Program Requirements

(Fall 2020 and Later)

Program Changes

There are important program catalog changes for students admitted for Fall 2020 or later. In summary, the changes are:

  • Increase from 6 to 9 units for degree core classes.
  • New classes for the Data Science specialization. This change also affects the list of specialization choice classes for all other specializations.
  • Reduction from 9 to 6 units for elective classes.
  • Increase in total required units from 30 to 33 units for the MS Software Engineering degree by the requirement that all students take a GWAR (Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement) class.

Students that were admitted prior to Fall 2020 may choose to graduate using the Fall 2020 catalog but they must meet all new requirements and cannot pick a subset of the requirements.

Course Work 

Students earn a Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE) degree by completing 33 semester units of graduate study, plus meeting a competency in written English requirement. All students are required to complete 9 units of degree core courses, 9 units of required specialization courses, 6 units of elective courses, 3 unit GWAR class, and 6 units of master's project or thesis to fulfill the 33 unit requirement. Details of these requirements are spelled out below.

Degree Core Courses (9 units)

Required Specialization Courses (9 units)

Take two required specialization core classes from one of the six specializations plus one specialization choice class from one of the other five specializations. Visit the web page for each of the specializations for details.

Elective Courses (select 6 units)

All CMPE graduate courses (those with a course number of 200 or higher) except CMPE 270, 271, 294, 298, 298I, 295A/B, and 299A/B can be used as elective courses. This also includes specialization core classes from other specializations and all experimental courses (CMPE 296A - CMPE 296Z).

Note: Courses from other departments may be permitted with prior advisor approval.

Culminating Experience (choose one of the following)

Masters Project (6 units)

Masters Thesis (6 units)

Note 1: The degree core (CMPE 202, CMPE 255, and CMPE 272) and specialization core (two specialization core classes for the specialization you declare) must be completed before beginning the Culminating Experience. It is advised that the specialization choice and the GWAR class (CMPE 294 or ENGR 200W) also be completed before taking taking CMPE 295A or CMPE 299A. However, the the specialization choice and GWAR classes can be taken concurrently with CMPE 295A or CMPE 299A.

Note 2: All degree core, specialization core, specialization choice, and the GWAR (CMPE 294 or ENGR 200W) classes must be completed before you can proceed to CMPE 295B or CMPE 299B.

Competency in Written English

Note: All graduate students are required to complete a competency in written English class as a requirement for graduation. The university catalog specifies alternate ways for meeting the competency in written English requirement (see the catalog for details). If the written English requirement is met by one of the methods prescribed in the catalog, 3 units of additional elective units must be taken.

The Computer Engineering department requires that if a course must be taken to meet the competency in written English requirement, that the course must be CMPE 294 (preferred) or ENGR 200W.