6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Postgraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Chief examiner(s)
Unit guides
Synopsis
This unit provides an introduction to the discipline of software engineering at the postgraduate level. The emphasis is upon a broad coverage of various aspects of software engineering. We assume the students will at this stage have adequate programming skills and are able to put theories to practice. The notion of a software system as a model or approximation of a desired system is introduced, and used as a way of describing such things as the software life cycle and its various models, programming by contract, design and testing issues, maintenance, reuse, complexity, divide and conquer strategies, metrics and measurement, project management and software legacy.
Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- describe the breadth and nature of the software engineering process and distinguish various phases of the process;
- create and develop the required artifacts during each phase of the software engineering process;
- differentiate and evaluate the software engineering techniques used to produce the artifacts;
- assess the issues in constructing large software systems from its components, and the nature and design of these components;
- employ group working skills in solving software development problems;
- analyse and evaluate IT-related scenarios with reference to the software engineering code of ethics and professional practice.
Assessment
Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:
- Contact hours for on-campus students:
- Two hours of lectures
- One 2-hour tutorial
- Additional requirements (all students):
- A minimum of 8 hours independent study per week for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.
See also Unit timetable information