Overview

Class Central Tips

Software engineering is needed in every industry and focuses on the application of techniques that ensure the successful completion of a high-quality product. Following a software process ensures that the final product is maintainable, reliable, and scalable.

No matter how technology advances, software testing will always be non-negotiable in any development project. Every week new stories emerge of software failing across a myriad of industries, halting businesses and causing losses of millions of dollars.

In this program, you’ll work on real-world projects to apply software development concepts to blockchain technology, test software to validate sustainability of smart mobile applications, predict software reliability using operational profiles, and practice software architecture and design principles.

By committing to online study for 6-9 months, you can earn the Software Engineering MasterTrack Certificate that will be a pathway to the online Master of Computer Science degree at Arizona State University.

Syllabus

Course 1: Software Verification, Validation, and Testing
- Software as a stand alone product or embedded within a system plays an integral role in our world today. As a consequence, it is essential that software works as expected. This requires software testing which entails answering both the verification question: “Are we building the product right?” and the validation question: “Are we building the right product?”. Understanding these questions is crucial for developing good test cases. This course is for anyone involved in testing software at any level starting from code modules to system testing. Strategies and techniques are presented for both testing software as well as planning and tracking testing efforts.

Course 2: Advanced Software Analysis and Design
- Software analysis and design proposes optimal software solutions to solve complex problems. In this hands-on course, students will apply methodologies, frameworks, and fundamentals and techniques of design, implementation, and software architecture to demonstrate real world applications. Main topics include object-oriented analysis and design, software architecture and design principles, quality attributes of software architecture, stakeholder perspectives and team approaches, mobile applications, service-oriented architecture and microservices-based web applications, and software engineering perspectives regarding robotics and autonomous systems.

Course 3: Engineering Blockchain Applications
- Blockchain technology is revolutionizing digitalization prospects for many industries and emerging as an exciting and rapidly growing field. By detailing the architecture of the technology, this course ensures that learners will be well versed in blockchain fundamentals. At the same time, it is designed to put learners on the leading edge by presenting the abstract nature of blockchain technology and emphasizing its broad applicability. Topics include the mathematical and cryptographic underpinnings of the technology, as well as mining, consensus protocols, networking, and decentralized governance. This course also features an extended case study called “How It Works at Dash.”

Course 4: Mobile Computing
- The goal of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of the fundamental concepts and challenges in the area of mobile computing and study the existing and proposed solutions for these challenges from both a research and development perspective. Several topics, including mobile app development, wireless communication, mobile technology management, mobility tracking, context awareness, and programming applications on mobile systems, will be covered in this course. Course work will involve programming assignments, discussions, quizzes, and a project.