Graduate Certificate Program in Software Engineering (SWE)

The graduate certificate program in software engineering provides knowledge, tools, and techniques to those who are working in, or plan to work in, the field of software engineering, but do not want to complete all of the requirements for a master's degree. The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any of the graduate programs in the Volgenau School.

Admission Requirements

Admission into the Graduate Certificate Program in Software Engineering is identical to that of the master's degree in Software Engineering.
  1. Hold a four-year (120 credits) baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
  2. Have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credits of undergraduate study.
  3. Submit a departmental self-evaluation form, which can be obtained from the department. This form provides summary information concerning background and preparation for the program.
  4. Provide a brief (one- to two-page) statement of educational and work experience in the computing field that includes a statement of career goals in software engineering.
  5. Show proof of a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), if required. The test should have been taken within five years of applying for admission. ISE has the following policy with regard to the GRE. The test is required for each applicant unless the applicant
    • has an undergraduate degree in science or engineering from a U.S. university and graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 hours; or
    • has a graduate degree in a related field from a U.S. university; or
    • has been admitted as a non-degree student and meets all the following requirements: has an undergraduate degree from a U.S. university, has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 hours; and received at least a B in all foundation courses taken at GMU or elsewhere.
  6. Submit the appropriate application form with three letters of recommendation from persons directly knowledgeable of the applicant's professional and academic competence.
  7. TOEFL for international students.

Applicants must possess knowledge in the following areas: a modern, object oriented programming language such as Java, Ada, or C++; data structures and algorithms; machine organization, (e.g., as given in computer system architecture or assembly language courses); and topics in discrete mathematics including sets, relations, functions, trees, graphs, and inductive proofs. The level of knowledge required in these areas is equivalent to that taught in undergraduate courses, and may be achieved by taking the following George Mason University courses.
  • INFS 501   Discrete and Logical Structures for Information Systems
  • INFS 515   Computer Organization
  • INFS 590   Program Design and Data Structures
  • SWE 510   Object-Oriented Programming in Java

In addition, it is desirable, but not necessary, for applicants to have at least one year of appropriate work experience in building and/or modifying software.

For those students not enrolled in a graduate degree program at GMU, application for the certificate program in software engineering is made through the Graduate Admissions Office of the Volgenau School. Students enrolled in a graduate degree program at GMU should apply to the Department of Information and Software Engineering for admission into the certificate program.

Requirements for the Certificate in Software Engineering

Certificate candidates must complete five courses, with an average grade of B or better, for a total of 15 credits of graduate study.

To obtain the certificate a student needs to take:
  1. Three required courses
    • SWE 619   Object-Oriented Software Specification and Construction
    • SWE 620   Software Requirements and Specification
    • SWE 621   Software Modeling and Architectural Design
  2. Two courses (subject to satisfying prerequisites) from the complete set of SWE 600-level and 700-level courses.

Special Rules for CS Majors

Students in the MS program in Computer Science can obtain a certificate in Software Engineering by taking any five SWE courses. If CS/SWE 706 is included, it is possible to complete the MS-CS and the certificate in SWE within 30 hours.

For Further Information

Additional information on the program is available from the ISE Student Advisor

Financial aid information is available at the GMU Office of Financial Aid

[Go Back]

Effective Fall 2007
Master programs  
 Go to MS-SWE  MS-SWE