A white PowerPoint slide with navy text says, "Welcome! Chat with the Chair of Software Engineering" with a picture of people pointing at a desktop computer screen below. Associate Director of Admissions Amanda Doctor is in the top right corner of the screen.
Amanda Doctor: Hello, and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us today for our chat with the Chair of Software Engineering. It's lovely to have you join us. Just a note about today's presentation, we are recording this session so that we can share it with those who were unable to attend live at this time.
If you have your microphone on, I would just ask that you please mute it at this time during the information session so that we can minimize any audio issues or background noise. We will host a question and answer toward the end of today's presentation. We will stop recording at that point as well, so people will be welcome to turn their microphones on, their cameras on at that point. But in the meantime, if you would like to log a question in advance of the Q&A, you're welcome to do so by using the chat field found at the bottom of your screen.
Screen switches to say "Program Chair: Aline Yurik, PdD" with a headshot of Aline Yurik.
Amanda Doctor speaks: So my name is Amanda Docter, I'm the Associate Director of Admissions and Enrollment for Brandeis Online here at Brandeis University, and I am honored to be joined today by our program chair for Software Engineering, Dr. Aline Yurick. Aline, if you wouldn't mind sharing a bit about your experience and your background, both professionally and your time at Brandeis, which is extensive. I know that I would appreciate it, as would our attendees for today.
'Aline Yurik speaks: Thank you very much, Amanda. Welcome, everyone. Great to have you here for this session. So, I'm Aileen Urich, and I'm the program chair for the software engineering program at Brandeis Graduate Professional Studies, also Brandeis Online. I have extensive experience in the software engineering industry, working in a variety of roles, currently as a product owner, for digital health and digital strategy areas, within a health insurance organization. In the past, I have also held roles as Director of Engineering, as a software development manager, and as a software architect. And these industry roles give me important insights that I bring into the shaping of the curriculum at Brandeis for the software engineering master's degree, as well as master's certificates. My background in academia has been extensive. I've completed a PhD in computer science at Brandeis University, as well as two masters, one in computer science, one in information technology management, and a bachelor's in Computer Science from Brandeis University. And with that, both academic and industry background. I've been the program chair for software engineering for a number of years, really shaping the program to address the needs of the software engineering industry and our always-changing high-tech landscape. So, looking forward to talk to you more about that.
Amanda Doctor: Perfect, thank you so much for sharing that.
Slide switches to say "Brandeis University Overview."
Amanda Doctor speaks: Before we dive fully into today's agenda, I think it's helpful for those who maybe are not familiar with Brandeis University to know a little bit more about who we are as an institution. So Brandeis Online is a division that operates within the Brandeis University umbrella. Brandeis University was founded in 1948 and named for Louis Brandeis, who was the first Jewish justice of the United States Supreme Court. We are a nationally ranked, medium-sized research institution, and we host approximately 3,300 undergraduate students annually, as well as 1,400 graduate students, and that's across multiple disciplines and areas of study. We are founded on the principles of social justice, equity, and access, and I feel that's really important and very resonant in today's landscape, especially in higher ed. I feel that offering programs online is also a really strong testament to that… to that commitment to access for individuals to pursue higher ed degrees in a fashion that is appropriate for them and meets… and meets their needs. However, we are online, but we are also a physical campus. Brandeis University is situated on approximately 235 acres in Waltham, Massachusetts, which is a suburb of the Boston area. We're approximately 9 miles, or about 14 and a half kilometers west of Boston, so if you happen to be in the area or visiting the area, we are highly accessible. We absolutely encourage prospective students and students alike to come visit us on campus. It's really lovely, especially coming up this time of year in the spring. And just know that we are institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, or NECHI, and this just serves to ensure that our academic programming is meeting strong academic rigor and delivering a transformative educational experience to all students, regardless of their area of study or method of study.
Slide switches to say "Agenda."
Amanda Doctor speaks: To dive into our agenda today, we are going to talk a little bit about Brandeis Online, I'll give you a bit of an overview of how our online programming works, and then I will ask Aline to share a bit more insight about the program and specifics of the program. We will touch on Marketplace Insights a little bit. I'll share admissions information with you, tuition, and things of that nature. And then we will have an opportunity to open it up for a question and answer period.
Slide switches to say "Brandeis Online Overview."
Amanda Doctor speaks: Here at Brandeis Online, our programming is 100% online and asynchronous, which means you will not have an assigned class time per week, but online asynchronous does not mean impersonal. You should take advantage of some of the highlights of being part of a broader university, which has dedicated faculty who host office hours week to week. So while you might not be meeting at a specific course time, you do have a very structured course. You will know, at the top of each course what your obligations are from week to week, and how to contact any of the resources that you might need as you work through your program. We do offer programming in five eight-week academic sessions per year with rolling admissions. So, generally speaking, you could take one course each academic session over a two-year period to complete your degree. We offer two independent academic sessions in the span of a traditional fall semester, two in the span of a traditional spring semester, and new this academic year, we are also offering a summer enrollment period, which our deadline for admission is coming up on May 5th for that. We'll talk a little bit about that later. But it just gives our students an opportunity to stay continuously enrolled and dedicated to their program, as well as allowing the opportunity for new students to start at a time that sort of befits their needs and their schedule.
Our master's degrees are predominantly 10 courses, or 30 credits in nature. There are 1 or 2 outliers. We also offer stackable master's certificates, which are four courses, 12 credits, and they can serve as a standalone credential, or they can be stacked into the completion of a master's degree, and we'll touch a little bit on that more later on in our presentation. Generally speaking, it is possible to complete a program in as few as 12 to 18 months. I, I would say, more realistically, you might be looking at 1 to 2 years for a full master's program, but a master's certificate is probably something you could do in less than an academic year.
We also allow students to take up to two courses on a non-matriculating basis, so prior to applying to the program, if you just would like to, understand whether or not online learning is right for you, or a particular program is appropriate for you, you do have the opportunity to do one to two courses as a non-matriculant. Just know that that course will be credit-bearing, so should you choose to apply later on to either a certificate program or a master's program, you would have the opportunity to roll that course that you've taken into the completion of your desired program.
At Brandeis Online, approximately 98% of our students are working full-time while they are enrolled in a program. And again, this is sort of giving you that access, that flexibility to manage your competing priorities, to not have to uproot yourself in your effort to pursue a master's degree, we find that people enjoy that balance, being able to structure their time from week to week around their competing priorities, so their personal priorities and their professional priorities.
Slide switches to a white background with navy text that says "About Software Engineering." Then, it switches to a navy chart outlining the four defining features of the Software Engineering program: 1) Focus on industry-standard knowledge and skills to create software systems, 2) Emerging and foundational technologies, 3) Covering all phases of software development life cycle, and 4) Taught by experienced industry professionals. Online asynchronous does not mean, however, that the work is not rigorous. There is an expectation of you. This… we… we ask that students anticipate approximately 10 to 15 hours of work per week per course, and know that that can really change depending on the course, depending on the instructor, depending on the requirements from week to week, but I always think it's best to envision a bit more so that you're prepared when you start the program.
We do keep our class sizes small, and that is somewhat intentional. The average course size for us is 12 students per faculty member. That really gives our students an opportunity to engage in sort of a community-based setting. Online doesn't have to mean impersonal. It doesn't mean that you're going to be in a class with, with, you know, an unlimited amount of students. This creates the opportunity for you to really dive into the work, and to engage with your classmates, to engage with your faculty, and have sort of a really rewarding and enriching experience as you kind of build both your academic and professional network. And I think it's just helpful to understand, as everyone considers, you know, what's… what is the return on investment? If I… if I invest in a program, what will it get me? I think that the rewards can be, you know, many and varied based on your needs, but we do see that individuals who participate in master's programming, especially our own students, our alumni that have been surveyed. See, about an average salary increase of approximately 25%. So, again, just something to consider as you consider whether or not to move forward with the pursuit of a master's degree.
Slide switches to say "About Software Engineering Program."
Amanda Doctor: And with that, I think we will dive a little bit more into our program-specific insights, and Aileen, if you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts on some of the defining features of our program.
Aline Yurik: Yeah, thank you, Amanda. Software engineering program is really focused on what is important in the software engineering industry, and so we take great care in continuously analyzing the new trends and the new technologies that are coming out in the high-tech and software engineering industry, and making sure that our curriculum is shaped to cover both the technologies and the best practices of their use throughout the industry. So it's a very practically oriented program where we focus on industry standards, best ways to apply new technologies and existing technologies, to create software systems.
We also look at emerging technologies, so we will talk in a bit on how we've just recently, introduced courses and curriculum in artificial intelligence, because that's been really on the forefront of everything that is happening in the software world today. And artificial intelligence is driving a lot of the new technology implementations, so it's really important as you embark on your graduate degree to make sure you have that strong foundation in the latest and greatest technologies.
A very strong factor for our program is that all of our instructors are practicing software professionals. They work in the software industry today, they have tons of experience delivering a variety of software projects, and they bring not only their knowledge of technology, but they also bring their implementation experience, what worked, what didn't work, what are some of the best practices. That they can share with their students. And you're basically learning from the software practitioners in how to apply the latest and greatest technologies to creating software products.
Another really important feature of our software engineering program is that it's covering all phases of the software development lifecycle. It's not just focused on development. Because before we do development, we need to know what it is we're creating, right? We need to design and architect it properly, then we actually do development, and then we need to make sure it works properly, right? So we need to do testing. We need to go through the release cycle to ensure that we are creating a product that is free of defects. And works well on, you know, multiple platforms. So all of these components, are part of a software development lifecycle, and our curriculum is structured to cover the entire software development lifecycle, not just the programming features. Let's go to the next slide.
The slide changes to two navy charts. One chart lists required courses: RSEG 105: Expert Software Development in Java, RSEG 109: Object-Oriented Design with UML, RSEG 120: Software Development Methodologies, RSEG 126: Release Control and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (DevOps), RSEG 127: Software Engineering Studio, RSEG 131: Software Testing Techniques. The other chart lists a sample of elective courses: RSEG 102: Software Development in Java, RSEG 103: Software Development in C++, RSEG 128: User Interface Design, RSEG 165: Design Patterns, RSEG 176: Cloud Computing, RSEG 181: Agile Software Development."
Aline Yurik speaks: So, software engineering program curriculum consists of 10 courses that you would take to complete your degree, out of which 5 are required courses, and 5 are elective courses.
So, our required courses span that software development lifecycle that I just mentioned. The course you see in the middle on the left side, RSEG 120, Software Development Methodologies, actually provides you with a full view of software development life cycles, various models that you can choose. For a software development lifecycle, Agile model being one of the most popular for quite a while, but also looking at other models that, can be used. We are then hitting various aspects of creating a software product, including expert software development in Java course, RSEG 105, which focuses on creating, digital enterprise-level, software that is complex, that addresses business needs and business processes, and allows you to integrate with other software partners and software systems. Also, web development technologies focuses on creating software for today's world, which is all web-based and app-based, so you are looking at both the front-end and the back-end technologies that is used for web development.
The course, at the end of the column on the left, RSEG 131, focuses on software testing techniques. So once you create your software, it's actually tested so that it is free of bugs and ready to use. And then RSEG 126, Release Control and Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, also known as DevOps in the software industry, is a course that focuses on how do we actually deliver software in a predictable and standard way so that it can be released, you know, as often as needed for each enterprise needs, to bring all the changes and features and user stories to the software world. So, those 5 are the required courses, and once you start the program, you would work with your student advisor to see what is the right path for you, for your background.
If you're a career changer, we may start you first with one of our gentler Java courses, which is called RSEG 102, Software Development in Java, which provides you with a really strong background for Java programming before you jump into more advanced courses, such as Expert Software Development in Java. And if you are not a software career, if you're not new to software development then your student advisor would work with you to align your electives to what your career interests are, so you could get either a broad or a deep focus in particular areas of the software engineering world. So, you can see some of the elective courses here on the right. We have a number of programming courses, including software development in Java and C++.
We have a number of design and architecture courses, including user interface design, object-oriented design with UML, design patterns, and a lot of systems today are using cloud technology, so we have a very important course in cloud architecture and development with microservices, which is a very popular software architecture approach to today's, large systems. Also, a course on agile transformation for software development, which really brings that agile focus, a software development lifecycle that's been very popular across software organizations. How do you bring that focus and, you know, quickly and efficiently deliver software features and components to the world?
The slide changes to display a navy chart about the Cybersecurity Concentration. It says "Choose 4 electives" and lists all electives to the right: RIAS 102: Information Security Management, RIAS 110: Identity Management and Access Control, RIAS 120: Secure Development Technologies, RIAS 140: Cloud Security, RIAS 172: Network Security." Below, navy text says: Cybersecurity is a strategically important area of knowledge for software engineers. Software systems need to be designed and implemented defensively based on cybersecurity principles and techniques. Students in the Cybersecurity concentration will gain additional technical expertise in securing software systems against cyber risks and attacks.
Aline Yurik speaks: As you work through your software engineering career path and degree, you can also focus on a very important area that has been in the news for years, which is cybersecurity. We know that cybersecurity is very important for all enterprises, for retail, finance, medicine, right? Everybody's trying to protect themselves from hackers, from phishing attacks, from ransom attacks. So, as we create software, it's really important to provide a really strong cybersecurity foundation. And when you pursue your master's in software engineering, you can select a cybersecurity concentration, which would be 4 courses out of 5 that we have offered in the cybersecurity curriculum. And that would count as your electives, so you could still, complete all of your required courses, do four cybersecurity electives, which would form your concentration, and still have room for one more elective to, you know, complete your master's degree. So, the cybersecurity courses include the foundations of cybersecurity, providing you with the general principles and foundation for software engineering professionals.
Also, a course on identity management and applied cryptography, which will ensure that, only authorized and validated users can work through a software system. A course on secure development technologies, which really builds secure practices into software development methodologies. A course on cloud security, with cloud systems being the predominant approach to many of today's software, architectures, cloud security becomes really important, and also network and application security, which looks at, completing the picture for cybersecurity on today's software systems. So this is a really great way to, specialize and bring a highly demanded set of skills to your software engineering toolbox.
Amanda Doctor: Fantastic.
Slide switches to say "Master's Certificates." Four certificates are listed: Cybersecurity, Software Architecture, Software Development, and Software Engineering with Artificial Intelligence.
Aline Yurik: This year, we've rolled out 4 master's certificates in software engineering, which we're very excited about. So, one of them is Cybersecurity Master's Certificate, and that certificate really aligns with the cybersecurity courses I've just discussed. So, you would have those 5 cybersecurity courses, you would choose 4 of them for your master's certificate in cybersecurity, which gives you a great credential as you proceed on your software engineering, career. And our certificates can be completed in four courses, which could be done during four terms, as Amanda mentioned, that would be less than one academic year, which is great. And they're also stackable, which means you can complete the master's Certificate, and then if you decide to proceed with the Master's of Software Engineering, those courses will then feed into your academic path in Master of Software Engineering. So, you would have 4 courses already completed, you would need to complete 6 more for your Master of Software Engineering degree.
Other certificates that we have rolled out this year include a certificate in software architecture, which focuses on architecture and design courses, including user interface design, object-oriented design, Cloud architecture and, development with microservices, as well as, I'm blanking! Let's see… as well as design patterns course, yes. So, you would have… A focus on architecture and design, and this certificate would be great for software engineers that are already in the field and have had some experience with software development. And you're now looking to advance your career towards a technical architecture role, or a software architect, or even an enterprise architect role. So this Master Certificate in Software Architecture would provide you with that foundation to have the architecture and design focus and set of skills to proceed further on your career.
Then we have Master's Certificate in Software Development, which is a great opportunity if you'd like to start with a credential that you can earn a little bit faster than a master's degree, and there's a lot of choices that you have within the software development certificate, which includes various programming languages in Java, C++, Python, as well as courses that are really important for software developers in object-oriented design and release management, that will give you the tools you need to create software. And then, as you complete the certificate, if you really like what you've been learning, you can proceed on your Master's of Software Engineering degree through the application process in the four courses, would then stack into your Master's of Software Engineering with additional six courses you would complete.
I'm also very excited about the Master's Certificate in Software Engineering with Artificial Intelligence. That's a brand new set of courses that we have created with the artificial intelligence focus. Anything you read today talks about artificial intelligence. All enterprises, all companies are reinventing themselves with the use of artificial intelligence. It's a major boost to productivity. It's a major way that companies from small proprietorships to large enterprises can take advantage of technology and really take a quantum leap in their business processes and do so much more, right, with the technologies that are available. So, it's very exciting, and the courses we've included in this master certificate include a course in Python, which is a really important programming language for artificial intelligence. Java is also used in artificial intelligence, but you really see Python everywhere in artificial intelligence, so that's the foundational programming language for us.
And then we have an overview course in artificial intelligence, looking at a lot of different areas within that, within that field of study, as well as a course in machine learning, and a course in natural language processing and generative AI. And if that sounds a little bit too complex. ChatGPT is generative AI, right? When you ask ChatGPT a question. And it searches, and it comes back with a well-formed response to you, and you can have, then, an in-depth conversation and zero in further on what you're looking for. When Artificial intelligence tools help you to summarize articles, or help you to create PowerPoints, or create content such as, you know, songs, or video, or even movies, or stories, or novels. That is the combination of generative AI and natural language processing. Natural language processing helps AI understand how we speak to it and what we are asking for it to do. And generative AI creates content, right? And that content can be text, it can be a summary of what it learned, it can be visual images or video. It can also be sound-oriented, such as recordings in movies.
So, this area is just beginning, and we're seeing quantum leaps in this area all the time. It's very exciting. It's going to be changing the way we work, the way we learn, the way we entertain ourselves, and, you know, we will see artificial intelligence, I think, in many different facets of our life. So getting this important professional focus in artificial intelligence, specifically for software engineering, is going to equip you with the latest tools that are very valuable in the software engineering world. And these same courses are also available as part of our Master's of Software Engineering degree, so as Master of Software Engineering student, you can also take these courses, and we're also rolling out a concentration in artificial intelligence as well, so I'm very excited about these changes, and I think you will find these courses very interesting.
The slide changes to display the course description for one required course, RSEG 105: Expert Software Development in Java. The description says, "This course examines Java technologies a software engineer can use to meet the challenges of software development for large-scale development projects. Large scale systems typically support a complex system architecture, incorporate a significant amount of business logic, interoperate with a variety of back-end and partner systems, and access various data stores. This course will focus on the following major technologies that meet these challenges: Spring Framework and RESTful Web Services.
Amanda Doctor speaks: And I don't know how much time we have to spend on that. You have been so generous with walking through what the courses are, what they sort of speak to, what their… what their intent is, the intended learning outcomes. You know, just like to highlight, like, for a little deeper dive into a specific required course for the master's program. I mean, we've selected expert software development in Java, but you know, wanted your thoughts on… on what a student can expect in this course.
Aline Yurik speaks: Absolutely. So this is one of the required courses for Software Engineering, master's degree. It's also available within the, Software Development Master's Certificate. This is a great course when you are working with large-scale software systems. Most large-scale software systems for digital enterprises, for large companies and medium-scale companies, are built using Java. Java is a very versatile programming language. It does scientific computing. It does business logic and working with databases. It helps you create strong software systems that integrate very well with other software systems, which is really what we're looking for. It works well with cloud technologies. It is great to design. Java programs using object-oriented principles and unified modeling language. So, being a strong expert in Java is a great foundation for your software engineering career. Java also works really well with artificial intelligence, so knowing Java and Python is going to cover your basis for software development with artificial intelligence. So, this is a course we are offering in the upcoming term. So, really excited about, you know, being able to speak to it.
Amanda Doctor: Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Slide swithces to say "Industry Insights." It lists job titles of anticipated graduates: Director of Software Engineering, Principal Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, Computer and Information Systems Manager, Technical Architect, Computer Programmer, and Software Quality Assurance Analyst & Tester.
Amanda Doctor: Let me go to the next slide. We're going to talk a little bit about industry insights, and we don't have to be exhaustive on this topic, but you mentioned this, and quite often I speak to prospective students who are career switching. So, you know, there are those who are utilizing a program such as this to sort of upskill, or get to the next step, or, you know, a certificate that's going to help them develop professionally in a very focused area. And then there are those who… they… they've had some exposure to it, or just the desire to transition into this space. And oftentimes, they don't know kind of, well, what are the outcomes? What are the professional outcomes? What sort of capacity could I be employed in if I were to… to look at a degree in this field? So I wondered if you could share just a little bit of your insight in terms of where… where do we find individuals who… who have kind of worked toward, you know, securing this degree? What can they kind of expect professionally?
Aline Yurik speaks: Yeah, absolutely, Amanda. So, I've been in the software engineering industry, I think, now for 3 decades. It's never boring. It's always changing, it's always evolving, it's always exciting, because your daily job is creating software to make life and work easier for everybody else. So, you know, I go into a doctor's office and I see them using software, and it's exciting because they're able to make their, their day more productive, right? And just us being able to learn online is also powered by software, so, it's a very exciting… industry to work in. There's always change, there's always growth.
For people who are just starting out in the software engineering world, as you work through your either master's certificate or a master's degree, a good way to get started is through roles such as a software engineer. And as you get more and more experienced, proceeding on the software engineering track, you would get roles such as a senior software engineer, perhaps a principal software engineer. And usually in the software engineering world, we work in teams, so as you get more and more background and experience and knowledge, you can proceed along the path of a lead software engineer, being a mentor or a leader for your software engineering team, and then perhaps more towards the management role, or a director role in the software engineering world.
There are also opportunities, if you don't want to go into management, there's opportunities in software architecture. And I've mentioned our Master's certificate in software architecture. That's a really important foundation, because we don't just start programming, just like you don't just start building a house. You need to have blueprints first to build a house. You need to have a design. You need to pick your colors and materials. So, very similarly, with software engineering, we need to go through a really strong, approach of doing software design and architecture to make sure that the software we create will work well with other software we have in our organization, and software that we need to interact with… with our partners. So, architecture roles include technical architect, which is a very, good role after you get some experience as a software engineer, and if you want to work into the, architecture world, then technical architect, software architect, and then perhaps, enterprise architect, which looks at architecture for the whole company and, makes sure that the new systems we're bringing on fit well with the enterprise architecture that we have in place.
There are also specializations in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and so on, right? So we've touched up on some of those. There are specializations in the area of, various technologies, cloud computing, user-centered design, and various areas like that. And specializations keep evolving, so as you go through your software engineering career, it's important to keep your pulse on what are some of the new technology trends. Because you want to stay really current with technologies, so… Like I said, it's never dull, it's exciting every day, because something's always changing, something's always new, and you're always doing something to bring value to people who are using your software.
Amanda Doctor: Well, and I think it's also… it's… there are so many opportunities as far as industry or sector. It's not the type of profession that just sits in one bubble or in one industry. So I think that the opportunities are vast, and it's helpful to understand sort of the structure of the types of roles one might find themselves in. And I think that lends itself well to, you know, Aileen, you touched on a point about how it's evolving. I think we've actually touched on that just in the sense that we are developing new programming all the time.
Slide swithches to say "Software Engineering Faculty." It lists job titles held by faculty in the Software Engineering program: Principal Quality Development Engineer at InterSystems, Corporate Vice President of User Experience at New York Life Insurance, API Development Manager, and Director of Data and Systems Integration at Brandeis University.
Amanda Doctor: For this umbrella program, that we are… we are instituting new master certificates that really speak to the needs of the industry, that speak to, sort of, the changes that are happening in our world today, trying to help you anticipate what some of those changes are. You know, the focus on AI, the focus on cybersecurity, these are all very topical, relevant areas that that we felt were important to sort of increase access to our students to learn about the needs and the ever-changing environments that they might find themselves in.
Our faculty are all practitioners in the field, they're all individuals who, you know, you will learn theory, but you are also learning curriculum that is implemented. You can implement it in your daily life, in your daily work experience, and you are learning alongside practitioners who have expertise in the subject matter that they teach. You know, in addition to our faculty, all of our programs are supported by an advisory council, which is also comprised of industry professionals and experts who are bringing their knowledge, their experience, having really interesting conversations about the challenges they face in their environments, and I think that that gets brought to the, you know, the virtual classroom as well, in terms of being able to troubleshoot things.
And, you know, sometimes when I say, like, take advantage of of office hours. It might not be just for clarification on course material. It might be to really take that opportunity to… to pick someone's brain who has been working in this space, who can give you some insight, some guidance, some mentoring in terms of, you know, troubleshooting a problem, or professionally. What is available to me? What are the next steps? So, I do think that you will find at Brandeis that you have opportunities to build community and network and partnership with our faculty and their advisory councils, and we are trying to incorporate more aspects into the learning experience, for our students to have more of that experiential element, that it's not just, I'm enrolled in this program, I'm taking these courses, I'm actually really engaged in these courses, and I'm engaged with the professionals who will become peers for you, and I think it's really important to highlight some of that.
Slide switches to say "Prerequisites: Introduction to Software Engineering, Introduction to Data Structures, and Introduction to Programming in Java, C++, or C."
Amanda Doctor: If we could, I'd like to discuss a little bit about the prerequisites. This program does, have a few outlined prerequisites. I know that there is some flexibility on occasion, depending on what a student's experience is, so I wondered if, you know, you don't… you don't need to be exhaustive about it, Aileen, but if you could just share some insight, because it is something that we're not always able to articulate as admissions generally lists? Like, well, why do I need this? Or what's comparable? How could I achieve that?
Aline Yurik speaks: Yep. So, each of you comes to your graduate studies with different backgrounds. Some of you may have taken computer science either as your major or your minor in undergraduate studies, and some of you may have had a completely different major or minor, but as you started your professional career, you may have taken some courses online, either for credit or not for credit, perhaps through platforms such as Coursera or Self-Taught, and you may have had some experience with programming, either for your own, hobbies or, personal projects, or maybe at work. So, our student advisors and our Admission advisors work with you to understand your background, and to see what is the right level of preparation that is needed for you to be successful in the graduate courses in software engineering. So what you're seeing here in the screen are kind of foundational sets of knowledge that we are expecting you to have, and that is some programming experience, ideally in Java, but if not in Java, then in languages such as C++ or C, but also some exposure to the principles of software engineering, and to the main building blocks, which are called data structures. So as you embark on your admissions process, our admissions coordinators can help you determine, what makes sense for you based on your educational background, professional background, and any courses or self-taught knowledge that you may have had.
Amanda: Yeah, I think that's really important. Don't… don't be daunted right away by prerequisites and whether or not you have them. Share your story, and I'll get into that in our next slide.
The slide switches to an Application Checklist: 1) Online Application, 2) Official transcripts, 3) Resume or CV, 4) Statement of goals, 5) Letter of recommendation. Below, text says that there's no application fee and no GMAt or GRE required. The Spring-2 admissions deadline is March 4 for a 10 week session, and the Fall-1 admissions deadline is July 29 for an 8 week session.
Amanda: Let's talk a little bit about the degree application checklist. So. The application for the full degree program requires prospective students to complete the online application. We do require official transcripts, however, we do not necessarily require them at the point of application. We are able to review and issue a decision based on a copy of a transcript. Just know that you will be required to submit your official transcript prior to the completion of your first term, or, you know, depending on your individual circumstances, we'll work with you out of the admissions office to understand what the guidance is for your particular case. We do require a copy of your resume. I think this is a really great opportunity for you to highlight or articulate any experience that you've had professionally in any area that might be, you know, associated with software engineering, as… as Aileen mentioned. There are… there are a few ways to achieve those prerequisites, and they may… they may not be as obvious to you, or maybe, yes, I've dabbled in this, I've had a little exposure to that. When I… in this particular, role, my responsibility, did have access to this, this, excuse me, I'm so sorry! Programming, language, things of that nature. These are the material items where you want to articulate and highlight that experience.
The statement of goals, I think that people tend to not know, what should I include in a statement of goals? I think the statement of goals is a wonderful opportunity for you to create a narrative for what your academic and professional experience is what your motivations are for pursuing a degree in this space, what your intended outcome is for yourself. We know that can change, and especially through the process of completing a program, we find that it's often an opportunity for people to find self-discovery. Maybe they had an idea in mind, but they became really invested in a particular course or in a few electives that sort of put them on a different path. So there is a fluidity to this, but I think that the statement of goals will help us understand sort of your whole picture, and it also is a great opportunity to fill in any gaps. Maybe your GPA was a little bit lower as an undergrad, but you've had this professional experience. Or maybe you didn't have, you know, some of those prerequisites on your undergraduate transcript or in your professional experience, but you can speak to other initiatives that you've taken to help you achieve some of that in order to be prepared. This is a great opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know a bit more about you. This also is an opportunity for us to explore not just are you right for the program, but is this program the best fit for you? If we feel as though we wouldn't be able to serve you where you're at, we're going to be very honest with you about that. We don't… we don't want people to feel as though they've committed to a program that isn't ultimately going to support them in their needs or their goals, and we can have those conversations, you know, so when Aileen says reach out to the, you know, the admissions office, that's myself and my colleagues, and we are more than happy to talk through these points with you, clarify anything, and help you connect with the resources that you need to get the answers that you need about whether or not a program will best suit your intentions.
We do require one letter of recommendation for the degree application. We do ask that this individual be appropriately credentialed to attest to your strengths and abilities and fitness for the rigors of graduate-level coursework. They should be someone who has overseen your work, has supervised you, can sort of attest to those strengths and skills. Or it could be academic in nature. If you're a recent grad and you have a professor who can truly speak to your abilities and can endorse you in a program such as this, by all means, we also accept an academic recommender. Please notify your recommender that you are using them as a reference. They will receive an automated response from our system once you input their information. Oftentimes it can go to spam, but you should be direct with anyone that you request a reference from about the nature of the program that you're applying to, so that they can sort of adequately prepare their response. There is a form that they will… they will check, certain boxes to sort of attest to where you're at in your development, but then there is an opportunity for them to provide a more well-rounded, written narrative of their experience in working with you. So, again, take that into consideration as you make that selection. We do not charge any fee to apply. We do not require standardized test scores, so these are the application requirements.
I've thrown up some deadlines here. As I mentioned, we do have rolling admission, but oftentimes we like to set a deadline in anticipation of an upcoming term. That gives, you the opportunity, were you to be admitted, to have, you know, have that thorough and holistic review of your application materials. If you are admitted, it gives you ample opportunity in anticipation of that term start. To be appropriately onboarded, to be connected with your student advisor, to be connected with the financial aid office, to be connected with the billing department, any of those needs that you have, registration, in order to feel that you are… you are fully prepared and supported and ready to start your program. So we do try to steer prospective students to those application deadlines, just to ensure that they've had, you know, a proper customer service-focused onboarding.
Slide switches to say "Tuition and Fees."
I think it's important to highlight the tuition and fees. These are… we are a low-fee institution, as far as Brandeis Online Programming is concerned. Very transparent. The expected costs of enrollment are detailed for you here. Cost per credit hour is $1,220. This will not be going up in the next academic year. These are the rates that are locked in for the 26-27 academic year. The full master's degree program would cost you roughly $36,600. The master certificate, $14,640, and if you were to take a course as a non-matriculant, again, it's still that same cost per credit hour. There is a $500 enrollment deposit. This is not an additional fee. This is strictly to secure your spot in the program, and is then transferred over to your tuition once you have enrolled in your first course. The only indirect cost you should anticipate is your materials fee per course, and that's going to vary from course to course. We just ask that students anticipate roughly $25 to $100 per course for course materials.
Slide switches to say "Master's Certificate and Course Enrollment."
The Master Certificate application process is a little bit of a lighter lift. There is a form online that you would need to fill out. You would also need to upload a copy of your resume and a copy of your transcript. So those are the two material items that we do need, in… in addition to the completed online form, and then you will generally receive a turnaround to a decision fairly quickly on a master's certificate application. And as I mentioned earlier in today's program, you are able to register for either a single course or two courses as a non-matriculant student by filling out our first-time registration form that is available to you online. If you have any questions or concerns about that, you are also more than welcome to reach out to myself or my colleagues in the admissions office. The cost per credit hour applies for… for all non-matriculating certificate and master's degree courses. The $500 deposit also does apply to first-time registration and to the master's certificate, but again, that… that deposit is then applied toward the cost of your tuition once you are enrolled in your course. And just to sort of set the stage for the upcoming… oh, and there is a… there is the typo that I'm always afraid is going to pop up. So our summer courses run June 3rd through, I believe, August 19th, so I apologize for my typo there. I will… I will correct that, but if you have any questions or concerns, our academic calendar is posted online, or you can contact me in the admissions office as well.
The slide switches to display contact information for Aline, Program Chair of Software Engineering (ayurik@brandeis.edu) and Amanda, Associate Director of Admissions and Enrollment (amandadoctor@brandeis.edu).
Amanda speaks: And I think at this point, I'm going to stop the recording, but I do want to take an opportunity to once again thank Dr. Aline Yurich for being here. You have been so informative. I absolutely thank you for your time and your attendance today. And for those of you joining us, thank you. Again, my name is Amanda Doctor. You can contact me at amandadoctor@brandeis.edu, or you're welcome to follow up with any of my colleagues in the admissions office. You can see our general information posted at the bottom of each slide. We are happy to work with you through your questions or concerns as you make.