Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - CMPT 276 D300

Introduction to Software Engineering (3)

Class Number: 5478

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Fri, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    One W course, CMPT 225, (MACM 101 or (ENSC 251 and ENSC 252)) and (MATH 151 or MATH 150), all with a minimum grade of C-. MATH 154 or MATH 157 with at least a B+ may be substituted for MATH 151 or MATH 150.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An overview of various techniques used for software development and software project management. Major tasks and phases in modern software development, including requirements, analysis, documentation, design, implementation, testing,and maintenance. Project management issues are also introduced. Students complete a team project using an iterative development process. Students with credit for CMPT 275 may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Students will learn practical and theoretical principles for successfully planning, implementing, and maintaining software development projects. This includes exposure to industry-standard tools for version control, editing code, debugging, testing, profiling, documenting, and deploying software. The course also discusses current topics in software engineering, like ethics and the impact of AI. These topics are covered through lectures, interactive tutorials, practical lab assignments, and a semester-long project.

This is a project-based course, focused on providing students with a realistic experience of software development as part of a team. The project requires students to be proficient in time management, English, and Python in order to manage the workload, understand open-ended tasks, communicate with their teammates, and successfully deliver working software. Students will also be expected to learn proactively by seeking out documentation and tutorials beyond the provided course materials, as necessary. 

After completing the course, students should possess the strong technical and communication skills, as well as knowledge of software development methodologies, to be able to contribute to real-world software development teams.


Topics

The topics for this course, covered at roughly one topic per week, are:

  • Version Control: Managing code changes and collaboration
  • Software Development in teams: Coding standards, code reviews, and pair programming
  • Software Design: SOLID principles, data-driven programming, object-oriented programming, polymorphism
  • Software Development Life Cycles: Understanding Agile, Waterfall, and DevOps
  • Project Management: Requirements engineering, prioritizing, time estimation
  • Application Architecture: High-level architectural frameworks, integration of software components
  • Debugging: Identifying and fixing defects in program logic or performance
  • Build Automation: Continuous integration and deployment
  • Refactoring: Improving code structure and performance
  • Quality Assurance: Ensuring reliability through testing
  • Technical Documentation: Creating clear and concise documentation
  • Ethics in Software Development: Ethical responsibilities
  • Group Dynamics: Understanding team collaboration and psychology

Grading

  • Labs 15%
  • Quizzes 25%
  • Project 60%

NOTES:

Students must attain the following in order to obtain a clear pass (C- or better) in the course:

  • A passing grade (>50%) on the weighted average of the quizzes
  • A passing grade (>50%) on the project

Materials

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The following are default policies in the School of Computing Science. Please check your course syllabus whether the instructor has chosen a different policy for your class, otherwise the following policies apply.
 
  • Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to get a C- or higher.
  • All student requests for accommodations for their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes, or no later than one week after a student adds a course. After considering a request, an instructor may provide a concession or may decline to do so. Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability can contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca).

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.