The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Software Engineering prepares students in the theory and methods of systematic and rigorous construction and maintenance of software for industrial, scientific, and commercial applications.
Software engineering concerns the design, implementation, testing and maintenance of software. Software engineers design and develop many types of software, including business applications, embedded systems, computer games, operating systems, and networks. According to the 2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of software developers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Software developers will be needed to respond to an increased demand for computer software.
The FGCU B.S. in Software Engineering degree program will produce graduates who:
- leverage software engineering principles to excel in a range of professional roles and/or graduate studies,
- practice life-long learning in their professions, adapting to the rapidly changing technological world.
Students majoring in Software Engineering (B.S.) may not pursue Computer Science (B.S.) as a Dual Major / Dual Degree. Students are encouraged to pursue the M.S. in Computer Science instead.
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
Students admitted to FGCU as a degree seeking student in good academic standing may declare a major in engineering. All engineering majors must satisfy the academic milestones as described in the student guidebook. Refer to the Software Engineering (B.S.) Student Guidebook for further information on milestones.
In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 42 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000-4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits, including 12 credit hours in the major must be completed at FGCU. Also, CEN 4934 and CEN 4935 must be taken at FGCU.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an application for graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| |
| |
| |
| COP 1500 | Intro to Computer Science (Acceptable Substitute: COPX500 or COP X000) *, 1 | 3 |
| COP 2006 | Programming I (Acceptable Substitute: COP X006) | 3 |
| MAC 2311 | Calculus I (Acceptable Substitute: MACX311) *, 2 | 4 |
| MAC 2312 | Calculus II (Acceptable Substitute: MACX312) | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Statistical Methods (Acceptable Substitute: STAX023) *, 3 | 3 |
| MAC 2313 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MAP 2302 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| |
| BSC 1010C | General Biology with Lab I | 4 |
BSC 1011
& 1011L | General Biology II
and General Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
CHM 1045
& 1045L | General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory *, 4 | 4 |
CHM 1046
& 1046L | General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| GLY 1010C | Physical Geology | 4 |
PHY 2048
& 2048L | General Physics I
and General Physics I Laboratory | 4 |
PHY 2049
& 2049L | General Physics II
and General Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| |
| |
| CEN 3031 | Software Engng Fundamentals | 3 |
| CEN 3073 | Requirements Engr & Analysis | 3 |
| CEN 3078 | Computer Security | 3 |
| CEN 4065 | Software Architecture & Design | 3 |
| CEN 4072 | Software Testing | 3 |
| CEN 4934 | Senior Software Engr Project I | 3 |
| CEN 4935 | SeniorSoftware Engr Project II | 3 |
| COP 3003 | Programming II | 3 |
| COP 3350 | Systems Admin and Programming | 3 |
| COP 3530 | Data Structures & Algorithms | 3 |
| COP 3710 | Intro to Data Engineering | 3 |
| COP 4610 | Operating Systems | 3 |
| COT 3400 | Design&Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
| MAD 3107 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| |
| |
| CDA 3104 | Comp Org'n & Assem Lang Prog 5 | 3 |
| CDA 3200 | Digital Systems & Architecture | 3 |
| 5 | (12 credits) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Total Credits Required: 120
Combined Program
The combined Bachelors/Master’s program in Software Engineering (B.S.) and Computer Science (M.S.) is an accelerated program designed specifically for students who have displayed academic excellence as undergraduate majors. The program provides an opportunity for these students to obtain a bachelor's and master’s degree within a combined period of 5 years. Qualified Students may take up to 9 credits of graduate level courses {5000-6999) during their junior and senior years and have them count towards their bachelor's and master's degrees. Students meeting the qualifications (see below) will be eligible for the combined program.
Combined Program Admission Requirements
- Completed 75 credits in their B.S. in Software Engineering program
- Major GPA at least 3.4
- Overall GPA of at least 3.2
Candidates for the combined program may apply after completing a minimum of 75 credits in their B.S. in Software Engineering program. Candidates who have completed greater than 90 credits in their B.S. in Software Engineering program will need department approval to apply for the combined program. The Candidate must submit their application materials to the graduate program coordinator. The graduate program coordinator is responsible for communicating with the students regarding acceptance of the combined program.
Combined Program Progression
- The B.S. in Software Engineering program is 120 credits
- The M.S. in Computer Science program is 30 credits
- Up to 9 Credits will be double counted for both the bachelor’s and the master’s programs. These credits will substitute for restrictive elective courses in the bachelor’s degree as approved by the Chair. Students will satisfy all other requirements for the B.S. in Software Engineering including general education courses, common prerequisites courses, required courses in the major, restricted electives in the major, and the university’s Sustainability Course Graduation Requirement (SCGR)
- For a student that has earned 9 graduate credits towards their bachelor’s degree, the total number of credits for the combined program is a minimum of 120 + 21 = 141 credit hours
- A minimum grade of B- is required for each graduate course to be double-counted. The student will take up to 9 graduate credits from the M.S. in Computer Science program
Students who begin the combined program as undergraduates but do not continue to the M.S. in Computer Science program may still count any graduate course they took that was accepted to count towards this proposed combined program.
Students that do not successfully complete the bachelor’s degree program will be withdrawn from the M.S. in Computer Science program. These students may reapply to the graduate program upon successfully completing the bachelor's degree and will be required to take the required 30 credits for the M.S. in Computer Science.
