer science courses were offered as part of Mathematical Sciences since 1973). It offers Ph.D. degrees in computer science and software engineering, three master’s degrees and two bachelor’s degree programs. It occupies 7,460 square feet in NDSU’s Quentin Burdick Building and has approximately 600 graduate and undergraduate student majors.

Source: NDSU Computer Science