![\"UCI](\"https://mswe.ics.uci.edu/wp-content/mse/uploads/2019/05/UCI18_MstrSoftwareEngineering_2L_white-1024x134.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAdmissions FAQ:
\t\tNo. Graduates of all majors are welcome to apply.
The most important requirement for enrollment in the MSWE program is experience with programming. Students must have proficiency in at least two general-purpose programming languages.* This is typically achieved through undergraduate programming courses, self-learning via online tutorials, on-the-job learning, programming-intensive hobbies, or developer boot camps, etc.
*Admitted students in the first year of the program should make every effort to take community college classes in the summer, or follow online tutorials, to fill gaps in their knowledge of programming in Python and Java.\u00a0
No and no. The MSWE program assumes that you know how to program, and that you are familiar with programming concepts such as functions, variables, loops, conditionals, arrays, lists, etc., in at least two programming languages. The MSWE\u00a0program will improve your programming skills by several levels, but it does not teach introductory programming.
Eligible domestic students can submit a FAFSA online.
Applications for fall 2020 are now available!\u00a0 Please find more information on how to apply to UCI here.\u00a0\u00a0
ALL applicants are encouraged to submit applications and all supplementary materials (i.e. official test scores, letters of recommendation) by December 15, 2019.
Domestic students may continue to submit applications through March 15, 2020.\u00a0
No, students are admitted once a year \u2013 for the following FALL quarter.
Yes, the GRE General Test is required. GRE scores are valid for five years, after which time the exam must be repeated.
Please review our admissions requirements on\u00a0this\u00a0page for more information
No.\u00a0 If you are interested in pursuing research or a doctoral degree, the Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE) may be a more appropriate program for you.\u00a0
Click here to learn about eligibility criteria to waive from the test of English proficiency.\u00a0
Three professional letters of recommendation are required, but you may submit as many letters as you wish.
No, we review applications holistically.\u00a0
Program FAQ:
\t\tThis is a five quarter academic program (fall, winter, spring, summer, fall).\u00a0 The summer quarter is a mandatory internship.\u00a0 The MSWE program is 15 months, from September of year one to December of year two.
Yes, domestic students are eligible for part-time study. The normative time to degree, in this case, is two years and one quarter, or 27 months, from September of year one to December of year three.\u00a0 Compare the part- and full-time curriculums here.\u00a0\u00a0
No, students in professional programs are not eligible for reader, TA, or research positions.
International students are eligible to work at an on-campus job up to 20 hours per week. You must seek approval from the International Center prior to working. Please see here for details. Domestic students are eligible to work both on-campus and off-campus. \u00a0
Yes.
Not necessarily. Although we expect most internships to offer compensation, it is entirely at the discretion of the employers in which students secure their internships.\u00a0
The program is intended to improve students’ skills to help them become more confident during technical interviews.\u00a0 If a student is still unable to secure an internship after diligent effort, the student should consult with the Faculty Director to arrange an assignment with a faculty member or department on campus to develop a concrete software project that provides hands-on experience for the student, and a useful product or service to the faculty or department.
It is still required that you do a summer internship during the second summer of the program.\u00a0 Review the part-time curriculum here.\u00a0
Yes, we offer a limited number of fellowship to students each year.\u00a0 There is no separate application. We will award fellowships based on your online application.\u00a0 To avoid delays, we recommend that all eligible domestic students submit a FAFSA.\u00a0
Yes, students will automatically be enrolled in health insurance.\u00a0 Please note that health insurance is not included in the program fees.\u00a0 Please find more information on fees here.\u00a0 If you have equivalent coverage, you may submit a\u00a0waiver.\u00a0 Please note the strict\u00a0deadlines\u00a0for submitting waivers.
No, this is an on-campus program.
To accommodate working professionals, all courses will be offered in the late afternoons and evenings.
No, students can\u00a0only\u00a0take the designated courses offered through the program. These include any graduate courses with the moniker SWE and letter P after the course number.\u00a0 The set curriculum can be found here.\u00a0\u00a0
No, it does not.\u00a0MSWE is a terminal degree. If you are interested in pursuing research and/or a PhD in Software Engineering, you should consider the MS Software Engineering (MSSE) program.\u00a0
Career Development FAQ
\t\tYes! Here are ICS/UCI events for 2019 \u2013 2020* we encourage you attend to increase your chances of getting interviews and securing a summer internship and/or full-time position for after graduation:
UCI Fall Career Fair | September 25, 2019 |
ICS Industry Showcase + Career Fair | October 16, 2019 |
UCI STEM Career Fair | October 17, 2019 |
UCI Internship & Career Fair | January 23, 2019 |
EngiTECH Career Fair | February, 2019 |
UCI Spring Career Fair | May, 2019 |
* Schedules subject to change and additional events may become available. Please refer to CODE and Handshake for most up to date information throughout the year.
Large tech companies will participate in upcoming career fairs, but not all of them, due to the high volume of student interest they receive and because of their recruitment timelines.\u00a0 In addition to career fairs, large tech companies may be on campus for other events, so always be on the lookout!
To register for upcoming UCI Career Fairs and to see employers who will be in attendance, please log into Handshake.\u00a0
Employer events hosted by the School of ICS or by ICS Professional Programs will be in ICS CODE.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
Most large tech companies will begin recruiting in Fall, some as early as July, but mostly late August/September.\u00a0 Smaller to mid-size companies will usually start in Winter beginning as early as December/January.\u00a0
Once you have identified your target companies, we recommend you visit their career/university pages to find the internship postings, most of them have deadlines that you should not miss.\u00a0 If you do not see a posting, set up email notifications through their website so you are alerted right away and can apply as soon as the position is posted.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
Regardless of when you apply, the most important thing is to make sure you meet the application deadline, if any.\u00a0 We recommend you submit your application at least one week prior to the deadline listed.
If you see an internship postings on a company\u2019s website, and you are confident with your application materials, we recommend you apply as soon as possible.\u00a0 Please also pay careful attention on the postings to see whether there is a deadline to apply, and plan to apply at least one week prior to that deadline.\u00a0
For larger companies, anyone you talk to will likely direct you to apply on the company website, including the recruiter.\u00a0 It will not be harmful to do both.\u00a0 However, another way is to reach out to your current contacts at the company, if you have any, to see if they are able to make a referral before you submit your online application.\u00a0 This way, some job sites may allow you to include the employee’s name as your referral.\u00a0 Even better, your contact may send your information to their seniors or managers, which will help you in the entire process and increase your chances for being invited for interviews.\u00a0
Industry research shows that on average, the entire recruitment process from sourcing a candidate to hiring a candidate takes 26 business days.\u00a0 While this timeline is mostly accurate, this timeline does vary with different companies, regardless of their size.\u00a0
Some students received call backs within one week of application submission, some received call backs one or even two months later.\u00a0 The key is your follow-up; sometimes that makes a significant difference in how fast the process will move forward, if it moves forward at all!
For internship positions, you will quickly learn that HR/recruiters play the role of a gatekeeper, ensure equal opportunities, and manage a fair and consistent recruiting process for all applicants.\u00a0 As such, due to the high volume of applicants they receive, an HR/recruiter will most likely redirect you to apply via the company\u2019s website.
For full-time positions, however, a company\u2019s recruiting process can be a bit different wherein an HR/recruiter may be more responsive because they may actually be seeking you out to consider their company for employment.\u00a0 Again, this varies depending on the company and how they leverage their recruiters.\u00a0
In all, while it is good to know recruiters, we encourage you focus your networking effort in connecting with actual working professionals (including UCI alumni) who are working or have worked at your target companies.\u00a0 Usually, these contacts can offer additional advice for you and some may have insights as to hiring needs within their teams.\u00a0
First and foremost, let\u2019s stay positive from the get-go and approach your search with the intended result of securing an internship.\u00a0 This mental shift will help you tremendously throughout your search!\u00a0
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That said, while securing a summer internship should be a priority for all students, students who do not secure internships will have an opportunity to work with faculty or a department on campus to develop a concrete software project that provides hands-on experience for the student, and a useful product or service to the faculty or department.
As a student in an ICS Professional Master\u2019s Program, you have access to a dedicated Career Development team that will provide you career development and job search support during your program.\u00a0 Throughout the year, the Career Development team will deliver career workshops that have been strategically timed according to the internship and job search timelines for most students.\u00a0 Please sign into CODE to see upcoming workshops and events.
You also have the option to attend events and workshops through UCI Division of Career Pathways (DCP).\u00a0
The Career Development team will hold office hours beginning Fall Week 1.\u00a0 In order to support as many students as we can prior to the ICS Showcase Career Fair and the STEM Career Fair, there will be additional office hours for individual appointments during Weeks 1 through 3.\u00a0
Please note that appointments during Weeks 1 to 3 will be limited to Resume and Cover Letter review for incoming students.\u00a0 Again, this is to ensure all students have a chance to have their materials reviewed prior to those two events.\u00a0 Other appointments such as LinkedIn review, mock interviews, will be available to all students beginning Fall Week 4.
You can make an appointment with an advisor on the Career Development team in CODE up to two weeks in advance.
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