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Why Software Engineering?

The software engineering program at Nebraska will help you learn what it takes to create the software of the future through real-world experience, research opportunities and student organizations. We will prepare you for a promising career in a tech-driven world.

Space Law students tour NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington D.C.

In our software engineering program, your education will extend far beyond basic programming. Software engineering students follow a specific and unique curriculum that introduces core engineering principles in the first semester and continues to build on them each year through hands-on experiences. You'll work closely with outstanding faculty and fellow students as you study in a small cohort of software engineering majors.

Areas of Emphasis

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Architecture and High-Performance Computing
  • CyberSecurity
  • Data Science and Informatics
  • Foundations of Computer Science
  • IoT, Robotics, and Embedded Systems
  • Networking
  • User-Centered Computing
#1 in Software
Engineering
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#3 Best State
for the Young
Top 5 New
Tech Spot

How You'll Learn

Hands-On Learning Experiences

  • Participate in our annual student-led CornHacks hackathon to build software that solves global problems.
  • Assist distinguished faculty in groundbreaking research.
  • Complete not just one but two Senior Design capstone courses, in which you’ll spend a full academic year developing a new product with a faculty or industry sponsor.

Transferrable Career Skills

  • Network with employees from dozens of thriving start-ups and companies at career events like Reverse Pitch.
  • Attend resume and interview prep sessions with Computing for All.
  • Earn course credit for completed internships with both local and world-renowned companies.

Social Connections

  • Study and socialize with fellow majors in our Student Resource Center community hub.
  • Attend Game Development Club meetings to learn niche new skills from other students.
  • Build robots and enter them into competitions through the VEX U Robotics Club.

Making a Difference

  • Volunteer at local middle schools as a Lincoln Robotics League mentor with Initialize.
  • Contribute to free and publicly accessible open source projects in classes and clubs like OS2G.
  • Promote diversity in technology through campus events and local initiatives with Computing for All.

Core Academics

  • Study software engineering principles in classes and labs during your first semester.
  • Spend two full academic years developing projects with local companies in our Senior Design course.
  • Complete one approved internship for credit prior to graduation.

Research & Grad School Prep

  • Analyze human-robot interactions and their implications with Dr. Brittany Duncan.
  • Test eye-tracking technology to study programmer coding habits with Dr. Bonita Sharif.
  • Develop drones that start fires, dig dirt and sample water with Dr. Carrick Detweiler and Dr. Justin Bradley.

Core Academic Experience

  • You'll prepare for life after graduation by making professional connections while at Nebraska. We host regular career events with hiring companies that allow you to engage with employers and explore opportunities.
  • Careers in this field require strong interpersonal and communication skills. You'll expand your abilities through student involvement opportunities.
  • The School of Computing's course curriculum—modeled after professional work—will allow you to smoothly transition into the industry after graduation. We will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to get the job you want.
  • Through challenging course work and undergraduate research opportunities, you will be well prepared for advanced educational experiences in future graduate programs.

Space Law students tour NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington D.C.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Teamwork, Leadership, and Dynamic Programming

This faculty-led education abroad program in Amman, Jordan offers an in-depth study of dynamic programming, culminating in a programming contest. Students will collaborate with peers from Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) in Jordan through shadowing and in-class interaction.

Space Law students tour NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington D.C.

Student and Professional Organizations

With hundreds of programs of study, Nebraska offers the breadth of academic areas you’d expect from a tier-one research university. Several of our programs are among the best in the U.S. and have been for years, and we can help you find the right program (or programs) for you.

Initialize logo

Initialize

Initialize is a group dedicated to using computing skills to give back to the Lincoln community. This club’s activities include mentoring Girl Scouts at coding camps, teaching robotics concepts to Lincoln middle schoolers, and building new software for local nonprofits.

Computing for All logo

Computing for All

Computing for All is the university’s chapter of ACM-W, an organization committed to advocating for women in the tech industry. Our chapter has expanded its efforts to include promoting diversity of all kinds, and welcomes anyone and everyone into our computing community.

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Student Advisory Board

The School of Computing Student Advisory Board is committed to helping our department improve and making student voices heard by faculty, staff and leaders. Join this group to plan events and panel discussions once per semester.

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CornHacks

CornHacks aims to bring some of the most talented developers from around the Midwest to join in a weekend full of hacking. Hosted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, over 150 participants will code all day and night to be assessed by industry professionals and compete for several prizes.

4-Year Plan and Notable Courses

The School of Computing offers a unique and challenging program in software engineering, incorporating hands-on learning and an integrated computer science and software engineering core curriculum to prepare graduates for professional practice in a wide range of industries and for post-graduate education.

Software Engineering 4-Year Plan

SOFT 160: Software Engineering I

Software engineering techniques and tools for designing, modeling, and building event-driven and multi-layer applications.

SOFT 161: Software Engineering II

Software engineering techniques and tools for designing, modeling, and building event-driven and multi-layer applications.

SOFT 360: Software Engineering Mentoring and Leadership

Mentoring and leading software engineering teams.

SOFT 466: Software Design and Architecture

Introduction to the concepts, principles, and state-of-the-art methods in software design and architecture.

SOFT 467: Testing, Verification and Analysis

In-depth coverage of problems related to software quality, and approaches for addressing them.

SOFT 468: Requirements Elicitation, Modeling and Analysis

In-depth coverage of processes, methods and techniques for determining, or deciding, what a proposed software system should do.

Connect With Us

Brittney Palmer
Contact Jeff with Questions

Jeff Beavers
Director of Recruitment
(402) 472-0434
jbeavers2@unl.edu