Specializations

Certain technical electives available to software engineering students have been organized into specific areas that reflect strong or emerging industry interest. This allows you to focus most of your technical electives in key areas of study.

How do I get a specialization?

The courses within each specialization are divided into two groups: the first group contains courses that are key to the area, and the second group contains supplementary “breadth” courses. To earn a specialization, you must take and pass a minimum of three courses (4.5 units) as follows:

  • Three or more courses must be from Group 1; OR
  • Two or more courses must be from Group 1, and one or more courses must be from Group 2.

Note: If you would like to take more than one specialization, a maximum of one course (1.5 units) can be shared across no more than two specializations.

What if I want to take a course that isn't listed on this page?

The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science offers a variety of additional courses that are not listed below but may qualify as technical electives in a given specialization, including topics courses, directed studies, and technical projects. If you feel a course is appropriate for your targeted specialization, please contact the BSEng advisor before registering for the class as permission is required from the Program Director.

Where is my specialization noted?

Specialization areas are not noted on your transcript. However, once you finish your degree, you can request a certificate from the Software Engineering Academic Advisor to show that you completed the requirements for the specialization area. Specialization certificates are prepared and distributed during convocation week.

The deadline for certificate requests is 30 days prior to convocation.

Specialization areas

Data mining and analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning

Group 1

  • CSC 431 - Machine Learning Theory
  • ECE 470 - Artificial Intelligence, OR CSC 421 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • ECE 485 - Data Analysis and Pattern Recognition
  • SENG 474 - Data Mining

Group 2

  • CSC 402 - Systems for Massive Datasets
  • CSC 412 - Computing for Cognitive Augmentation
  • CSC 425 - Analysis of Algorithms
  • CSC 427 - Advanced Topics in Bioinformatics
  • CSC 428 - Computational Biology Algorithms
  • CSC 349A - Numerical Analysis
  • CSC 445 - Operations Research: Linear Programming
  • CSC 446 - Operations Research: Simulation
  • ECE 403 - Optimization for Machine Learning
  • ECE 471 - Computer Vision

Cyber-physical and smart systems

Group 1

  • CSC 462 - Distributed Computing
  • CSC 467 - Switching, Network Traffic and Quality of Service
  • ECE 460 - Control Theory and Systems II
  • ECE 463 - Design and Analysis of Computer Networks

Group 2

  • ECE 403 - Optimization for Machine Learning
  • ECE 448 - Cyber-System Security
  • ECE 470 - Artificial Intelligence, OR CSC 421 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • ECE 485 - Data Analysis and Pattern Recognition
  • SENG 422 - Advanced Software Architecture

Cybersecurity and privacy

Group 1

  • CSC 429 - Cryptography, OR ECE 406 - Applied Cryptography
  • ECE 448 - Cyber-System Security
  • SENG 460 - Practice of Information Security and Privacy

Group 2

  • CSC 463 - Wireless and Mobile Networks
  • CSC 466 - Overlay and Peer-to-Peer Networking
  • CSC 467 - Switching, Network Traffic and Quality of Service
  • ECE 463 - Design and Analysis of Computer Networks

Performance and scalability

Group 1

  • CSC 462 - Distributed Computing
  • CSC 464 - Concurrency
  • SENG 468 - Software System Scalability
  • SENG 475 - Advanced Programming Techniques for Robust Efficient Computing

Group 2

  • CSC 402 - Systems for Massive Datasets
  • CSC 467 - Switching, Network Traffic and Quality of Service
  • ECE 457 - Parallel and Cluster Computing
  • ECE 463 - Design and Analysis of Computer Networks

Interaction design and data visualization

Group 1

  • CSC 411 - Information Visualization
  • CSC 412 - Computing for Cognitive Augmentation
  • SENG 411 - Advanced Methods for Human Computer Interaction

Group 2

  • CSC 413 - Designing Creativity Support Tools
  • ECE 470 - Artificial Intelligence, OR CSC 421 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • SENG 435 - Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

Visual computing (vision/graphics)

Group 1

  • CSC 305 - Introduction to Computer Graphics
  • CSC 471 - Fundamentals of Computer Rendering
  • CSC 472 - Fundamentals of Computer Modelling
  • CSC 473 - Fundamentals of Computer Animation
  • ECE 471 - Computer Vision

Group 2

  • CSC 426 - Computational Geometry
  • CSC 461 - Multimedia Systems
  • ECE 470 - Artificial Intelligence, OR CSC 421 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • ECE 483 - Digital Video Processing
  • SENG 475 - Advanced Programming Techniques for Robust Efficient Computing

Disclaimer

Not all elective courses are offered every year, and some courses may require additional prerequisites outside of the software engineering core. Check the UVic Calendar for current course schedules and prerequisites. If you need help planning your electives, make an appointment to see the BSEng advisor.

Software engineering specializations and the courses that qualify may be changed without notice.

Last updated April 27, 2023

The above specializations have been updated: any course registrations as of May 1, 2023 will use these new course lists. Here is a summary of the course additions, deletions, and group changes.