COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Software Engineering at RIT is a 36-credit graduate program designed to build advanced expertise in designing, developing, testing, and managing complex software systems through a structured combination of core engineering principles, collaborative practice, and applied project work. In the first year, students begin with Software Construction and Foundations of Software Engineering, which establish essential skills in programming practices, software development processes, and engineering principles, alongside an elective that allows early specialization in a related area. In the spring semester, students take Research Methods, which develops skills in empirical study and technical analysis, and Collaborative Software Development, which emphasizes teamwork, version control, agile workflows, and real-world software team dynamics, along with another elective for further customization. In the second year, students progress to Software Architecture, focusing on designing scalable, maintainable, and efficient software systems, and begin the two-part Masters Project sequence, where they apply their knowledge to a substantial, real-world software engineering problem. In the final spring semester, students complete Software Quality Assurance, which covers testing strategies, verification, validation, and software reliability, while also finishing the second part of the Masters Project to deliver a complete software solution or system. Electives throughout the program allow students to tailor their studies toward areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data engineering, or cybersecurity. Overall, the program prepares graduates for advanced roles such as software engineer, system architect, QA engineer, DevOps engineer, or technical lead by combining strong theoretical foundations with intensive hands-on project experience in modern software development environments.