Student Q&A: Accelerated Master’s in Software Engineering Program

“I wanted to join a professional degree program to help me understand the industry standards and practices of the software development lifecycle”

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Why did you choose CSUF for your Master's in Software Engineering?

I have always been interested in Java programming since my undergrad days. After working on servers, cloud and virtualization I wanted to upgrade my career into the software development field. To make this movement, I wanted to join a professional degree program to help me understand the industry standards and practices of the software development lifecycle. The coursework of the AMSE program matched perfectly with my interests. I also shared my goals with Dr. Choi (our program advisor), who patiently addressed all my concerns and helped me make my decision.

What were you doing before the Accelerated Master's in Software Engineering program?

Before joining the AMSE program, I completed my Java full stack development certification and I was also working as a full time system reliability engineer at Nutanix Inc. Bangalore India. I have five years of experience in Cloud Computing, Distributed Computing and Virtualization.

Did you do an internship at CSUF?

I recently completed my internship at Cal State Fullerton with Dr. Rong Jin from the Computer Science department. Dr. Rong Jin is partnering with Dr. Han Wenlin on a Metaverse research project.

How did the AMSE program help you get an internship?

In our first semester, Professor Jo gave us an assignment involving development of the Metaverse platform. This assignment sparked my interest in Metaverse and I started exploring it further. Then in the next semester, Professor Jo informed us about a faculty research project for Metaverse. I knew this was my opportunity to get involved, so I reached out. A quick interview and a few discussions later, one of the two faculty members asked me to be her research assistant.

Tell us more about what you did at your internship.

My primary work during this research was to survey 25-30 research papers on Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, manage the whole project and help team members who were struggling with their tasks. I led the team and brainstormed with members on development tasks to make sure the project progressed timely.

What advice do you have for students entering the Accelerated Master's in Software Engineering program?

This course has great professors, so make the most out of them. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Professors will always help you. The course is designed in such a way that a student can learn both technical and management aspects of software engineering. Take all the assignments as a learning challenge and not just as a task to score good grades. Assignments are designed to complement the subject learning. They provide industry like experience and also help improve professional ethics.