When the fall semester starts at the University of Calgary, there will be a new master’s program on the menu.
The U of C announced on Thursday that it’s launching a master’s of software engineering — a hands-on degree where students don’t write a thesis, but instead take advanced courses at the Schulich School of Engineering. Subjects to be covered include virtual and augmented reality, data analysis and project management.
The program takes a year, but can be fast-tracked to eight months depending on the level of previous education.
“This is a focused program that offers engineers from other disciplines a year to come and learn the fundamentals of software engineering and develop a series of exciting new skills,” said Mohammad Moshirpour, an engineering instructor at the university.
The U of C said the program will pad resumes with skills to build complex software systems and harness data across industries.
“This is especially unique because it allows people who don’t have a background in software engineering to come in and get a strong foundation of software engineering and actually take their skills from very limited to quite substantial,” Moshirpour said.
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As part of the provincial government’s five-year commitment to add tech training spaces across Alberta, it has funded 40 new student seats in the program.
And with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade projecting a job shortage in the computing science field in under a decade, the U of C believes this program will benefit more than just the engineers who take it.
“This would add a more experienced workforce to our economy,” Moshirpour said. “It helps to diversify Alberta’s economy as well as satisfy the labour shortage for tech staff.”
The goal is to prepare students for jobs that don’t even exist yet so they can adapt to the ever-changing tech industry.
“The digital revolution is upon us,” Moshirpour said. “You can’t really think of any aspect of life that is not affected by technology.”
“By having software engineers, we’re able to design systems, analyze the data that we produce, and make life better with technology.”
Shayan Zamani is taking master’s level software engineering courses at Schulich to complement his petroleum engineering degree.
“Employers are looking for engineers who understand computer technology and can adapt in a hi-tech job market,” he said in a U of C press release. “That adaptability is why I sought to increase my own understanding of computer technology after graduation. This new master’s degree sounds like an ideal solution for engineers looking to expand their horizons.”