General Information

WHAT IS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING?

The concept of Software Engineering was first introduced at a NATO conference held in Germany in 1968. In our country, this concept initially appeared as a course title within Computer Engineering Departments and has, in recent years, evolved into a standalone engineering discipline.

The primary distinction between Software Engineering and Computer Engineering is that Software Engineers focus entirely on the software domain. Consequently, Software Engineering programs include very few courses related to computer hardware. The knowledge areas of Software Engineers comprise software requirements and design, software development, testing, and maintenance, structuring and managing software engineering processes, tools and methods, and software quality.

To achieve the goal of developing high-quality software, a software engineer must collaborate with various disciplines. Today, interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in many fields. Just as Mechatronics Engineering brings together mechanical, electronic, and computer engineering, Software Engineers interact with computer engineering, computer science, management sciences, mathematics, project and quality management, software ergonomics, and systems engineering.

In Turkey, universities offering Software Engineering education include Fırat University, Eastern Mediterranean University (Cyprus), European University of Lefke (Cyprus), Atılım University, Bahçeşehir University, Beykent University, Işık University, Maltepe University, Istanbul Aydın University, İzmir University, İzmir University of Economics, Toros University, and Yaşar University. Among these, Işık and İzmir University of Economics also run international joint undergraduate programs with SUNY Brockport and Fredonia in the United States. In 2012, Fırat University’s Faculty of Technology, Department of Software Engineering, initiated an international joint undergraduate program named 2+2 with Sam Houston State University in Texas, USA.

In this English-taught program, students study at Fırat University for three years, including a preparatory year, and complete their third and fourth years in the United States. Regarding tuition fees, for the first three years at Fırat University, students pay 4000 TL annually. For the two years in the USA, they pay 8000 USD per year, totaling 16000 USD. Comparing these fees to those of other universities, it is evident that the total cost for students choosing Fırat University’s Faculty of Technology, Software Engineering English Program, is about one-fifth of the fees demanded by other universities.

Successful students will be offered postgraduate education opportunities and scholarships at Sam Houston State University. Students who fail due to language difficulties can be placed in the Turkish-taught Software Engineering program at Fırat University through the ÖSYM placement system.

A portion of the quota at Fırat University’s Faculty of Technology, Department of Software Engineering, is allocated to students from Vocational and Technical Secondary Education Institutions (M.T.O.K.). Students from Technical and Industrial Vocational High Schools applying to this quota are ranked among themselves based on the MF-4 score, providing a significant advantage.

Software Engineering departments are the rising profession of our era. Compared to other professions, finding a job in this field is much easier, and engineers have the opportunity to work with high salaries, as we are in the age of automation. Nowadays, many things can be done from our homes through e-government automation on the Internet. Therefore, we recommend candidates choose our Software Engineering Department.

Department of Software Engineering Chairmanship

1. Objective of the Department:

Analyze user needs and produce appropriate solutions.

Achieve consensus on issues such as time, cost, and usability, which are generally sources of conflict.

Design appropriate solutions that integrate ethical, social, legal, and economic considerations while employing engineering approaches.

Understand and apply existing theories, models, and techniques that provide a foundation for software design, development, implementation, and validation.

Work effectively in a software development environment, take leadership when necessary, and communicate well with users, i.e., have project management skills.

Gain the ability to follow and apply developments in related fields.

2. The Role of Software Engineering:

A software engineer designs and integrates the software for computer systems used in various sectors, including banking, automotive, and telecommunications. They establish customer relations for the software to be developed, conduct analysis based on customer information, design, code, test, correct deficiencies in the program, ensure the software works seamlessly, prepare usage guidelines, train users, and stay updated with developments in their field. Academic and technological work in software engineering requires various tools, such as computers, programming languages, software development programs, printers, scanners, and documents related to international rules and practices in software engineering.

Individuals aspiring to work in software engineering should possess high general aptitude, logical reasoning, and design skills, an interest in science and mathematics, the ability to convey and influence others, be attentive, patient, open to teamwork, receptive to new ideas, and committed to continuous self-improvement. Research in software and information technology architecture covers databases, database programming, software project management, measurement and testing. Research in web and game programming focuses on web development, graphics and animation, human-computer interaction, and the design and development of electronic and remote learning environments. Data mining research includes querying data warehouses and large databases, segmenting, clustering, forecasting, and predicting data using fuzzy logic models.

3. Employment Opportunities:

The program aims to train engineers with high application skills needed by the industry. Graduates will have experience producing and managing software and business solutions to meet the needs of companies or institutions. Software Engineering graduates will find broad employment opportunities as system analysts, system engineers, design engineers, web design and programming specialists, IT specialists, application programmers in various departments of institutions, and as application engineers in computer software companies' information centers, involved in management, data management, and computer-aided industrial design and implementation.

Graduates can work in industries using computers, on system and computer networks, and will possess modern knowledge and skills to design, implement, test, and integrate software projects. They will make significant contributions to the human resource needs in these areas.

4. Graduation Requirements:

The duration of education is four years or eight semesters. A total of 150 credits, or at least 240 ECTS, must be successfully completed. During the eight-semester education process, students will undergo Workplace Training in the 7th semester for six months (July 15 - January 15). They will also complete one field internship (20 workdays) and one business organization internship (20 workdays). Elective courses starting in the 6th semester and continuing in the 8th semester aim to help students specialize in software engineering.

5. Internship Studies:

Students must complete internships to reinforce their academic learning with laboratory applications and real workplace experiences. Internships aim to instill professional discipline and work ethic alongside technical skills. Students will undertake one field internship (20 workdays) and one business organization internship (20 workdays), totaling 40 workdays, in suitable facilities, factories, or software companies’ relevant units to familiarize themselves with technological developments, enhance their application skills, and gain management experience.