About Software Engineering
Creating a Pipeline of Well-Prepared Students
Bolstered by intensive design experiences that reflect industry demand, the Software Engineering degrees go far beyond programming fundamentals and theoretical applications. The University of Arizona’s software engineering degrees, administered by the Department of Systems & Industrial Engineering, focus on large-scale product and systems development to meet societal needs.
Message from the Program Director
"The future is very promising for the software engineering discipline and profession. The global market of software engineering, alone, will be worth more than $64B by 2025, and it is an integral part of the 4thindustrial revolution going on all around us. The number of careers in software engineering is expected to expand by more than 25% over the next 10 years. Some of the factors behind this growth include increased automation in multiple industries, artificial intelligence, machine learning, the demand for cloud-based solutions, the internet of things and an increase of devices which can be used in everyday life. Never before have we had the plethora of opportunities that are available today to software engineering graduates. The diversity of software applications/complex software systems provides a multitude of very rewarding career avenues that today’s students can pursue."
Sharon ONeal, Director of Software Engineering
Established Ties to Industry
Industry has been involved in the software engineering degree program since plans began for its 2021 launch. Top companies and organizations – Raytheon, Hill Air Force Base, Intel, Jet Propulsion Lab, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman Corp., Oakridge National Labs, Sandia National Labs, Snap Inc. and UA Data Science Institute – continue to play key roles as program advisers and student mentors.
They are all involved for much the same reason: to ensure students are well prepared for the workforce. This built-in industry perspective is one big reason courses are highly relevant to modern software engineering practices.
Fast Facts
100 %
students doing design work
(in UA program)
22 %
10-year job growth
(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
# 1
tech job in the U.S.
(U.S. News @ World Report)