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Software engineering brings together the disciplines of computer science and information technology. The Massey Bachelor of Information Sciences (Software Engineering) gives you a highly-practical and sought-after qualification.
Find out more about the Bachelor of Information Sciences parent structure.
Studying software engineering will see you gain knowledge, tools and practical skills to be able to design, construct, test and maintain large software applications.
Software engineering is a joint major which means that you will study aspects of both computer science and information technology.
You will focus on learning about:
The Bachelor of Information Sciences is one of the few computing degrees in New Zealand to be accredited by the IT industry. Massey University’s majors in computer science, information technology and software engineering are all endorsed by the Institute of IT professionals, the professional body for those working in the IT industry. Accreditation ensures that courses are relevant to the industry, for example, the compulsory capstone course in the final year of study.
Massey is a New Zealand leader in IT education and is the only university in New Zealand to offer both information systems and information technology majors in an undergraduate programme.
Accredited by the Institute of Information Technology Professionals and part of the Seoul Accord, the Massey BInfSc is a first-class, internationally-recognised qualification allowing you to take your career around the world.
Employers are always seeking increasing numbers of staff. Look at the SEEK website to see the demand for ICT professionals in New Zealand. The majority of the hiring is taking place because of increased demand and new projects.
High demand areas include software development, business analysis, network security, project management and data/database. These are the key areas of information sciences you can study through the Bachelor of Information Sciences at Massey.
Software engineers are in high demand throughout the world, which means there are plenty of jobs out there for hard working graduates.
An exciting part of the joint major is the team project in the third year, when you will work together with other students to create a new application.
Note that you can change your major within the degree up until the end of your first year.
A 2017 Ministry of Education publication The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates showed that those who complete a qualification in a science, agriculture, technology, computer science, engineering or mathematics field of study have high relative earnings after they complete their study compared to the national median. Earnings can be substantially more than other graduates.
“I’ve always had a keen interest in technology so when it came time to choose a university, Massey in Auckland appealed to me for a number of reasons…”
My sister had attended Massey for her degree a few years earlier and had nothing but good things to say about it. I thought the course choices for Information Sciences looked really interesting and innovative. And the wide open plan layout of the campus appealed to me over high rise buildings of universities in the city.
As it turned out I loved the atmosphere of the campus, particularly the small lecture theatres. Smaller lectures felt more intimate and helped me feel more involved and comfortable asking questions. There’s some awesome facilities on campus too and I definitely took advantage of the huge gym and library.
At Massey, both my studies and interactions with tutors, fellow students and lecturers helped me develop that interest in computers into a strong passion. The core Information Technology courses gave me the fundamental technical skills to start thinking about software in a more conceptual way. I could then develop these further with courses such as Systems Analysis and Modelling (158.225), learning about software design patterns and how to use diagrams to gain better visibility and understanding of a system.
I am currently working at a New Zealand-based SaaS company that develops cloud-based Accounting software. My work involves both database and web development, for which the in-depth technical courses at Massey have been incredibly useful. Learning how to think about software conceptually at high level has been an essential skill to have when working with a large commercial code base. These skills allow you to have a clearer view of the system as a whole, which then develops into a deeper understanding of its components.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Massey, not only with my studies but also the life long friendships made with peers, and continuous support from teaching staff who share a passion for this innovative and fascinating industry.
Graduates with the software engineering joint major possess a broad range of skills and practice and are able to move into any one of a wide range of employment opportunities.
This programme will give you the skills to enter the computing profession at the level of software engineer. Later, you may be able to move into management of large software projects, including those in safety critical systems.
You will also have the necessary background to fully participate in software development teams.
You will be particularly well-equipped to hold positions in the design and management of large software systems.
Roles available to programme graduates include:
There are a huge number of job opportunities in this area worldwide. Check out the SEEK website for the around 2000 ICT careers available in New Zealand at any one time.
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