This course is an introduction to software engineering. Software engineering includes the principles and practices that contribute to producing better software and to making software development more predictable and economical. You will learn about how software development practices have changed in the last few decades and about the different phases that a software product goes through. For each phase of software development, you will study specific techniques for improving the quality of products and you will read about the interactions and expectations of groups and organizations that participate in the software development process.
The course is organized into eight units, each with several sections. All units have a multiple-choice quiz and all but the first unit contain a practical exercise. The exercises are part of the project for the course and lead you to create a software product from start to finish. There are also three in-class exams. You can read about how to work through the quizzes, exercises, and exams in the course Help pages.
