Why Software Engineering?
The software engineering major focuses on the engineering principles and practices necessary to build, maintain, and protect complex modern systems. Students study within a small cohort of fellow majors and are well prepared for careers in the tech field thanks to this program’s unique, hands-on curriculum designed to emulate real industry work.
Focus Areas
- 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
What You'll Learn
- You'll learn to apply disciplined software engineering practices and principles to the design, architecture, development, analysis, testing, and maintenance of complex software systems to meet the desired needs of the stakeholders within realistic constraints.
Learning Outcomes
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
Career Connections
- Connect with industry professionals through frequent career events.
- Spend two full academic years collaborating with faculty or members of industry in the Senior Design capstone course.
- Complete coursework designed to develop software skills as well as professional and interpersonal skills.
100% placement rate for new graduates seeking work
80% of graduates get first job offers before diplomas
How You’ll Learn
Hands-On Learning Experiences
- Participate in our annual student-led CornHacks hackathon.
- Work on multidisciplinary teams to identify and develop solutions and to maintain software-intensive systems of all sizes.
- Complete curriculum that focuses on practical application and introduces software engineering concepts in the first semester.
Transferable Career Skills
- Develop skills in the application of theory, experimentation, lifelong learning, and professional development.
- Gain insight into the world of practicing professionals for collaborations, mutual support, and representing the profession to government and society.
- Complete curriculum that involves teamwork, communication, and hands-on experience.
Social Connections
- Study and socialize with fellow majors in our Student Resource Center community hub.
- Join computing-focused student organizations to learn new skills and connect with students who share your interests.
- Live, study, and explore opportunities with other computing students by joining a Learning Community.
Making a Difference
- Enroll in a one-credit hour leadership and mentoring course to support students currently enrolled in one of the first core software engineering courses.
- Join our student organization Initialize, a club dedicated to giving back to the community through computing.
- Promote diversity in technology through campus events and local initiatives.
Core Academics
- Identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems using computational resources.
- Contribute their expertise by effectively collaborating and communicating with other stakeholders in multidisciplinary teams.
- Adapt to rapid advances in computing and software engineering tools, technologies, principles, and practices.
Research and Grad School Prep
- Become an undergraduate research assistant and conduct research alongside graduate students and faculty through our programs and labs.
- Connect with course instructors and receive guidance in exploring your research and career options.
- Attend our annual Grad Info Day event to explore our graduate programs and opportunities.
Program Features
- Undergraduate Research. Our students are invited and encouraged to participate in faculty-supervised research supported by grants and the university’s UCARE program.
- Prime Silicon Prairie Location. The university is within walking distance from dozens of local tech startups and thriving companies. Students don’t have to look far to land a great internship or a first job.
- Real-World Experience. Our program prepares students for their professional futures with course curriculum that emulates real industry work. Software engineering students complete two Senior Design projects with industry sponsors before graduation.
- Career Connections. We host a variety of career events throughout the school year designed to help students explore career opportunities, connect with hiring companies, and introduce themselves to potential employers.
Research and Academic Opportunities
Innovate in Senior Design
In our Senior Design course, students spend a full academic year working on a team to complete a real-world project for an industry or faculty sponsor. Software engineering students complete not just one but two of these capstone courses.
Engage in Cutting-Edge Research
Many of our students join faculty in their research labs to gain research experience in a specific area of computing. Our NIMBUS Lab allows students to study and participate in drone development.
Intern for Credit
Software engineering students are guaranteed professional experience with the requirement to complete one internship for course credit prior to graduation.
Learn by Connecting
Our Learning Assistant Program is dedicated to helping first-year computing majors succeed through partnerships with upper-level students, academic support, and improved learning experiences.
Student Organizations
The School of Computing is home to several highly engaged student organizations. These clubs provide a great opportunity to grow as a leader, gain experience, make meaningful connections, and have fun.
The School of Computing Advisory Board (cSAB)
This group is committed to helping the school improve by making student voices heard by faculty, staff, and leadership. This group organizes regular student events, such as the annual Involvement Fair and Student Advisory Panel, and leads initiatives to enhance student experiences.
Initialize is a group dedicated to using computing skills to give back to the local community. This club’s activities include teaching robotics concepts to Lincoln middle schoolers, mentoring Girl Scouts at coding camps, and building new software for local nonprofits.
The Operating Systems and Open-Source Group (OS2G) is a club for users of Linux and other free and open-source software (FOSS) to meet, socialize, and learn from one another.
The university's only club focused on learning to develop video games. This group aims to guide students in learning effective professional game development techniques.
Recent Student Placements
Internships
- Software Development Intern, Sandhills Global
- UX Design Intern, Microsoft
- Data Science Intern, Ameritas
- Software Engineering Intern, Lockheed Martin
- Application Development Intern, Buildertrend
Careers
- Mobile Software Engineer, Epic
- Software Engineer, Peloton
- Database Developer, Sandhills Global
- Software Engineer, Microsoft
- Application Developer, Mutual of Omaha
Graduate Schools
- Ph.D. Computer Science or MBA, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- M.S. Information Networking, Carnegie Mellon University
- M.S. Computer Science, University of Southern California
- M.S. Computer Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
4-Year Plan and Notable Courses
Explore major requirements and the courses you'll be taking through the 4-year plan.
4-Year PlanSOFT 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.
Contact Us
Olivia Ingle
Recruitment Coordinator
(402) 472-0434
olivia.ingle@unl.edu