Software Engineering
Qualifications
Overview
Our society relies in many ways on software or software-based systems and services, for example in transportation, entertainment, telecommunications, government, business, health, and avionics.
Very often software systems have a high degree of complexity, consisting of millions of lines of code, using a wide range of technologies, and produced by large teams of software engineers. We critically depend on their timely and cost-effective completion, and on their reliable and efficient operation. To meet all these targets, a disciplined and well-founded approach to the design, creation, operation, and maintenance of software (or software-based systems) under real-world constraints (economical, ethical, technical, legal) is needed.
The Software Engineering programme at UC is a unique blend of foundational courses in Computer Science and Engineering, and practical work through a series of projects.
- UC has world-class engineering facilities including a futuristic augmented reality lab.
- UC operates BlueGene, the first IBM Supercomputer in the Southern Hemisphere, which is available to staff and students and is an essential research tool.
- Te Rāngai Pūkaha | College of Engineering has specially-designed computer laboratories and software as well as a specialist Te Puna Pūkaha me te Pūtaiao | Engineering and Physical Sciences library.
UC offers Software Engineering as a discipline within the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours.
First year
The first year of the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours is made up of:
Six compulsory courses taken by all Engineering students:
- ENGR 100 Engineering Academic Skills
- ENGR 101 Foundations of Engineering
- EMTH 118 Engineering Mathematics 1A
- EMTH 119 Engineering Mathematics 1B
- COSC 131 Introduction to Programming for Engineers
- PHYS 101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves, Electromagnetism and Thermal Physics
Plus courses specific to Software Engineering:
In addition you must completed one other 100-level optional course. Check with Te Rāngai Pūkaha | College of Engineering Student Advisor for suggested options.
More information:
- To see how this qualification is structured, see the degree diagram on the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours page.
- For guidance on how to structure your first year, visit the Engineering First Year webpage.
2nd–4th years
Once you have completed the first year and successfully applied for entry into Software Engineering, you will study that discipline within the next three years.
In all three years students will take foundational and advanced courses in core Computer Science and Software Engineering topics, such as databases, operating systems human-computer interaction, web-based systems, and software design and testing. Courses use a mixture of lectures, lab work, and practical projects.
An important feature of studying Software Engineering at UC is the projects, one for each year. The projects enable students to work in teams and use the latest software technologies to develop and implement creative solutions to complex problems.
- The project in the second year focuses on teamwork and gaining experience with contemporary software engineering tools for testing, or configuration and build management.
- The third-year project is a whole-year project with a focus on teamwork and interaction with customers and other stakeholders.
- The final-year project is a capstone project in which students apply all of their software engineering skills.
Second year
- SENG 199 Software Engineering Workshop Training Course
- ENGR 200 Engineering Work Experience
- SENG 201 Software Engineering I
- SENG 202 Software Engineering Project Workshop
- COSC 261 Formal Languages and Compilers
- COSC 262 Algorithms
- COSC 265 Relational Database Systems
- ENCE 260 Computer Systems
- EMTH 210 Engineering Mathematics 2 or MATH 220 Discrete Mathematics and Cryptography
Plus one of:
- COSC 264 Introduction to Computer Networks and the Internet
- EMTH 211 Engineering Linear Algebra and Statistics
- MATH 230 Logic, Automata, and Computability
Third year
- COSC 368 Humans and Computers
- ENEL 301 Fundamentals of Engineering Economics and Management
- SENG 301 Software Engineering II
- SENG 302 Software Engineering Group Project
- SENG 365 Web Computing Architectures
Plus two courses chosen from:
- COSC 362 Data and Network Security
- COSC 363 Computer Graphics
- COSC 364 Internet Technology and Engineering
- COSC 367 Artificial Intelligence
- ENCE 360 Operating Systems
- ENCE 361 Embedded Systems 1
- Any approved 300-level Engineering course
Fourth year
- SENG 401 Software Engineering III
- SENG 402 Software Engineering Research Project
- COSC 424 Secure Software
Plus another four approved 400-level courses chosen from COSC, ENCE, and/or SENG.
There is a strong demand for Software Engineering graduates; Aotearoa New Zealand employers have commented that they often have to look overseas to find sufficiently qualified candidates who have a combination of technical expertise with good communication, teamwork, and other soft skills.
Software engineering is a widely applicable discipline and graduates are not only needed in software production companies, but also in other companies whose products involve significant amounts of software.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Software Engineering.
Contact us
Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering
Phone +64 3 369 2777
Email enquiries@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Levels 2 and 3, Jack Erskine building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Rāngai Pūkaha | College of Engineering
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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