Overview
Computer Science 410: Software Engineering focuses on the principles and knowledge of software engineering. It covers the approaches taken in developing large programming projects, including requirements analysis, specification, design, coding, testing, maintenance, and thorough documentation. This course will prepare students for working in teams to build quality software, and it provides the necessary hands-on practice for those who wish to enhance their knowledge base.
COMP 410 is designed for people who work or want to work in any aspect of software development. It is also intended for people who have managerial responsibility for software development and anyone who is interested in how complex software systems are designed and built.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
- explain what software and software engineering is.
- explain in detail, discuss, and compare various software design, development, and deployment methods, including processes and the impact of human factors on software engineering.
- demonstrate the effective use of requirements and design models to communicate with stakeholders and the development team.
- discuss in detail and demonstrate practical skills for developing high-quality and secure software.
- discuss in detail and demonstrate practical skills for successfully planning and managing software projects.
- discuss emerging trends and research in software engineering to improve processes, strategies, and approaches.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 410, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent), including a grade of at least 50 percent on the final exam. There are four assignments in COMP 410, and you must achieve a composite grade of at least 50 percent as an average between the four assignments.
The weighting of the course composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 15% |
| Assignment 2 | 15% |
| Assignment 3 | 10% |
| Assignment 4 | 40% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Pressman, R. S., & Maxin, B. R. (2020). Software engineering: A practitioner’s approach (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.