Software Engineering plays a pivotal role in today's IT-driven landscape, bridging the constantly evolving gaps within rising industry standards. It serves to provide lucrative career opportunities which span diverse fields of business and ICT, integrating significant components and practices whose origins lie in engineering.

SLIIT now offers students a new specialization for the BSc (Hons) in Information Technology degree, which allows them to specialize in Software Engineering. Nuwan Kodagoda, Head - Department of Information Technology at SLIIT, provides vital insights into SLIIT's new Software Engineering degree programme.

Why did SLIIT deem it necessary to introduce a specialization in Software Engineering?
The growing IT/BPO industry in Sri Lanka is witnessing an increasing demand for quality Software Engineering graduates in Sri Lanka. By producing highly skilled Software Engineers, Sri Lanka will be able to compete with other countries in getting more opportunities on a global platform.

Software Engineering focuses on large scale software development and goes beyond programming to include such aspects as satisfying customers' requirements and designing and testing software. Students must learn how to assess customer needs and develop usable software that best meets those needs. This course targets students who are aspiring to become Software Engineers in leading Software Development Companies in Sri Lanka and abroad.

What does SLIIT's Software Engineering degree programme entail?

The components of the first two years of this degree programme are in line with the BSc (Hons) in Information Technology, and there are specific modules which students specializing in Software Engineering will be required to follow during the third and fourth year of this degree. Students who have passed all modules up to the 2nd year and possess a GPA of over 2.7 are eligible for this specialization. The curriculum has been developed based on the IEEE/ACM Curriculum Guidelines for undergraduate degree programmes in Software Engineering.

What will students gain from this programme?

Students following this specialisation will learn about aspects such as Mobile Development for iPhone and Android platforms, designing large software systems under Software Architecture, develop software using different development technologies such as, NET, Java, C++, and commonly used scripting languages such as Ruby and Python. They will be exposed to different database management systems such as Oracle, SQL Server in addition to the general Software Engineering modules.

What does SLIIT offer students to prepare them for the competitive business environment?

Students in the Final Year of this specialization are expected to take-up a final year Software Engineering project which will deal with an existing real world problem. Students will have to work in groups to experience firsthand experience working as a team. Furthermore, the project will be broken down into smaller modules which will enable them to develop a significant portion of the project individually.
Does SLIIT provide scholarships or opportunities for students who follow this programme?
Students who maintain a good GPA will be entitled to scholarships in the form of tuition waivers in line with other degree programmes offered by SLIIT.

What are the job opportunities available for students upon graduation?

SLIIT graduates who specialize in Software Engineering will be better equipped with opportunities to join the Industry as Software Engineers, Associate Software Architects, Software Test Engineers, Requirements Engineers, Database Engineers, Mobile Application Developers, Game Developers and Business Analysts.

Academic staff who conduct courses for this programme

A team of dedicated Senior Lecturers and experts are responsible for delivering modules for the institutes Software Engineering degree programme.. SLIIT is already supported by Industry partners who provide resources and expertise for the conduct of several Final Year Level Modules. SLIIT currently has two modules in the Software Engineering stream titled "Enterprise Application Development" and "Software Quality Assurance" which are conducted with the support of IFS and Virtusa respectively.
What makes the SLIIT Software Engineering Specialization different from other degrees?

SLIIT provides opportunities for students to work part-time while following this degree, allowing them to gain valuable insights and industry experience. The institute has a reputation for producing highly skilled graduates with the support of industry partners such as IBM, IFS and Virtusa, thus answering the need to meet industry requirements and standards by producing quality Software Engineering graduates.

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