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Software Engineering, B.S.

Software Engineering, B.S.

What is a Software Engineering Degree?

Software Engineering BS

Software engineering is a systematic, disciplined, measurable approach to building and maintaining software. Starting with thorough preparation in mathematics and computer science, software engineering students at Florida Tech learn how to successfully implement and manage the development, maintenance, and evolution of software products.

Whether you want to design dynamic Internet applications, debug embedded software systems, or engineer a new way to protect electronic information, a software engineering degree from Florida Tech develops a strong background in computer science and provides experience in the design and development of software products.

Gain Practical Experience

Nearly every system in modern society is driven by software. Software engineers work on everything from ATMs to automobiles to tablet computers. Florida Tech’s software engineering degree program prepares students for a career using state-of-the-art computing laboratories, a full suite of software development tools, research projects, internships, and even participation in a student programming team that competes at the ACM Intercollegiate Programming Competition.

As a senior, students complete a senior design project in collaboration with their peers to conceptualize, design, and present a novel software application that fulfills a real-world need. Students present their project to industry leaders and employers, and may participate in international competitions. As a result, they get practical experience, an expanded professional network and perhaps even a pre-graduation job offer.

Why Pursue a Software Engineering Degree at Florida Tech?

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Get the facts about graduate studies at Florida Tech

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

You have three graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

  5. 100% Online
  6. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. At an Education Center near you
  2. Get the Education Center Brochure

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

Florida Tech is listed among the Fiske Guide’s “Engineering/Top Technical Institutes” and Parade Magazine’s “College A-List in Engineering.” And that’s just for starters.

AccreditationABET | Engineering Accreditation Commission

The undergraduate software engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Additional information can be found on the department’s ABET information page.

Internationally Recognized Faculty—Personalized Attention

Another reason Florida Tech is among the best software engineering colleges is its experienced, internationally recognized professors. These active research scientists have interests in software testing and quality assurance, software evolution, and secure software development, addressing some of the most topical issues in software engineering today.

Florida Tech professors are completely accessible to students, actively working with them on their classwork and in research projects. Student programming teams in the department have advanced to the world finals of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) five times in the past 15 years. The ACM ICPC is often called the “Battle of the Brains,” as it brings together the best student problem-solvers from all over the world—setting Florida Tech apart from other software engineering colleges.

Students study in small-sized classes with a student-to-faculty ratio of just 9:1, something not normally found in most software engineering colleges. The close-knit family atmosphere allows students to cultivate an intimate working relationship with fellow students and professors who genuinely care about their success.

State-of-the-Art Facilities—Including Supercomputers!

Florida Tech provides several laboratories housed in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, a three-story building equipped with innovative technology. Not only do all software engineering students have access to a full suite of software development tools, they also have access to the Blueshark HPC cluster so they can learn about supercomputers and develop high-performance applications in science and engineering. The department also provides special-purpose laboratories for students working on cutting-edge research projects. Florida Tech is also home to the Harris Institute for Assured Information, an interdisciplinary center devoted to groundbreaking research in computer security and information protection.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Software Engineering. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, students working toward a software engineering degree build leadership and professional experience through exciting internships and participation in academic organizations like Upsilon Pi Epsilon (the computer science honor society), the Computer Gaming Society, student government, and over 100 other student organizations.

Our chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery is an award-winning organization that participates in ACM Intercollegiate Programming competitions. ACM also holds weekly tea and cookie parties for networking and making friends.

Robotics at Florida Tech (R@FT) also takes part in robotics competitions and challenges, allowing members to utilize skills gained from software engineering internships and research to create real working machines in a team-based environment.

How Will a Software Engineering Degree Prepare Me For the Future?

Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

As our students advance in their studies, they often pursue and participate in a variety of software engineering internships from Fortune 500 companies across the country including:

  • Google
  • Harris Corp.
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Microsoft
  • NASA

These software engineering internships allow Florida Tech students to obtain work experience (and sometimes even Florida Tech credit!) during the summer while completing their degree.

Participate in Cutting-Edge Research

In addition to software engineering internships, faculty-led research teams frequently recruit well-qualified undergraduate students to help conduct research on a variety of software engineering topics, including:

  • Computer security and information protection
  • Software product architecture and design
  • Software testing
  • Quality assurance
  • Software evolution

Several state-of-the-art computing laboratories and a full suite of software development tools are freely available to software engineering students, as well as several special-purpose laboratories such as the software evolution lab.

Led by award-winning Florida Tech faculty, research opportunities put students on the forefront of technology. These experiences also help students prepare for the senior design project that challenges students to design, develop, program, and present a novel software application.

We are also home to the Harris Institute for Assured Information, an interdisciplinary center devoted to state-of-the-art research in computer security and information protection.

What Can You Do With a Software Engineering Degree?

Nearly every system in modern society is driven by software, including industry, manufacturing, medicine, banking, entertainment, research, automobiles, security, and more. Software engineers are responsible for advancements in the world of computers and are the creative minds that hold the keys to many aspects of our technological lives.

A software engineering career path is a great choice for anyone interested in the application of computer science, engineering, and mathematical principles to the development of software systems. A software engineering career path also gives students many career options, as the skills are valuable in many job areas such as computer programming, web development, and information research, to name a few.

Get Recruited Upon Graduation

Employers seek out graduates with a software engineering degree from Florida Tech. Employers that have recruited our students for careers include:

  • American Airlines
  • Leonardo DRS
  • EA Games
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • GE
  • General Electric
  • Harris Corp.
  • IBM
  • Microsoft Corporation
  • Mozilla
  • NTSB
  • Sun Microsystems
  • Texas Instruments
  • US Military
  • Zynga

Career Outlook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides detailed information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things.

According to the Bureau, choosing a software engineering career path leads to employment security as software engineering is projected to grow an astounding 30% through 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. This means software engineers and related careers such as application developers and systems developers will be among the most sought-after employees in the workforce.

The demand for computer software in mobile technologies, cybersecurity, computing, cloud computing and advanced computerized products will continue to drive the growth in this career area.

Other Career Options

A software engineering career path leads to jobs such as:

  • Software developer
  • Application developer
  • Systems developer
  • Web developer
  • Computer information research scientist
  • Computer information systems manager
  • Computer hardware engineer
  • Computer programmer
  • Computer systems analyst
  • Database administrator
  • Computer network architect
  • Information security analyst

Graduate and Doctoral Programs

Many students who graduate with a software engineering degree go on to graduate school at universities at Florida Tech and other prestigious universities as

  • Brown University
  • Johns Hopkins
  • MIT
  • Stanford
  • UC Berkeley
  • UCLA
  • University of Florida
  • University of Washington
  • Virginia Tech
  • Yale
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