Software Engineering, M.S.

Saint Louis University's master’s degree in software engineering is designed for students interested in developing high-quality, large-scale software systems.

Students enrolled in SLU's graduate program in software engineering develop and create design strategies using hands-on projects and modern software tools to gain knowledge, skills and experience. Students discover critical design strategies that allow for continual innovation throughout their careers. Guided by outstanding professors, much of the learning is team-based in small classes.

Curriculum Overview

SLU’s project-based software engineering curriculum emphasizes student teamwork and regular student-faculty interactions. Software engineering students at SLU gain a depth of knowledge in processes and techniques for developing quality software systems. In addition, the program's flexible electives allow students to explore other areas of computer science such as systems, theory, networking, security and artificial intelligence. A culminating capstone project brings teams together for a full development cycle.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Our location in the Midtown area of St. Louis, Missouri, offers students access to a robust technology community, operations for many Fortune 500 companies and a vibrant startup culture. This environment provides outstanding opportunities for summer internships, part-time work during the academic year and jobs after graduation.

Employers in St. Louis interested in computer science students include Boeing, Centene, Citi, Deloitte, Enterprise, Express Scripts, KPMG, Maritz, MasterCard, Microsoft, Bayer and World Wide Technologies. Other students have worked for smaller companies or even started their own companies.

SLU's campus is within walking distance of the Cortex Innovation Community, a vibrant 200-acre (and growing) innovation hub and technology district. Cortex is home to SLU's Research Innovation Group, which works on technology transfer and commercial partnerships. Cortex is also home to the weekly Venture Cafe, which is a great place for students to connect with members of the tech community in a friendly and informal setting. Also in downtown St. Louis is the T-REX Technology Entrepreneur Center, a co-working space and technology incubator.

Careers

Careers related to software engineering and computer science are routinely found on various "best jobs" lists because of their outstanding combination of excellent pay, satisfying work-life balance and personal reward in seeing the significant impact of computing on society. As a sample of such listings:

• U.S. News 100 Best Jobs list for 2024 named software developer as No. 3. The top 100 also included IT manager (No. 4), information security analyst (No. 7), data scientist (No. 8), web developer (No. 21), computer systems analyst (No. 61) and computer network architect (No. 77).
• Glassdoor's 50 Best Jobs in America list for 2021 named Java developer as No. 1 and data scientist as No. 2, and many other technology positions appear within the top 25: enterprise architect (No. 4), DevOps engineer (No. 5), information security engineer (No. 6), mobile engineer (No. 8), software engineer (No. 9), front end engineer (No. 11), back end engineer (No. 16), machine learning engineer (No. 17), cloud engineer (No. 23) and UX designer (No. 24).

Admission Requirements

A bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering or math major (STEM) is typical for admission into this program. Most successful applicants have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 scale. In addition, applicants should have evidence of strong computational skills (generally through prior coursework in programming and data structures) and proof of strong mathematical skills (generally through prior coursework in calculus and statistics).

Application Requirements

• Application completion 
• Transcript(s)
• One letter of recommendation is required; two more are optional
• Résumé
• Statement of professional goals
• GRE general scores recommended

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Financial documents are required to complete an application for admission and be reviewed for admission and merit scholarships. 
• Proof of financial support that must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include:
  • Courses taken and/or lectures attended
  • Practical laboratory work
  • The maximum and minimum grades attainable
  • The grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations
  • Any honors or degrees received.

WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Application Deadlines

Applications for January admission must be completed by the preceding Nov. 1, while applications for August admission must be completed by June 1. Applicants seeking scholarships or graduate assistantships are encouraged to apply earlier.

Review Process

Applications will be reviewed as they are completed. A panel of faculty members from the Department of Computer Science will decide on acceptance, and all applicants will be evaluated for potential scholarships or assistantships.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships, Assistantships and Financial Aid

The computer science department offers several forms of merit-based financial support for graduate students. These include possible tuition scholarships and graduate assistantships that may include full or partial tuition, health insurance and a stipend for living expenses in exchange for the assistant’s contributions to the teaching or research mission of the department. Students may also seek scholarships from various independent organizations that support graduate education in STEM fields.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

1. Graduates will be able to design, implement, evaluate and test a complex software system that meets a given set of computing requirements.
2.  Graduates will be able to utilize project management processes and tools through the complete software life cycle.
3. Graduates will be able to assess relevant literature and technical documents in the field of computing.
4. Graduates will be able to communicate effectively to both professional and general audiences in both oral and written forms.
5. Graduates will be able to recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
6. Graduates will be able to function effectively as a member of a team in developing computing technology and solving technical problems.

†

Students may apply at most 3 credits of CSCI 5910 Internship with Industry.

Foundational Coursework

Students without a previous degree in Computer Science or a closely related field may be required to take additional courses to satisfy pre-requisites. Typically, this will not impact time to degree.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Program Notes

General Electives

The general electives may include additional selections from the software engineering category, courses numbered CSCI 5301-5399.

Internship with Industry

Students may apply at most three credits of Internship with Industry (CSCI 5910) toward the degree requirements.

For questions about admissions, applicants currently in the United States should contact graduate@slu.edu and applicants elsewhere should contact globalgrad@slu.edu.   

For other questions about the program or curriculum, contact the computer science department at cs@slu.edu.