Course syllabus for Special topics in software engineering

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-03 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameSpeciella ämnen i programvaruteknik
  • CodeDAT680
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPSOF
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyComputer Science and Engineering
  • DepartmentCOMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 24124
  • Maximum participants25 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0125 Written and oral assignments 7.5 c
Grading: TH
7.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

To be eligible for the course, the student should have completed at least 7.5 credits in software engineering.

Aim

The field of software engineering is evolving rapidly, with new technologies, development methods, and organizational processes emerging on a regular basis. This course is a seminar-style course intended to enable students to explore topics within the field of software engineering.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Knowledge and Understanding
  • Describe existing techniques, tools, and methods within software engineering and their relation to presented research
  • Summarize and contrast recent relevant software engineering research
Skills and Abilities
  • Read research papers on software engineering, present their content, and critically discuss the presented motivation, research design, and findings
  • Examine new software engineering knowledge and relate it to past knowledge as well as knowledge presented in this course
  • Identify meaningful future extensions for software engineering research
Judgement Ability and Approach
  • Judge the limitations of state-of-the-art software engineering research
  • Assess potential biases and ethical issues affecting software engineering research

Content

The field of software engineering is evolving rapidly, with new technologies, development methods, and organizational processes emerging on a regular basis. This course is a seminar-style course intended to enable students to explore topics within the field of software engineering.

Each time that the course is held, it will focus on a specific topic selected by the examiner, which will be announced in advance on the Canvas page for the master’s program.

The course will consist primarily of seminars, led by teachers, practitioners, researchers, and students. Students will select aspects of the core topic to explore in detail, culminating in a presentation and a report on the selected aspects.

Organisation

This course is conducted in the form of a literature seminar, which combines reading research publications and other relevant literature, presentations from students, practitioners, and researchers, and discussions.

Students will explore, in detail, aspects of the core topic of that instance of the course and will educate other students on those aspects. Based on this exploration, they will develop a written report.

Examination including compulsory elements

The course is assessed based on the student's written report and individual presentation. In addition, active participation and contribution to discussions (e.g., as an opponent for a seminar) will be used as part of determining the final course grade.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.