After reading out article on which Master’s in Engineering is right for you and deciding that a Master’s in Software Engineering is your best fit, now you may be wondering about the best software engineering career path options available to me with this degree. A Master’s in Software Engineering provides a flexible degree that allows students to enter into any type of career within the field of software engineering. Software Engineering careers are typically broken down into four different pathways. In this article, Nonprofit Colleges Online has decided to provide a brief overview of the career pathways available with this degree.
Applications Development
Students who decide to focus on Applications Development with their Master’s in Software Engineering will work on the creation of software programs that complete specific tasks. Applications Development is just as the name suggests, the development of software applications. Programs like iTunes, Microsoft Word, and Safari are all examples of software applications. Game development also falls under the umbrella of Applications Development as well. If you find the creation of specific pieces of software-based tools interesting, Applications Development might be right for you.
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Systems Development
Students who are more interested in bigger picture software development should consider Systems Development. Systems Development is the branch of software engineering that is concerned with the development of operating systems. Operating systems is the software that provides a platform for which applications can be run off. Examples of operations systems are Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. Working in Systems Development means the development and creation of these software packages that dictate the experience of using a particular device. If you find the idea of crafting the next version of iOS interesting, than Systems Development may be right for you.
Web Development
Web Development is the field within Software Engineering that focuses on the creation of applications that exist entirely within a web browser. Rather than creating software that is platform-specific, Web Development is the process of creating software that is platform-agnostic. Applications built for web development live on a server and can run within a web browser. The advantage of this is that the software does not need to accommodate for different operating systems. Some examples of web applications are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These are all web-based applications. If you find the prospect of working on the next major website interesting, then Web Development might be right for you.
Embedded Systems Development
While the three previous examples of software engineering are more traditional examples of what one might think of when software engineering comes to mind, the field of Embedded Systems Development focuses on the creation of software that exists in places that one might not expect. Embedded Systems Developers work to create software that lives in point-of-sales systems, automobiles, aircraft, appliances, and other unlikely places. As more and more devices become “smart” the field of Embedded Systems Development has grown in order to make sure that these devices are able to interface in this newly connected world.
In the field of software engineering, these are the four major career pathways that a student can venture down after enrolling in one of our top online Master’s in Software Engineering programs.
