Admission Inquiries
Q: What are the acceptable GRE and IELTS/ TOEFL score for getting an admission?
A: GRE scores are not required. TOEFL iBT score of 90, TOEFL Essentials score of 9.5, IELTS minimum score 6.5, PTE score of 61, Duolingo English test minimum score of 115. See How to Apply: International Software Engineering Students for more details and updated scores.
Q: Are there any minimum GPA requirements to apply for the program?
A: B.S. degree with 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent.
Q: How many years of work experience do I need to have to apply for the SENG program?
A: Field experience is not required however it is considered when evaluating your application.
Q: How do I apply for financial aid and what are the options that I have?
A: For domestic students, see UMBC Graduate Students Financial Aid website. For international students, see International Students Financial Aid and Scholarships website.
Q: Can I apply for the summer intake?
A: Intakes are for Fall and Spring semesters however you may apply at any time during the year and your application will be considered for the next academic year or semester based on your application date and the deadline for applications submission. See Graduate School Admissions website for application deadlines and details.
Q: As a current undergraduate student at UMBC, can I take graduate level courses in SENG?
A: Generally an undergraduate student can’t enroll in a graduate course for credit. Some undergraduate programs may have specific requirements for students enrolling in graduate courses. You should contact your advisor for specific details applicable to your undergraduate major. The Graduate School also has rules that govern undergraduate students taking graduate courses for credit. The Software Engineering MPS program is also offering some accelerated and combined BS/BA and MPS in Software Engineering programs. Check with your undergraduate academic advisor to see if an accelerated and combined program is available for your major.
Graduate Student Assistantship and Grader Positions
Q: Are graduate, teaching, or research assistantship (GA, TA, RA) or grader positions available?
A: Yes. There are limited GA, TA, RA, and grader positions available. These positions are available to students who completed at least one semester in the program with strong academic standing. We give students from the software engineering program priority for any open positions that become available. The availability of these positions varies from one term to another and are contingent on funding, needs, courses offered, and research conducted. To be considered for these positions, you may submit your information into this form https://bit.ly/seng-grad-student-worker and you will be contacted if you are selected for an available position.
Pathways
Q: What are the different pathways that are there?
A: The Software Engineering MPS program offers 5 pathways including software architecture, data engineering, software engineering management, software engineering education, and software engineering consulting. See pathways details https://goseng.umbc.edu/pathways/
Q: Can I pick electives that are in a different pathway?
A: Yes.The pathways guide the student through the approved electives list and serve as a best-practice for achieving that pathway. The pathways are not a hard rule and in some cases a student may need a different elective. The program allows for that as long as the elective is on the approved electives list or has been approved by prior written consent from the department. This request must be submitted in writing at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the term where the elective in question is being offered.
Course Selection
Q: What course plan should students follow?
A: See semester by semester plan https://goseng.umbc.edu/pathways/.
Q: What electives are available?
A: There are currently 13 approved courses from Software Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Human Centered Computing, and Information Systems. See electives https://goseng.umbc.edu/courses/#electives.
Q: How many courses can I take in total from other departments?
A: A maximum of two electives can be taken from another department with the exception of Computer Science and Information Systems, you may take more than two from the approved electives list with a prefix of CMSC or IS. If you need to go outside the approved electives, you will need to send a formal email to the department and the program director requesting the course, a statement explaining the reason why you think this course aligns with your chosen pathway, and how you meet the software engineering MPS program rule that students may take up to two elective courses from an outside program. If your request is approved, then you may register for that elective. This request must be submitted in writing at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the term where the course in question is being offered.
Q: How many courses do I need to complete to finish the course?
A: A total of 10 courses that must include the 6 core courses required and four approved electives. See a list of core courses and electives https://goseng.umbc.edu/courses/.
Q: When can I or should I take SENG 701 Capstone in Software Engineering?
A: The Capstone in Software Engineering, SENG 701, is taken during the last two semesters of your study after completing all core classes and some electives having at least 18 credits.
Q: What is the ideal duration for completing the course?
A: Typically two years.
Q: How many graduate credit hours should I take per semester?
A: The graduate program in Software Engineering requires time commitment and focused effort in order to perform at a high academic standard, turn knowledge into practice, and become a true software engineering practitioner. We recommend full time graduate students to take up to 9 credit hours. International students are required to enroll in 9 credits except for their last semester as a condition of their student visa.
Q: How many hours per week do I need to commit for my graduate courses?
A: Graduate school is more demanding than undergraduate study. Students should plan for 3 hours of preparation for every hour they spend in class whether the class modality is in person, hybrid, or asynchronous online. That means students need to spend 3 to 4 times the time spent in class doing preparation work, reading, papers, and assignments.
For each course, students should allocate and set aside the following time effort:
- 3 hours per week for reading, listening, studying the content online or being in class in person or via video with full attention and engagement
- 9 hours per week doing preparation work, related readings, and assignments
- Total hours per course: 12 hours per week
This means if a student is taking 9 graduate credits, they should set aside 36 hours for their class time and schoolwork. Please note that these are minimal to average measures. Some courses will take more than 12 hours per week to study and prepare for depending on the course level, content complexity, class modality, and the student knowledge, skills, and preparation levels.
Q: Can I take 12 graduate credit hours or 4 graduate courses in a single semester?
A: We strongly discourage students from taking more than 9 graduate credits and require a waiver with a written justification. For a student who requests to take 12 credits in a single semester, the time commitment is 48 hours per week. This time estimate is minimal to average measure. Some courses may require more than 12 hours per week depending on multiple factors including course level, complexity, modality, and student preparation levels. In rare cases, it is acceptable for a student to take excess credits and enroll in 12 graduate credits. In those cases, the student must make a formal request into the department for a waiver by filling out the SENG Excess Graduate Credits form and provide a written justification statement. The request is reviewed by the IS Graduate committee for Professional Programs. If any of the members have a strong concern or the request does not receive large support from the committee then the request is declined.
Graduation Requirements
Q: What do I need to graduate?
A: In order for you to graduate from the software engineering MPS program you need to: a) follow all rules and regulations per university and the graduate school guidelines and b) complete all coursework per the software engineering MPS program requirements including all core classes and four electives from the software engineering MPS program approved electives list. We created an audit form to assist students with this process. Please fill out the software engineering MPS program Graduation Audit Form and complete the Graduation Checklist per the UMBC Graduate School. Once your audit form has been approved by the department and your checklist is complete, you should submit an Online Application for Graduation.
Non-Software Engineering Students
Q: How do I enroll in Software Engineering MPS courses as a Non-Software Engineering student?
A: Please fill out the form mentioned here and request to be placed on the waitlist for the course.
Q: When can I expect to be enrolled in the course?
A: Please note that enrollment is contingent on seat availability and students are notified one to two weeks prior to the start of the semester for which a request has been made.