Catalog - University of Maryland University College

COURSE DESCRIPTIONSPRPA 650 Public Relations Campaigns (3)(Formerly PRPA 670.) Prerequisite: 30 credits including allcore and specialization courses (except MGMT 670); approvalof program director required for internship option. A study ofpublic relations campaigns that integrates content from previouscoursework. Focus is on creating a public relations strategyand a plan to execute that strategy for an existing organization.Critical principles of public relations are reviewed and applied inreal-world settings.SWEN (Software Engineering)SWEN 603 Systems Engineering (3)(Formerly MSWE 603.) An examination of the systems engineeringprocess, with special emphasis on software engineeringas a discipline within systems engineering. Topics include anoverview of system theory and structures, elements of the systemlife cycle (including systems design and development), riskand trade-off analyses, modeling and simulation, and the toolsneeded to analyze and support the systems process.SWEN 645 System and Software Standards andRequirements (3)(Formerly MSWE 645.) An examination of major models ofsoftware requirements and specifications (sequential and concurrentsystems), existing software standards and practices, andformal methods of software development. A comparative surveyof various languages and methods serves to emphasize similaritiesand significant differences. Topics also include writingsystem and software requirements, formal specification analysis,formal description reasoning, models of “standard” paradigms,and translations of such models into formal notations.SWEN 646 Software Design and Implementation (3)(Formerly MSWE 646.) A guide for the transition from programming-in-the-smallto programming-in-the-large. Softwaredevelopment processes and the role of design as applied in thoseprocesses are discussed. Review covers major design methods andavailable computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools,the proper application of design methods, and techniques forestimating the magnitude of the development effort. Strengthsand weaknesses of the development methods are covered, alongwith traceability to requirements and code.SWEN 647 Software Verification and Validation (3)(Formerly MSWE 647.) A study of the evaluation of softwarefor correctness, efficiency, performance, and reliability. Skillscovered include program proving, code inspection, unit-leveltesting, and system-level analysis. The difficulty and cost of sometypes of analysis and the need for automation of tedious tasks areexamined. Problem-solving skills are stressed, especially in analysisof code. The textbook world is contrasted with the real worldusing case studies and personal experiences. Industry attitudestoward reliability and performance are also discussed.SWEN 648 Software Maintenance (3)(Formerly MSWE 648.) A guide for the transition fromprogramming for the short term to programming for the longterm. The role of creation and maintenance in the softwaredevelopment process, as well as analysis and implementationof a software design, is reviewed. Topics also include the needfor software maintenance and evolution, software maintenanceprocess and performance issues, planning for extended softwarelife, and effective mechanisms to control software change.SWEN 651 Usability Engineering (3)Prerequisite: SWEN 645. A study of the theory and practice ofdesigning user interfaces for interactive systems. Topics includethe principles of usability engineering and basic rules for usabledesign. User interfaces are evaluated using techniques such ascontextual inquiry, task analysis, and usability testing. Discussionalso covers when these techniques are most appropriate.SWEN 670 Software Engineering Project (3)(Formerly MSWE 617.) A comprehensive examination of thetools, skills, and techniques of software engineering and theirapplication. Completion of a major team project is designed tointegrate knowledge and skills gained through previous studyand provide experience of the constraints commonly experiencedin industry (scheduling, vagueness of clients). Project requiresforming teams (organization) and scheduling work to meet thedeadlines imposed by the contract (syllabus).118G R A D U A T E C A T A L O G | 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1