Software Engineering (MS)
The Master of Science in Software Engineering caters to students interested in software engineering, software development, and other contemporary topics of long-term value to the industry. Most early careers in the industry are based on either software development or managerial aspects of software development. This degree places more weight on software development. For those seeking a greater focus on managerial aspects, we offer the M.S. in Information Technology.
The Software Engineering (MS) also offers an Accelerated Master's Pathway for Undergraduate students to complete their Graduate studies in a fifth year. Further details of the AMP, including the suggested sequence of courses, can be found under the Curriculum tab.
Related Programs
Curriculum
The Master of Science in Software Engineering requires a total of between 30 and 40 credit hours (typically 10-14 courses).
Foundation courses Comp 400A-D can be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director. If one or more foundation courses are waived, the corresponding number of credit hours will be subtracted from the degree requirements. A student cannot both receive a credit-hours reduction for having a course waived and also receive credit for taking that course.
Besides the traditional Master's program, the Software Engineering (MS) is also offered as an Accelerated Master's Pathway where exceptional students can complete the program in a fifth year. A suggested sequence for the AMP can be found below.
To achieve depth and breadth, Software Engineering students must complete the following:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| COMP 400A | Object-Oriented Programming (Foundation Courses) 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400B | Data Structures I 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400C | Data Structures II 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400D | Computing Tools and Techniques 1 | 1 |
| Required Courses | ||
| COMP 413 | Intermediate Object-Oriented Development (Required Courses:) | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | 9 | |
| At least three courses, including at least one from Group 1 | ||
| Group 1 | ||
| Client-Side Web Design | ||
| Web Services Programming | ||
| Enterprise Software Development | ||
| Intro Concurrent Programming | ||
| Distributed Systems | ||
| Server-Side Software Development | ||
| Algorithms & Complexity | ||
| Theory of Programming Languages | ||
| Advanced Object Oriented Programming | ||
| Software Engineering | ||
| Group 2 | ||
| Operating Systems | ||
| Open Source Computing | ||
| Software Systems Analysis | ||
| Markup Languages | ||
| Human-Computer Interaction | ||
| Database Programming | ||
| High-Performance Computing | ||
| General Elective Courses 2 | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 30-40 | |
- 1
May be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director.
- 2
Electives can be any COMP 400 level class, except the foundation courses (COMP 400A, COMP 400B, COMP 400C, COMP 400D). Students may take up to a maximum of 6 credit hours of COMP 490 Independent Project and/or COMP 499 Internship.
For students who have taken Computer Science coursework at Loyola: many 400-level courses in the department are cross-listed with 300-level analogues (e.g. COMP 443 Computer Networks and COMP 343 Computer Networks). Students who enter the MS program after taking a Loyola course in this category must choose to take 400-level courses that are not cross-listed with any 300-level courses taken earlier, unless granted specific permission by the Graduate Program Director.
If a student enters the program with an academic record of success in a a course similar to COMP 413 Intermediate Object-Oriented Development, or if the student can demonstrate programming experience with the concepts of COMP 413 Intermediate Object-Oriented Development, then the Graduate Program Director may substitute for the COMP 413 Intermediate Object-Oriented Development requirement a course in Group 1 or 2 that has COMP 413 Intermediate Object-Oriented Development as a prerequisite.
The department may substitute newly created permanent courses as members of either Group 1 or Group 2. Similarly, COMP 488 Computer Science Topics offerings may also be designated as members of either Group 1 or Group 2. Students are responsible for verifying any such substitutions in advance with their Graduate Program Director.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Traditional Master's Program
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| COMP 400A | Object-Oriented Programming 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400B | Data Structures I 1 | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing | 3 |
| Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6-12 | |
| Spring | ||
| COMP 400C | Data Structures II 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400D | Computing Tools and Techniques 1 | 1 |
| COMP 413 | Intermediate Object-Oriented Development | 3 |
| Restricted Elective - Group 1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6-10 | |
| Summer | ||
| COMP 499 | Internship 2 | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Restricted Elective - Either Group | 3 | |
| Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| Restricted Elective - Either Group | 3 | |
| Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 30-40 | |
- 1
May be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director. If course is not waived, students should meet with Graduate Program Director to reallocate coursework load.
- 2
COMP 499 Internship would count toward one of (5) five general electives.
Accelerated Master's Pathway
Students can take up to 12 credit hours in the senior year with admission to the AMP. These credits are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs.
Students may take any 400-level course that is cross-listed with a 300-level course, as a replacement for that 300-level course in the BS program. For example, students may take COMP 413 and thereby satisfy an bachelors requirement for COMP 313. If a student wants to take a 400-level course that is not cross-listed with a 300-level course, they should consult the Graduate Program Director for the corresponding undergraduate credit. For students whose undergrad major is outside of COMP, the 400-level courses will have to serve as undergraduate electives.
Students interested in the SWEN-MS degree should take COMP 413 (or 313) as an undergraduate, and at least one other course on the list of restricted electives for the SWEN-MS program.
The following four courses are a reasonable fit, but your circumstances may differ.
| Senior | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| COMP 413 | Intermediate Object-Oriented Development | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| Restricted Elective - Group 1 | 3 | |
| Restricted Elective - Either Group | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Master's | ||
| Fall | ||
| Restricted Elective - Either Group | 3 | |
| Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| COMP 499 | Internship 1 | 3 |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
COMP 499 Internship would count toward one of (5) five general electives.
STEM Designation
With a national shortage of professionals trained in STEM-related fields, employers are actively pursuing STEM degree holders. Distinguish yourself in technology with a STEM-designated degree.
Loyola's master's degree programs in Computer Science have been granted a STEM designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The program achieved STEM designation because of its emphasis on teaching students how to solve computer science problems with a suite of quantitative and technological tools.
Under this STEM classification, international students can extend their training in the U.S. by working in their field of study. Students can qualify for a 24-month OPT (Optional Practical Training) Extension, bringing the total OPT time granted to 36 months.
Guidelines for Accelerated Master's Pathways
In Accelerated Master’s Pathways, students share limited, authorized credits between their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Shared credits are Graduate level credit hours (400-level or higher) taken during the Undergraduate career and then applied both to the Undergraduate degree and towards Graduate program requirements.
Admission and Matriculation
Accelerated Master's Pathways are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s Undergraduates. Admission to these programs is competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the Graduate program. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the Master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree.
Students enrolled in an Accelerated Master's Pathway who choose not to continue to the Master’s degree program upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.
Ideally, a student will apply for admission to an AMP program as they approach 90 credit hours in their Undergraduate career.
Students will not officially matriculate into the Master’s degree program and be labeled as a Graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the Undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the Graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their Graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
Advising and Registration
Students in their final Undergraduate year will work with Advising in the home School of their Bachelor's program(s), as well as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program. Any 400-level or higher courses that the student plans to enroll in should be reviewed by both advisors to ensure that these courses will complete requirements for both degrees.
Registration in Graduate level courses during the Undergraduate year may require assistance from the Graduate Program Director and/or the student’s current academic advisor to enroll.
Shared Credits
Only courses taken at the 400-level or higher will count toward the Graduate program. At the Undergraduate level, students are restricted to enrolling in and sharing up to the number of Graduate level credits explicitly indicated in the catalog for their selected AMP program.
In general, Graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Master's Pathway. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Master's Pathway is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Program Director, students may take one of their Graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.
Degree Requirements and Conferral
Undergraduate degree requirements are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Master’s Pathway. Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a Graduate program.
The program’s Graduate Program Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and Master’s degree conferral review process. Graduate credit hours taken during the Undergraduate career will not be included in the Graduate GPA calculation.
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate Program Director will review the relevant syllabus or syllabi to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400-level course or higher.
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer Graduate curriculum to Undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of Undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once matriculated in the Graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the Graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from Undergraduate to Graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Master’s Pathway, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s Graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their Graduate studies after earning the Undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional Master’s degree program. Any application of Graduate credit earned while in the Undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the Graduate degree granting school.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.