Where Can I Earn a Software Engineering Degree in Austin, Texas?

Do you want to get a degree in software engineering in Austin, Texas? There are several universities in the area where you can get a bachelor's degree or a master's degree.

What You Need to Know

Learn about software engineering through bachelor's degree programs in computer science or electrical engineering and master's degree programs in software engineering. Undergraduate students usually have to complete a final project to graduate. Master's degree students can pursue a thesis or non-thesis track; students who don't complete a thesis take extra classes or complete a project. One master's degree program requires incoming students to have a minimum of relevant experience in the field. See more about these schools and programs below.

Bachelor's Degree Programs in Austin

Concordia University

Concordia University's Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program is designed to balance theoretical and practical knowledge, as recommended by the Association for Computing Machinery. In the program, you complete 63 credit hours in core computer science classes. Coursework covers topics like computer systems, data structures, software engineering, systems analysis, discrete structures and statistics.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Program Length: 4 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $31,810 per year (2018-2019)
• School Type: 4-year, private; about 1,700 undergraduate and 822 graduate students

St. Edwards University

The B.S. program at this school includes more math-focused coursework than the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program. Regardless of program, however, you complete 45 credit hours of study in computer science and math subjects like programming languages, software engineering, database theory, calculus and statistics. To graduate, you complete a capstone project that produces a software solution to a real-world problem or perform research.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Program Length: 4 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $45,428 per year (2018-2019)
• School Type: 4-year, private; around 3,700 undergraduate and 500 graduate students

Texas State University San Marcos

Texas State University is located south of Austin. In either the B.A. or B.S. program, you complete a total of 128 hours of study. Computer-science related coursework in the programs covers topics like foundations of computer science, computer ethics, assembly language and software engineering. In either program you must pursue a minor and complete a project prior to graduation. The school also offers a certificate program for teachers and a bachelor's degree program in business administration with an emphasis on computer information systems.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Program Length: 4 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $10,280 per year for in-state students, $21,900 for out-of-state students (2018-2019)
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 34,100 undergraduate and 4,400 graduate students

The University of Texas at Austin

The B.A. and B.S. programs in computer science are offered through the Department of Computer Science. In these programs, you complete 39-454 credit hours of computer science and math courses. Core courses in these programs cover programming, data structures, logic and principles of computer systems. Courses in the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program cover topics like software design and implementation, algorithms, digital logic design, software engineering processes and software testing.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Specialization Areas: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering: software engineering and design
• Program Length: 4 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $10,610 per year for in-state and $37,580 per year for out-of-state residents (2018-2019)
• School Type: 4-year, public; around 40,800 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate students

Master's Degree Programs in Austin

Texas State University San Marcos

In this program, you take classes in software engineering processes and methods, software quality, graphical user interfaces, algorithm design, data structures, distributed systems and database theory. You must also write a thesis or complete additional coursework prior to graduation. You also complete a software engineering practicum.

• Program Name: Master of Science in Software Engineering
• Program Length: 2 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $8,449 per year for in-state students, $16,749 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree and specified computer science and math coursework
• Requirements: GRE
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 34,100 undergraduate and 4,400 graduate students

The University of Texas at Austin

This program is designed for working students. In it, you learn additional analytical and design skills applicable to multiple software engineering areas. Available courses cover topics like engineering programming languages, distributed systems, software testing, data mining and advanced embedded microcontroller systems. Prior to graduate, you may complete a thesis or project, or select to take additional classes. The school also offers a master's and doctoral degree in computer science and a doctoral degree in Software Engineering.

• Program Name: Master of Science in Engineering
• Specialization Areas: Software engineering
• Program Length: 2 years, full-time
• Tuition and Fees: $11,742 per year for in-state students, $22,564 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree
• Requirements: GRE, 18 months industry experience
• School Type: 4-year, public; around 40,800 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate students

In summary, students in Austin, Texas are interested in software engineering can choose between programs at four universities in the area that offer computer science or software engineering degrees.