20 Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs – 2024

July 15, 2024

Masters in Software Engineering (MSE) programs are perfect for those who already know a thing or two about software engineering and wish to advance their careers. Not only are these programs flexible and affordable—they are interesting and challenging, especially for those who enjoy problem-solving, innovative design, and keeping up with the latest tech trends. Additionally, online programs with specializations in quality assurance are great for those interested in management and testing roles within the software development field. Since many students pursuing these degrees are already working professionals, a number of programs in software engineering and quality assurance are offered fully- or partially- online. Continue reading for some essential information about online master’s programs for software engineering and software quality assurance.

What’s involved in an online MSE?

MSE students take a range of core courses that concern technical skills such as data analysis, software architecture, and cybersecurity, as well as professional skills such as project management. Courses often include Language Processing, Software Engineering Processes, Software Management Theory, and Software Security.

Most online MSE programs require between 30 and 40 credits for graduation, which are completed in 1-2 years (though some of the more flexible programs allow students to take as many as 6 or 7 years to complete their credits). While some programs require a specific thesis or capstone project at the end, others only require successfully completed coursework.

What is a Software Quality Assurance Master’s program?

In the second list below, you will find some top master’s programs for software quality assurance, which is a popular field for those interested in software development and administration.

Quality assurance is closely adjacent to other areas in software engineering. However, quality assurance jobs tend to be much more available since they exist in sectors inside and outside of the tech world, from manufacturing, to healthcare, to the food industry. Courses in quality assurance range from Statistical Quality Control, to Measurement and Testing Techniques, to Quality Project Management, to Human Factors in Quality Assurance.

How do I get in?

While admissions requirements vary across schools, MSE programs generally require the following:

Online application: This likely involves completing a form through an online application platform with your basic information.

Official transcripts: These programs require that you’ve completed a Bachelor’s degree, generally in a STEM area. However, certain programs accept students with Bachelor’s degrees in disciplines unrelated to computer science. Your submitted transcripts demonstrate your academic merits, while also allowing for transfer students to carry over credits.

Resume: Many of these MSE programs are also looking to accept students who have multiple years of professional experience after college. For this reason, you should submit a resume that lists all relevant work experience.

Essay: Your graduate school essay, much like your college essay, helps you to stand out from the crowd of applicants. For this essay, you should highlight life and professional experiences that have prepared you for starting a master’s program, as well as your reasons for choosing this program in particular.

Letters of recommendation: Most MSE programs request 2-3 letters of recommendation from those who can speak to your preparedness for studying at the graduate level. These recommendations should come from those who have witnessed your work ethic, such as college professors, workplace managers, or volunteer-work supervisors, to name a few examples.

Test scores: Some programs require test scores from standardized tests such as the GRE or GMAT. Most of them, however, only recommend GRE scores for those applicants with GPAs below 3.5 or 3.0. If you plan to submit your test scores, here’s some information on taking the GMAT vs GRE.

How will it set me up for a career?

An online Master’s on Software Engineering is a useful and versatile degree when it comes to finding jobs, as is a Master’s program focused on quality assurance. Graduates with these degrees tend to have success finding lucrative positions in database administration, web development, network systems management, cybersecurity analysis, quality testing, and more. Of course, more years of experience (and more degrees) lead to jobs with higher pay. Some popular software engineering career paths include the following:

Computer research science: Computer and information research scientists generate new knowledge in the computer science field in order to create new technologies. The average salary in the U.S. of a computer scientist is $125,103.
Computer systems management: System management involve oversight over a company’s information technology resources. This job typically pays $144,025 per year.
Database administration and architecture: Database architects design and build data storage systems that administrators use to secure information. In 2024, the average database architect salary (with 7+ years of experience) was $156,097, and the average database administrator salary was $142,432.
Software development: Software developers build new programs and applications. They typically make around $136,247 per year.
Quality assurance analysis: Quality assurance analysts test and maintain the programs that are built by software developers. The average salary of an assurance analyst is $84,109.

What else should I consider when choosing an MSE program?

Cost: When choosing a master’s program, tuition is sure to be a factor. In general, state universities have lower tuition than private or out-of-state universities, though this isn’t always the case with online programs. We’ve included the tuition per credit, per year, or per course for each program (as well how many credits or the length of time needed to graduate).

Accreditation: It’s especially important to check on the accreditation of online programs, since not all programs are accredited. In the case of MSEs, ABET tends to provide this accreditation.

Format and location: These lists include programs in a variety of formats, including full-time and part-time, synchronous and asynchronous, and all-online and hybrid-online. You should consider the questions of full-time vs. part-time and synchronous vs. asynchronous based on your time constraints and learning style. Especially if you are interested in paying in-state tuition or enrolling in a hybrid (partially in-person) program, it will be important to consider location.

Student support offered: As you apply for MSE programs, you should also check on what kinds of support they offer. For example, some programs offer student career mentoring, internship placements, special graduate certificates, and study abroad opportunities.

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

1) Baylor University

Baylor’s Masters in Computer Science has a Software Engineering Track is 100% online, but provides the individualized support of an in-person program. Baylor University has been ranked the #3 school in Texas for Computer Science, and the program itself has been recognized as one of the best online master’s in computer science.

Location: Waco, Texas
Institution type: private
Format: online
Tuition: $1,100/credit
Time for completion: 1.5-2 years
Admissions exams: Not required

2) Brandeis University

Brandeis boasts small class sizes for fostering connections with peers and instructors, as well as diverse electives and an optional concentration in cybersecurity. Unique courses include Cloud Computing and Release Control and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery.

Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
Institution type: private
Format: online
Tuition: $1,220/credit
Credits for completion: 30 (2.5 years for completion)
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

3) California State University—Fullerton

This program has been recognized by a variety of sources as a top online engineering program. Applicants to this program are generally professionals already working in the software engineering field, who aim to further their skills and develop their careers.

Location: Fullerton, California
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $2,082/semester
Time for completion: 1.5 years
Admissions exams: none required

4) Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon’s MSE program is part of their Software and Societal Systems Department, which focuses on understanding how computational technologies can better serve humanity. The program is fully-online and part-time, designed for experienced software professionals who wish to develop leadership and management skills. Certificate practice areas include Software Architecture, Software Product Management, and Software Engineering Management.

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Institution type: private
Format: online
Tuition: $547/credit
Time for completion: 24 months
Admissions exams: none required; GRE encouraged

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

5) DePaul University

DePaul’s online MSE emphasizes current methodologies, emerging technologies, and developing skills in team-based environments. Concentrations include AI in Software Engineering, Real-Time Software & Game Systems, and Software Development & Architecture. Students also have opportunities for specialized hands-on research in a variety of research labs and centers.

Location: Chicago, IL
Institution type: private
Format: online or in-person
Tuition: $918/credit
Credits for completion: 48
Admissions exams: none required

6) Drexel University

Drexel’s program responds to the growing importance of software in modern society. Key topics include software design and architecture, engineering management, and systems analytics. Students follow interdisciplinary and customized curricula, choosing electives based on their individual interests.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Institution type: private
Format: online or in-person
Tuition: 1438/credit, plus an online fee of $125/year
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required; GRE recommended for students with GPA below 3.0

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

7) East Carolina University

This program aims to set its students apart from the crowd and to help them push boundaries in the field of software engineering. Focuses include object-oriented design, software systems architecture, software testing, cloud computing, and software project management. The hybrid format of the program allows students to work on flexible schedules while also collaborating with other students on campus.

Location: Greenville, NC
Institution type: public
Format: hybrid
Tuition: $290 (in-state); $1,020 (out-of-state)
Credits for completion: 30-38
Admissions exams: GRE required

8) Johns Hopkins University

This online Systems Engineering program, through the Whiting School of Engineering, includes a Software Systems focus, as well as focuses in Cybersecurity, Modeling and Simulation, and Project Management, among others. Software Systems Engineering electives are mainly online and asynchronous, except for the Tools and Techniques course which is online and synchronous.

Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Institution type: private
Format: online and hybrid
Tuition: $6,470/course (10 courses required)
Time for completion: up to 5 years
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

9) Mercer University

Part of Mercer’s department of Electrical and Computer engineering, this MSE program teaches students in-depth techniques for defining, analyzing, and solving complex problems in software engineering.

Location: Macon, Georgia
Institution type: private
Format: online
Tuition: $999/credit
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required

10) North Dakota State University

With projects designed to fit the specific needs of its professional students, NDSU’s MSE program is 100% online and partially customizable. It also offers a 10-credit online Software Engineering Graduate Certificate.

Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $464/credit
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required; GRE recommended for priority in assistantships

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

11) University of Maryland—Global Campus

University of Maryland’s cutting-edge curriculum is designed by industry leaders to help students advance in careers related to software development and engineering. Online courses help students to develop real-world skills, and the program ends with a team-oriented capstone project.

Location: Adelphi, Maryland
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $534/credit (in-state); $659/credit (out-of-state)
Credits for completion: 36 (students often graduate in 2 years)
Admissions exams: none required

12) University of Michigan at Dearborn

This is a computer-engineering-focused MSE program, in which students can take courses fully online, fully in-person, or in a hybrid format. The online courses feature streamed lectures given on campus, and students can interact with faculty and classmates through the CANVAS platform.

Location: Dearborn, Michigan
Institution type: public
Format: online, on-campus, or hybrid
Tuition: $1,136/credit
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

13) Washington State University

Designed for workplace advancement, this master’s program was created by an advisory board that includes representatives from major tech companies. In addition to technical training in areas such as software development, maintenance, and security, students can train in management, leadership, and ethics.

Location: Pullman, Washington
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $652/credit
Credits for completion: 31
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

14) West Virginia University

This program sets students up for careers in software engineering in a number of industries, from healthcare, to green energy, to aeronautics, to finance. Through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning, WVU’s Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering is ranked as a top online MSE program by a variety of sources.

Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $746/credit
Credits for completion: 30 (completed in about 24 months)
Admissions exams: none required; GRE recommended for students with GPA below 3.5

Master’s programs for Software Quality Assurance

1) Arizona State University

This Top 5 engineering master’s program includes core classes such as Advanced Quality Control, Quality Management, and Reliability Engineering, preparing students for senior engineering roles.

Location: Tempe, Arizona
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $1,009
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required

2) California State University—Dominguez Hills

This online Master’s in Quality Assurance is designed to prepare professionals in quality, engineering science, and management for the purpose of career advancement. Through both theoretical knowledge and analytical techniques, CSUDH provides students with skills that can be applied to a wide variety of industries.

Location: Carson, California
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $330/credit
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

3) Penn State World Campus

Students in this program can earn up to 3 graduate certificates, including Project Quality Management, Software Architecture and Design, AI Engineering, and Data Analytics and Engineering. A major benefit of this program is its cohort structure—students gain valuable experience by collaborating with their peers from start to finish.

Location: University Park, Pennsylvania
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $1,017/credit
Credits for completion: 36
Admissions exams: none required

4) Stevens Institute of Technology

This online program prepares students to implement and oversee software-intensive projects through equipping them with advanced knowledge in software assurance, as well as other areas (software architecture, project management, technical planning, risk management…).

Location: Hoboken, NJ
Institution type: private
Format: online or in-person
Tuition: $1,776/credit
Credits for completion: 30
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

5) Texas Tech University

The Texas Tech MSE program emphasizes quality assurance methodologies, as well as software design and practices in software and system production. Students have a fair amount of flexibility when choosing how to complete this program, since they can decide between online or in-person tracks, and also between thesis or non-thesis tracks.

Location: Lubbock, Texas
Institution type: public
Format: online and campus
Tuition: $817/credit (in-state); $1,460/credit (out-of-state)
Time for completion: depends on track
Admissions exams: none required

Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

6) University of Central Florida

Explore philosophy and concepts behind quality management in this online program, which prepares students to evaluate, implement, improve, and design processes of product quality control. As part of UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, the program only requires 12 credit hours, making it perfect for students who are balancing course work with busy lives and tight finances.

Location: Orlando, Florida
Institution type: public
Format: online
Tuition: $327.32/credit (in-state); $1,151.72/credit (out-of-state)
Credits for completion: 12
Admissions exams: none required

Final Thoughts – Best Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs

Whether you’re a working professional hoping to further develop your skills in software engineering, or you’re interested in pursuing a career track in software quality assurance, consider applying to one of these online master’s program for a flexible, affordable, and intellectually stimulating experience.

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Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.