Victoria University of Wellington

Master of Software Development

The Master of Software Development (MSwDev) is a Wellington ICT Graduate School programme delivered by the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Victoria University of Wellington.

The Master of Software Development (MSwDev) is a one-year 180-point Master’s degree designed for students from a range of technical and non-technical backgrounds to help them explore career pathways in the thriving ICT industry.

Our experienced lecturers will teach students core programming skills and concepts, which students can then apply in internships (commonly paid) where they will work on real-world projects with local businesses.

Students will understand the fundamentals of programming so that they are able to pick up new techniques, languages, libraries and approaches required in the industry. Topics students will learn about include Java, data structures, version control, networking, databases, security, web systems, agile, development methodologies, design patterns, and AI.

MSwDev is an intensive full-time programme made up of four courses, which are a combination of practical taught courses and a research and development project.

Courses:
SWEN 501—Professional Programming Skills: Focussed on  teaching you core programming skills as well as complex programming concepts and techniques, this course will cover a range of topics including programming commands, data structures, object orientation, fundamental algorithms and data structures, among others. We focus on the core principles while teaching Java, thereby enabling you to pick up other languages on your own.
SWEN 502—Software Development Studio I: Building on the skills students learn in SWEN501, this course introduces methods for development in teams, including professional practice and communication skills in the context of software development. Advanced topics, such as networking, cybersecurity, and human-computer interaction (HCI) will be introduced.
SWEN 504—Software Development Studio II: This course teaches students a range of advanced technical techniques, professional practices, and project planning, and covers topics like web development, testing, mobile apps and AI. The main focus of the course is on agile development methods where students learn from working on real-life industrial problems.
SWEN 589—Industry Research and Development Project: This course involves a substantial software research and development project, undertaken as a paid internship where the student is placed in a local ICT business. Alternatively, in certain cases, this could be an industry-sourced (or industry-related) project done within the school. The project involves supervision by an academic as well as the industry employer, and will involve formal and informal reporting and presentations.
You will be assessed based on your performance in the above courses. Entry into the research and development component requires a B- average or approval by the Head of School.