Software Engineering, B.S. | Penn State

At which campus can I study this program?

Begin Campus

Any Penn State Campus

End Campus

Erie, World Campus

Program Description

This major provides students with a strong foundation in software engineering through combination of classroom study, software development experience, and design projects. Design, analysis, verification, and maintenance of software systems are stressed. Built upon a core of science and mathematics courses, this major has the objective of educating graduates to be problem solvers. Students acquire the ability to work as members of a team toward successful attainment of a common goal, preparing them for work in industry or further study in graduate school. In addition, written and oral communication skills are developed from an early stage, culminating in a senior design project that stresses communication as well as engineering content.

In addition to completing a broad-based science core in mathematics, chemistry, and physics, students pursue their interest in software engineering by studying principles in computer programming, object-oriented design, software design, software verification, information systems, operating systems, and data communications. The program has a capstone software design project that requires students to work together on teams to design, plan, manage, and implement a software design project.

What is Software Engineering?

Software engineering applies scientific and technological knowledge to the design, implementation, verification, and documentation of software. The study of software engineering teaches you the newest approaches to create, maintain, and improve software systems in economical, reusable, and extendable ways. Software engineers are creative problem solvers who put the functionality (and fun!) into our technology. Without software engineers there would be no Internet, no social networking, no apps, no streaming, no virtual or augmented reality, and no interactive entertainment.

You Might Like This Program If…

• You are patient in the face of a challenge.
• You are a creative thinker.
• You are interested in coding and programming, and also in mathematics, chemistry, and physics.
• You enjoy working on team-based projects.

Entrance To Major

In addition to the Carnegie unit and minimum GPA requirements described by University policies, all students applying for entrance to any of the engineering majors at The Behrend College must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of the semester prior to applying for entrance to the major and have completed, with a minimum grade of C: CHEM 110, MATH 140, MATH 141, and PHYS 211. These courses must be completed by the end of the semester during which the admission to major process is carried out.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Erie

Naseem Ibrahim, Ph.D.
Program Chair, Associate Professor
Burke 173
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6184
[email protected]

Melanie Ford
Advising Coordinator
Burke 211
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6685
[email protected]

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
301 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3283
[email protected]

Accreditation

 The B.S. in Software Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental accrediting agency for programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology and recognized as an accreditor by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ABET accreditation is voluntary and provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates. The School of Engineering at Penn State Behrend consistently places in the Top 50 in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the nation’s undergraduate engineering programs.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ABET ACCREDITATION

Professional Licensure/Certification

Many U.S. states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.