Master of Science degree in Software Management 

[Degree awarded: Master of Science (M.S.); Major: Software Management]

[14 courses]

To keep up with increasing demands for high quality software, software development has shifted from the linear development of a few programs by a centralized software powerhouse to more incremental and iterative development of rich systems from cooperative sources across the globe with increasingly strong overseas off-shoring assistance.

As a result, software professionals are now faced with unprecedented challenges in effectively planning, managing, and developing software engineering projects with distributed and limited resources. Only strong leaders who have a clear understanding of both software development techniques and business management approaches can adequately tackle these challenges to meet business needs.

This program provides students with the most relevant, practical, and applicable knowledge available in software engineering and software management. With the appropriate mix of technical and business skills, graduates of this program can systematically analyze business situations and propose, plan, and manage rigorous software development strategies and efforts to fulfill organizational objectives.

Since this program focuses on both technical and development management issues, graduates of this program can apply the acquired skills and knowledge to advance their careers in software architecture, strategic software business planning, and project portfolio and program management jobs. It can also advance more experienced software engineers and project managers to pursue technical leadership roles in the modern software business.

Entrance Requirements:

1. A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a regionally-accredited educational institution in the U.S. (or international equivalent). 
2. An overall grade-point-average (GPA) of at least 2.7. (Applicants with a GPA less than 2.7 will be considered for provisional admission with their professional experience factored into the decision.)

Items required to complete your application:
(International students: please see International Student Admission Procedures.)

1. Application fee of $50 (non-refundable)
2. Completed GPS Online Application for Admission 
3. Admission essay giving your reasons for wanting to enter this program. Essays can be one to two pages (in .doc, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf format).
4. Detailed resume which includes all work experience, job description, and any programming languages used (in .doc, .rtf, .txt, or .pdf format).
5. A list of any computing-related courses not appearing on transcripts.
6. Official transcript(s) from ALL universities/colleges attended bearing an institutional seal and sent directly to the Graduate Programs in Software (GPS) office by the issuing institution (even if the course work appears as transfer work on another school transcript).

Note: The GRE or GMAT is not required for the GPS programs.

Degree Requirements:

To complete the requirements for the Master of Science with a major in software management, students must successfully complete 14 courses (42 graduate semester credits) and with a GPA of at least 2.7. Students must complete 8 required technical courses from GPS, 2 electives from GPS, and 4 elective courses from the Opus College of Business graduate course curriculum.

Required Courses

• SEIS 605  Technical Communications (Oral, Written, Visual)
• SEIS 610  Software Engineering
• SEIS 625  Software Project Management
• SEIS 626  Software Quality Assurance/Quality Control
• SEIS 630  Database Management Systems and Design
• SEIS 645  Computer and Network Communications
• SEIS 705  Strategic Information Systems
• SEIS 707  Enterprise Architecture and Development
• 2 SEIS course electives from the GPS course list.
• 4 electives from the Opus College of Business (OCB) graduate course curriculum:
  Evening UST MBA Core Courses
  UST MBA Elective Courses
  Master of Business Communication Course Descriptions 
• Students may transfer up to 2 courses (6 credits) from a school other than the University of St. Thomas. The transfer courses must have been taken at the graduate level. The transfer school must be accredited. For information on transfer courses, please see Transfer Courses.
  

Suggested course sequence :

Semester 1: SEIS 605 and SEIS 610 
Semester 2: SEIS 630 and SEIS 625
Semester 3: SEIS 645 and SEIS 626
Semester 4: SEIS 707  and 1 Elective (SEIS / OCB course)
Semester 5: SEIS 705  and 1 Elective (SEIS / OCB course)
Semester 6: 2 Electives (SEIS / OCB course)
Semester 7: 2 Electives (SEIS / OCB course)