Software Engineering Course

Are you tech-savvy and want to pursue a career in the tech field? If Yes, then  Becoming a Software engineer would be a wise career choice for you. There is a high demand for skilled Software engineers in the employment sector which makes it a promising career choice.

This profession also offers you lucrative job opportunities and a handsome salary package. To become a software engineer, you have to pursue a B.Tech degree in the specialization of Computer Science & Engineering followed by an M.Tech in the same specialization.

What is a Software Engineering Course?

Software engineering is a branch of Computer Science and Engineering, software engineering involves the development of advanced software, software development models, and programming concepts that are required for software development.

In other words, a software engineer is responsible for analyzing user requirements and expectations, designing and constructing as per needs using the software programming languages, and finally testing the end-user application to satisfy the user or client.

Software engineering is not only used to develop small applications that require simple programming but it is also used to develop bigger and more complex software systems which are operated as major systems for business and organizational purposes.

Software Engineering: Course Highlights

Courses to Become Software Engineer	B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, M.Sc, B.C.A, M.C.A
Duration of Education	4 years to 7 Years
Eligibility	Passed 10+2 from a recognized board with Science stream (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics)
Admission Process	Merit/ Entrance-Based
Entrance Exams	JEE Main & Advanced, WBJEE, KLUEEE, SRMJEEE, CUCET
Average Annual Fees	INR 1,00,000 to 4,00,000
Average Salary	Rs 3 L.P.A to 7 L.P.A
Top Recruiting Companies	TCS, Accenture, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, L&T, DELL, etc.
Employment Sectors	IT Industries, Financial Service sector, Government Sector, Healthcare sector
Job Roles	System Analyst, Software Engineer, IT Sales Manager, Associate Software Engineer, etc.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Software Engineer

The operational process of most organizations depends on the software, from automated traffic control systems to complex manufacturing processes Software engineers are responsible for the development of software that can run smoothly, and efficiently, and provides real solutions.

The key responsibilities of a typical software engineer include:

1. Executing the entire Software Development life cycle also known as SDLC.
2. To design accurate and testable codes.
3. To develop the layouts, flowcharts, and documentation to figure out the requirements and solutions.
4. To derive specifications and determine the feasibility of the operations.
5. To analyze and maintain the functions of the software
6. To combine various software components into a well-functional software system.
7. To troubleshoot, debug and upgrade the existing software systems
8. To develop software backup and verification place
9. To develop quality assurance procedures
10. To deploy the programs and evaluate user feedback
11. To comply with the planned projects and meet industry standards
12. Always ensure that  the software remains updated with the latest features

Apart from the above-mentioned responsibilities, the key role of a software engineer can differ according to his/her Job title or designation.

Skills Sets Required to Become a Software Engineer

• Excellent Programming Skills
• Experience or knowledge of Javascript, Linux/Unix, Perl, Shell, Java, Ruby, PHP, Python, Hands-On SQL, Microsoft ASP.NET MVC, Web API, Node.js
• Strong Logical and Analytical skills
• Dynamic approach and extensive knowledge to understand different programming languages
• Organizational skills and behavior
• Teamwork and Communications skills to understand the Client's requirements and deliver the output on time

How to Become a Software Engineer?

It is not necessary to be an absolute expert in coding languages and programming, but basic knowledge or good command of them will keep the odds in your favor. The more you know, the better it will be. Apart from learning coding languages and programming, an individual needs to get a professional degree to become a certified Software Engineer.

Usually, most IT companies prefer to hire a candidate with a technical degree in software engineering. If an individual wants to pursue his/her career as a software engineer then they are advised to pursue a technical degree such as a 4-year B.E/B.Tech course in Computer Science and Engineering followed by a 2-year M.E/M.tech course in the same specialization.

Pursuing a 3-year MCA course after completing 3 years of graduation course in Computer Application (B.C.A) can also help you to become a software engineer. Once you join an IT company as a Software developer, you can call yourself a Software Engineer.

In India, there are very few institutes and colleges that offer a UG or PG course in Software Engineering but many colleges offer B.CA and M.C.A courses. You can choose either of them as both of them are professional and technical degree programs.

Eligibility Criteria to Become a Software Engineer?

• The Candidate must have passed his/her 10+2 board examinations or equivalent examination in the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as main subjects from a recognized board.
•  Many well-recognized and reputed colleges in India offer admissions based on the merit score in the entrance examinations such as JEE-Main, JEE-Advance, or GATE. The candidate must have to appear in such entrance examinations to secure a seat in a reputed college or institute. A scorecard of any one of these entrance examinations is compulsory to get admission to UG and PG courses in Software Engineering.
• The candidate must have a B.E/B.tech/B.Sc/B.C.A degree in the specialization of Software Engineering with at least 55% marks in the graduation.
• For admission to the M.Tech/M.E/M.Sc./MCA degree in the specialization of software engineering, the candidate must have a minimum of 50% marks in the graduation level of the course. Although it is not important to have a master’s degree to become a software developer or software engineer, Many reputed companies demand a Master’s degree from the candidates as an eligibility criterion.

Professional Courses to Become a Software Engineer

Name of Courses	Degree Level	Duration
B.Tech. Software Engineering	UG	4 years
M.Tech. Software Engineering	PG	2 years
ME in Software Engineering	PG	2 years
Bachelor in Computer Applications (B.C.A)	UG	3 Years
Master in Computer Applications(M.C.A)	PG	3 Years
B.Sc. in Software Engineering	UG	3 Years
M.Sc. in Software Engineering	PG	2 years
Ph.D. in Software Engineering	Doctoral	3 years
Diploma in Computer Programming and Software Engineering	Diploma	2 to 3 years
Diploma in Software Engineering	Diploma	3 years

Top Colleges which Offer Software Engineering Courses

Below is the list of the top 10 colleges of India that offer admissions to software engineering courses based on the national level entrance examinations such as JEE-Main, JEE-Advance, and GATE.

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati
• National Institute of Technology (NIT), Durgapur
• National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra
• Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani

Career as a Software Engineer: Job Prospects, Salary, Job Titles, Roles, and Responsibilities

• Salary of a Software Engineer

The average salary offered to a fresher (entry-level) software engineer is Rs 3.5 L.P.A whereas a software engineer with working experience of 5 or more years can earn a handsome salary package of Rs 7 L.P.A.

However, a professional with more than 10 years of experience can make more than Rs 10 Lakhs annually. The globally recognized Company Google offers an average salary of Rs 30.9 L.P.A.(approx) to software engineers who have experience of less than 1 year to 9 years.

• Employment Sectors for Software Engineers

Software Engineering offers a broad career scope, a software engineering professional can work as a software developer or in any other IT role such as an Application developer or website developer in any IT company specializing in software development. They can also be employed in an IT role in the types of organizations mentioned below:

1. IT Industries
2. Financial Service sector
3. Government Sector
4. Healthcare sector
5. Manufacturing companies
6. Digital Media Companies etc.

• Job Titles and Designations Associated with Software Engineering

There are numerous job titles and designations associated with software engineering; the designation depends on the job role and responsibility of an individual.

The common job titles used in IT firms are given below:

1. Software Executives
2. Software Developer
3. Software Designer
4. Software Programmers 
5. Information Systems Manager
6. Project Manager
7. System Designer
8. Web Developer
9. Forensic computer analyst
10. IT technical support officer
11. Software Tester
12. Sound designer
13. Systems analyst
14. Data Engineer
15. Front End Web Developer
16. Embedded Software Engineer
17. Programmer Analyst
18. Application Security Engineer
19. Game Developer

• Various Job Profiles and Career Prospects after Software Engineering

1. Business Information Analyst: Their role is to figure out the solution to the business problems by using information systems and software. They usually use their analytical skills to find feasible solutions.

2. Computer System Analyst: Their job is to identify the solution for an organization to utilize its resources in order to operate effectively. They use their extensive knowledge of hardware and software systems to identify the need for technical infrastructure and research the design and installation of computing machine packages.

3. Web Developer: They usually use various web technologies and programming languages like HTML, JavaScript, and AJAX  to develop coding websites, develop new applications and website features and integrate backend systems such as multiple websites and databases.

4. Information Security Analyst: Their responsibility is to keep the organization's database system safe and secure by performing various security audits and conducting risk assessment tests.

5. Mobile Application Developer: This is the most demanding job profile for software engineers.  They have a keen knowledge of computer languages such as Java Scripts, Objective -C, and .NET and they use them to develop mobile applications and websites for Android and IOS mobile devices.

6. Database Administrator: They are responsible to manage the databases and develop database backups. They use their knowledge and expertise in database languages such as Oracle, Microsoft, etc.

7. QA (Quality Assurance) Manager: They execute the quality testing and reviewing plans to identify the problems that come up during the software development process. Conducting tests, manual and automated testing plans are their key responsibilities, they have to work closely with the software developers to figure out the improvement possibilities.

• Companies recruiting Software Designers

Software Engineering Graduates are high in demand in IT as well as other industry sectors. We have gathered the list of the top 20 organizations that are always interested in recruiting skilled software engineering professionals:

1. TCS
2. Accenture
3. Cognizant
4. Infosys
5. Persistent
6. IBM
7. Microsoft
8. Google
9. Fiserv
10. Symantec
11. Wipro Ltd.
12. Tata Infotech Ltd.
13. HCL Infosystems Ltd.
14. Oracle
15. Cisco
16. Intel
17. Adobe
18. Hexaware Technologies Ltd.
19. Mind Tree
20. Dell Technologies

Advantages and Disadvantages of Becoming a Software Engineer

Pros

• High in Demand: There's a high demand for software engineers in India, if you are skilled enough you will surely grab a good job opportunity in the IT or other employment sectors.
• Good Salary Package: Due to the high demand and less availability of skilled and professional software engineers, employers are offering a handsome salary package. The entry-level package of a software engineer starts from Rs 3.5 L.P.A.
• Opportunity to move Abroad: Being a Software Engineer can also provide you with job opportunities to work overseas in countries like Canada, U.S.A, or Europe.
• Flexible Working Schedule: Being a software engineer gives the perk of a flexible working schedule, they can work from anywhere, and they only need their computer and a good internet connection. Not every employer gives you the liberty to work flexibly but many do.
• Casual Work Environment: In most IT companies, the employer provides enthusiastic and casual work environments to their employees. You will have to work in a team with people of different interests and talents, working with a team of intelligent software developers can help you sharpen your skills and learn new things.

Cons

• Long Working Hours: Working as a software engineer means working Long and backbreaking hours, as a software engineer you have to complete your task before the deadlines which means that you have to work overtime, sometimes even on weekends. No doubt that you will be paid well for that but your social life will get affected.
• Stressful & Exhausting work process: Software and application developments require working through complex processes and designing applicable logic flows, which needs high focus as a minor coding error can result in becoming a major bug in the final development which is the reason that development can sometimes be a stressful and energy-draining process.
• Never-Ending Learning Process: A software engineer needs to be updated with the latest development in software technologies. Programming languages are ebb and flow. A platform or programming language might be in demand but it can be replaced if something better comes along. So a software engineer must learn about recent developments in the field otherwise your professional growth will be stopped and you will get stuck in the same job position/designation.
• Competition in the job sector: You have to face a lot of competition, yes we agree that there's a high demand for Software engineers in the job market but there is also a large no. of individuals who are looking forward to becoming software engineers. To get a promising job in a reputed organization, you need to master the art of software development and upgrade your skillsets to propose an impressive approach to your potential employers.

Conclusion

A software engineer is a good career choice for students who are interested in programming, developing applications, and software. An individual needs a variety of skill sets to succeed as a Software engineer.

Software Engineering offers you many perks like flexible working hours and a high salary package but it comes with a cost of hard work, dedication, and continuous practice.

Only those who are genuinely interested in developing software, websites, and applications are advised to choose Software Engineering as a career path.

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