Master’s in Software Engineering | École de technlogie supérieure

Become an expert in a highly stimulating field that is experiencing rapid growth

Do you want to acquire and apply leading-edge knowledge in software engineering, or make a significant contribution to software development and maintenance? Would you like to implement new practices and technologies in order to bring your employer to a higher level of performance and a greater technological maturity? Do you aspire to lead a software design team or do research? The ÉTS Master’s in Software Engineering will help you achieve your professional ambitions, whatever they may be.

Why choose the ÉTS Master’s degree in software engineering? Because, just like us, you love the practical aspect of software engineering. This particular orientation, on which ÉTS has built a strong reputation, shapes not only our style of teaching, but also our research work. The proof: the majority of research mandates awarded to our professors come from industry, not to mention that most of our faculty members worked in industry before joining ÉTS.

Within this program, you will discover the technological and organizational dimensions of software development. You will become a true agent of change, in addition to acquiring a global vision of issues related to the design, maintenance and industrialization of software.

What topics will be covered in the master's program?

Today’s society depends on complex software that integrates many varied technologies. Design and development of these systems requires advanced expertise, at both the technical and project management levels.

Throughout your graduate training in software engineering, you will solve real world problems, whether using simulations, case studies or projects. In this way, you will develop your analytical abilities while improving your management skills.

Having completed your master's studies, you will be able to:

Make a significant contribution to software development and maintenance in industry;
Develop broad technical skills in various software development activities such as analysis, design, testing, quality assurance, etc.
Develop your skills in software project management.

You can put your knowledge into practice through an internship in a company, or deepen your knowledge through a large-scale integrative or research project.

In addition, you will deepen your knowledge in the following areas:

Analysis and specification of software requirements;
Software architecture and design;
Maintenance, evolution and software re-engineering;
Model-driven software engineering;
Verification, testing and quality assurance;
Interface design methods supporting human-machine interaction;
Modeling, analysis and programming of real time systems;
Service engineering;
Artificial intelligence;
Project management in software engineering.

This knowledge is applied in the development and implementation of various systems including enterprise systems, mobile applications, applications related to the Internet of Things (IoT), product lines, adaptive systems and embedded systems.

What Degrees Provide Admission to the Master’s in Software Engineering?

Holders of an engineering degree, or a bachelor degree which includes a strong component or option in Computer Science, M.I.S., Information Systems, Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering (Software option), are eligible for this Master’s program.

Research in Software Engineering

The Department of Software Engineering and IT brings together experts from various fields of research, including:

Software design and re-engineering;
Model-driven software engineering;
Software testing;
Product lines and highly configurable systems;
Human-machine interfaces;
Real-time systems;
Heuristic methods;
Empirical studies in software engineering.

In addition, ÉTS has several research laboratories where students can explore various aspects of these fields:

LASI – Computer System Architecture Research Laboratory;
LINCS – Cognitive and Semantic Interpretation Engineering Laboratory;
LABMULTIMEDIA – Multimedia Research Laboratory;
LIVIA – Imaging, Vision and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

What’s the Difference between the Project Profile and the Research Profile?

The Master in Software Engineering has two profiles: with thesis or with project. The thesis profile is focused on research and leads to the degree of Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.). The project profile will allow you to specialize in a particular area of software engineering and will lead to the degree of Master in Engineering (M.Eng.).

Master's in Software Engineering with thesis (research profile)

This profile is for you if you want to do research and development in industry, acquire advanced skills in a specific software engineering domain, or pursue doctoral studies.

The thesis project counts for 30 of the 45 credits of this program.

Master's in software Engineering with project (project profile)

Would you like to specialize and become an expert in software engineering? The practical and theoretical courses in the project profile will help you deepen your knowledge. You can also put your knowledge to use by completing an internship in a company or a comprehensive project.

This program is offered in collaboration with UQAM and totals 45 credits, including 30 to 39 credits of courses plus 6 to 15 credits for a comprehensive or internship project.

The Master's Degree with Projet is available in French only.

Would you like to proceed in French?

Degree

Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.)

Program Objectives

The objective of this concentration is to provide specialized training and meet the continuing education needs of professionals in software engineering. To this end, it aims to combine the acquisition of high level skills and knowledge in software engineering (through the course component) with the mastery of a particular state-of-the-art topic in software engineering, and to introduce the student to research in this discipline (through the thesis component).

Admission Requirements

Hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in an appropriate engineering field, in computer science or applied science with a computing component, with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (out of 4.3) or equivalent;

or have acquired the required knowledge, appropriate training and experience that is deemed to be relevant.

A candidate who is deemed to be inadequately prepared may be required to take upgrading courses or a preparatory course.

The candidate can be admitted on the basis of sufficient knowledge of English. In addition to the requirements of the program, the candidate must also successfully complete an out-of-program French course, appropriate to his or her level, to obtain a diploma.

Candidates admitted on the basis of English must also provide proof that a faculty member has agreed to act as their thesis supervisor.

Program Structure

1 mandatory 3-hour long workshop (0 credit)
1 mandatory activity (3 credits)
3 or 4 optional activities (totalling at least 12 credits)
1 thesis (30 credits)

List of activities

1 mandatory 3-hour long workshop activity:

ATE800

Intégrité intellectuelle : un savoir-être et savoir-faire (0 cr.) (Intellectual Integrity: Underlying concepts and techniques – available in French and English)

1 mandatory activity (3 credits):

MTR801

Planning for an Engineering Research Project

3 or 4 optional activities (at least 12 credits) from the corresponding program:

undertaken in French at ÉTS (see "Liste des activités");
OR undertaken in English at a partner university.

If you choose to take courses at a partner university, you must obtain prior approval from your supervisor.

The student must successfully complete the following activity near the end of the program (30 credits):

MTR890

Master's Thesis

What are the Career Prospects in Software Engineering?

Did you know that, since 2011, the software and computer services sub-sector has seen the highest employment growth of any information technologies sector? Like the broader information technology sector, the software sub-sector has been suffering from a labour shortage for several years. This shortage is particularly acute in the area of organizational transformations. Employment prospects are also very favourable for engineers specializing in software engineering who would be tempted by artificial intelligence, embedded systems, video game design or enterprise systems development.

Quebec has a great future in the field of artificial intelligence. According to Fortune magazine, Québec is one of the world leading locations in this field. Many corporate giants are accelerating the design of software that allows computers to read, write and hold conversations in a natural manner. Engineers specializing in software engineering will be able to carve out a choice niche.

Quebec being a hub in the aerospace field, several local companies specialize in avionics. These businesses are looking for professionals with state-of-the-art training in software engineering, more specifically in the development of embedded systems, model-driven engineering, audit, testing and quality assurance.

Video game design is also a very promising sector for software engineering professionals. The Quebec video game industry counts some 120 businesses and has created nearly 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province. Prospects for employment in this field are very positive: at the global level, the growth of this industry is estimated at 7 per cent annually.

Finally, almost 280 Quebec companies specialize in the development and publishing of application and systems software. The know-how and creativity of these companies are recognized all across the world. These companies include CGI, Busbud, Coveo, Human Wave, 20-20 Technologies and Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology. The main global giants in software publishing are also established in Quebec. Among them are: Autodesk, CGI, Dassault Systems, Fujitsu, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Kronos, OpenText, Oracle, Sagem and SAP.

Professional Recognition

Did you know that a Master’s in Engineering can give you experience credits of up to 12 months if you have a Bachelor of Engineering? To learn more, we invite you to consult the Regulation respecting other terms and conditions for the issuance of permits by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.

Are you looking for a project for your master’s program?

Are you looking for a research project for your master's program? Visit the Research Projects for Students page where faculty who are recruiting students post opportunities.

Have you found a thesis supervisor?

You must have chosen your thesis supervisor before the end of your first semester of master’s studies, because this is a condition of registration for the second semester. We strongly recommend you begin your search before your first semester of master’s studies. For more information, see Find a Thesis Supervisor.