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Software engineering tackles designing, testing, and maintaining software (programs). This branch involves many technologies and tools that assist in the process of creating programs for many different niches.
Here, we’ll provide an answer to the “What is software engineering?” question. We’ll also explain the key concepts related to it, the skills required to become a software engineer, and introduce you to career opportunities.
Basics of Software Engineering
History and Evolution of Software Engineering
Before digging into the nitty-gritty behind software engineering, let’s have a (very short) history lesson.
We can say that software engineering is relatively young compared to many other industries: it was “born” in 1963. Margaret Hamilton, an American computer scientist, was working on the software for the Apollo spacecraft. It was she who coined the term “software engineer” to describe her work at the time.
Two NATO software engineering conferences took place a few years later, confirming the industry’s significance and allowing it to find its place under the computer-science sun.
During the 1980s, software engineering was widely recognized in many countries and by various experts. Since then, the field has advanced immensely thanks to technological developments. It’s used in many spheres and offers a wide array of benefits.
Different Types of Software
What software does software engineering really tackle? You won’t be wrong if you say all software. But learning about the actual types can’t hurt:
- System software – This software powers a computer system. It gives life to computer hardware and represents the “breeding ground” for applications. The most basic example of system software is an operating system like Windows or Linux.
- Application software – This is what you use to listen to music, create a document, edit a photo, watch a movie, or perform any other action on your computer.
- Embedded software – This is specialized software found in an embedded device that controls its specific functions.
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
What does the life of software look like? Let’s analyze the key stages.
Planning and Analysis
During this stage, experts analyze the market, clients’ needs, customers’ input, and other factors. Then, they compile this information to plan the software’s development and measure its feasibility. This is also the time when experts identify potential risks and brainstorm solutions.
Design
Now it’s time to create a design plan, i.e., design specification. This plan will go to stakeholders, who will review it and offer feedback. Although it may seem trivial, this stage is crucial to ensure everyone’s on the same page. If that’s not the case, the whole project could collapse in the blink of an eye.
Implementation
After everyone gives the green light, software engineers start developing the software. This stage is called “implementation” and it’s the longest part of the life cycle. Engineers can make the process more efficient by dividing it into smaller, more “digestible” chunks.
Testing
Before the software reaches its customers, you need to ensure it’s working properly, hence the testing stage. Here, testers check the software for errors, bugs, and issues. This can also be a great learning stage for inexperienced testers, who can observe the process and pick up on the most common issues.
Deployment
The deployment stage involves launching the software on the market. Before doing that, engineers will once again check with stakeholders to see if everything’s good to go. They may make some last-minute changes depending on the provided feedback.
Maintenance
Just because software is on the market doesn’t mean it can be neglected. Every software requires some degree of care. If not maintained regularly, the software can malfunction and cause various issues. Besides maintenance, engineers ensure the software is updated. Since the market is evolving rapidly, it’s necessary to introduce new features to the software to ensure it fulfills the customers’ needs.
Key Concepts in Software Engineering
Those new to the software engineering world often feel overwhelmed by the number of concepts thrown at them. But this can also happen to seasoned engineers who are switching jobs and/or industries. Whatever your situation, here are the basic concepts you should acquire.
Requirements Engineering
Requirements engineering is the basis for developing software. It deals with listening and understanding the customers’ needs, putting them on paper, and defining them. These needs are turned into clearly organized requirements for efficient software development.
Software Design Principles
Modularity
Software engineers break down the software into sections (modules) to make the process easier, quicker, more detailed, and independent.
Abstraction
Most software users don’t want to see the boring details about the software they’re using. Being the computer wizards they are, software engineers wave their magic wand to hide the more “abstract” information about the software and highlight other aspects customers consider more relevant.
Encapsulation
Encapsulation refers to grouping certain data together into a single unit. It also represents the process when software engineers put specific parts of the software in a secure bubble so that they’re protected from external changes.
Coupling and Cohesion
These two concepts define a software’s functionality, maintainability, and reliability. They denote how much software modules depend on each other and how elements within one module work together.
Software Development Methodologies
Waterfall
The basic principle of the waterfall methodology is to have the entire software development process run smoothly using a sequential approach. Each stage of the life cycle we discussed above needs to be fully completed before the next one begins.
Agile Methodologies
With agile methodologies, the focus is on speed, collaboration, efficiency, and high customer satisfaction. Team members work together and aim for continual improvement by applying different agile strategies.
DevOps
DevOps (development + operations) asks the question, “What can be done to improve an organization’s capability to develop software faster?” It’s basically a set of tools and practices that automate different aspects of the software development process and make the work easier.
Quality Assurance and Testing
Software engineers don’t just put the software in use as soon as they wrap up the design stage. Before the software gets the green light, its quality needs to be tested. This process involves testing every aspect of the software to ensure it’s good to go.
Software Maintenance and Evolution
Humans are capable of adapting their behavior depending on the situation. Let’s suppose it’s really cold outside, even though it’s summer. Chances are, you won’t go out in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. And if you catch a cold due to cold weather, you’ll take precautions (drink tea, visit a doctor, or take medicine).
While humans can interpret new situations and “update” their behavior, the software doesn’t work that way. They can’t fix themselves or change how they function. That’s why they need leaders, a.k.a. software engineers, who can keep them in tip-top shape and ensure they’re on top of the new trends.
Essential Skills for Software Engineers
What do you need to be a software engineer?
Programming Languages
If you can’t “speak” a programming language, you can’t develop software. Here are a few of the most popular languages:
- Java – It runs on various platforms and uses C and C++.
- Python – A general-purpose programming language that is a classic among software engineers.
- C++ – An object-oriented language that almost all computers contain, so you can understand its importance.
- JavaScript – A programming language that can handle complex tasks and is one of the web’s three key technologies.
Problem-Solving and Critical Skills
A software engineer needs to be able to look at the bigger picture, identify a problem, and see what it can be done to resolve it.
Communication and Collaboration
Developing software isn’t a one-man job. You need to communicate and collaborate with other team members if you want the best results.
Time Management and Organization
Software engineers often race against the clock to complete tasks. They need to have excellent organizational and time management skills to prevent being late.
Continuous Learning and Adaptability
Technology evolves rapidly, and you need to do that as well if you want to stay current.
Career Opportunities in Software Engineering
Job Roles and Titles
- Software Developer – If you love to get all technical and offer the world practical solutions for their problems, this is the perfect job role.
- Software Tester – Do you like checking other people’s work? Software testing may be the way to go.
- Software Architect – The position involves planning, analyzing, and organizing, so if you find that interesting, check it out.
- Project Manager – If you see yourself supervising every part of the process and ensuring it’s completed with flying colors, this is the ideal position.
Industries and Sectors
- Technology – Many software engineers find their dream jobs in the technology industry. Whether developing software for their employer’s needs or working with a major client, software engineers leave a permanent mark on this industry.
- Finance – From developing credit card software to building major financial education software, working as a software engineer in this industry can be rewarding (and very lucrative).
- Healthcare – Software engineers may not be doctors, but they can save lives. They can create patient portals, cloud systems, or consumer health apps and improve the entire healthcare industry with their work.
- Entertainment – The entertainment industry would collapse without software engineers who develop content streaming apps, video games, animations, and much more.
Education and Certifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field – Many on-campus and online universities and institutes offer bachelor’s degree programs that could set you up for success in the industry.
- Professional certifications – These certifications can be a great starting point or a way to strengthen the skills you already have.
- Online courses and boot camps – Various popular platforms (think Coursera and Udemy) offer excellent software engineering courses.
Hop on the Software Engineering Train
There’s something special and rewarding about knowing you’ve left your mark in this world. As a software engineer, you can improve the lives of millions of people and create simple solutions to seemingly complicated problems.
If you want to make your work even more meaningful and reap the many benefits this industry offers, you need to improve your skills constantly and follow the latest trends.
Related posts
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Source:
- Il Sole 24 Ore, Published on July 29th, 2024 (original article in Italian).
By Filomena Greco
It is called OPIT and it was born from an idea by Riccardo Ocleppo, entrepreneur, director and founder of OPIT and second generation in the company; and Francesco Profumo, former president of Compagnia di Sanpaolo, former Minister of Education and Rector of the Polytechnic University of Turin. “We wanted to create an academic institution focused on Artificial Intelligence and the new formative paths linked to this new technological frontier”.
How did this initiative come about?
“The general idea was to propose to the market a new model of university education that was, on the one hand, very up-to-date on the topic of skills, curricula and professors, with six degree paths (two three-year Bachelor degrees and four Master degrees) in areas such as Computer Science, AI, Cybersecurity, Digital Business; on the other hand, a very practical approach linked to the needs of the industrial world. We want to bridge a gap between formal education, which is often too theoretical, and the world of work and entrepreneurship.”
What characterizes your didactic proposal?
“Ours is a proprietary teaching model, with 45 teachers recruited from all over the world who have a solid academic background but also experience in many companies. We want to offer a study path that has a strong business orientation, with the aim of immediately bringing added value to the companies. Our teaching is entirely in English, and this is a project created to be international, with the teachers coming from 20 different nationalities. Italian students last year were 35% but overall the reality is very varied.”
Can you tell us your numbers?
“We received tens of thousands of applications for the first year but we tried to be selective. We started the first two classes with a hundred students from 38 countries around the world, Italy, Europe, USA, Canada, Middle East and Africa. We aim to reach 300 students this year. We have accredited OPIT in Malta, which is the only European country other than Ireland to be native English speaking – for us, this is a very important trait. We want to offer high quality teaching but with affordable costs, around 4,500 euros per year, with completely online teaching.”
Read the full article below (in Italian):
![](https://www.opit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EFMD-300x186.png )
Source:
- EFMD Global, Published on July 12th, 2024.
By Stephanie Mullins
Many people love to read the stories of successful business school graduates to see what they’ve achieved using the lessons, insights and connections from the programmes they’ve studied. We speak to one alumnus, Riccardo Ocleppo, who studied at top business schools including London Business School (LBS) and INSEAD, about the education institution called OPIT which he created after business school.
Please introduce yourself and your career to date.
I am the founder of OPIT — Open Institute of Technology, a fully accredited Higher Education Institution (HEI) under the European Qualification Framework (EQF) by the MFHEA Authority. OPIT also partners with WES (World Education Services), a trusted non-profit providing verified education credential assessments (ECA) in the US and Canada for foreign degrees and certificates.
Prior to founding OPIT, I established Docsity, a global community boasting 15 million registered university students worldwide and partnerships with over 250 Universities and Business Schools. My academic background includes an MSc in Electronics from Politecnico di Torino and an MSc in Management from London Business School.
Why did you decide to create OPIT Open Institute of Technology?
Higher education has a profound impact on people’s futures. Through quality higher education, people can aspire to a better and more fulfilling future.
The mission behind OPIT is to democratise access to high-quality higher education in the fields that will be in high demand in the coming decades: Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Digital Innovation.
Since launching my first company in the education field, I’ve engaged with countless students, partnered with hundreds of universities, and collaborated with professors and companies. Through these interactions, I’ve observed a gap between traditional university curricula and the skills demanded by today’s job market, particularly in Computer Science and Technology.
I founded OPIT to bridge this gap by modernising education, making it affordable, and enhancing the digital learning experience. By collaborating with international professors and forging solid relationships with global companies, we are creating a dynamic online community and developing high-quality digital learning content. This approach ensures our students benefit from a flexible, cutting-edge, and stress-free learning environment.
Why do you think an education in tech is relevant in today’s business landscape?
As depicted by the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs 2023” report, the demand for skilled tech professionals remains (and will remain) robust across industries, driven by the critical role of advanced technologies in business success.
Today’s companies require individuals who can innovate and execute complex solutions. A degree in fields like computer science, cybersecurity, data science, digital business or AI equips graduates with essential skills to thrive in this dynamic industry.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global tech talent shortage will exceed 85 million workers by 2030. The Korn Ferry Institute warns that this gap could result in hundreds of billions in lost revenue across the US, Europe, and Asia.
To address this challenge, OPIT aims to democratise access to technology education. Our competency-based and applied approach, coupled with a flexible online learning experience, empowers students to progress at their own pace, demonstrating their skills as they advance.
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