Search within:

Student Software Engineering Program (SSEP)

The Student Software Engineering Program (SSEP) is a cohort-based program in OIT partnered with the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. The program provides students with experience in full stack web application development. The program focuses on:

  • Providing students an opportunity to build skills that result in job placements
  • Providing practical experience to complement the Computer Science program at OHIO
  • Utilizing student developers to help improve Ohio University services

Program overview

  • Undergraduate cohort program
  • Groups of 3-4 students are selected based on their academic year
  • Experience prepares students for CS4560 

Eligibility

Recruitment for the SSEP is targeted and selective. Typically, three to four sophomores are selected each year. The following criteria are utilized to select cohort members:

  • Students majoring in Computer Science 
  • Exemplary performance in 2400 level coursework
  • Computer Science faculty contacts submit recommendations
  • Interview with the manager of Software Engineering

Mentorship

Each cohort works with an assigned mentor from the Software Engineering Team in OIT. The student mentor coordinates learning activities, arranges development assignments, and helps resolve student issues. Students report directly to their student mentor, then indirectly to the manager of Software Engineering. 

Cohort information

The SSEP is organized into three cohorts of three to four students loosely aligned with the student’s year in school. New student developers start in the sophomore cohort and focus on learning tools and technologies. Each cohort is intended to form a small Agile development team similar to what students may experience in the real world. There are specific learning goals and areas of focus for each cohort.

Sophomore

Students in the sophomore cohort focus on an introduction to core tools, languages, and frameworks. Examples of tasks that Sophomores work on include:

  • Content based learning
  • Individualized practical tasks
  • Small collaborative tasks

Junior

Junior cohort students gain an introduction in:

  • Application architecture and design
  • Project estimation and documentation
  • Agile project management methodologies

Tasks that support the above objectives can include continuing to learn tools, languages, and frameworks. Juniors also create documentation and learn how to track project task estimates. These students work as a group on two to three small Agile projects over the course of the academic year.

Senior

The Senior cohort focuses their time on an introduction to application support and their senior design project. Students are paid for scheduled hours and focus on production support tasks. 

Student success stories

Review the articles linked below to learn more about student work that has been completed by SSEP students.

Learn more

Still have questions about the Student Software Engineering Program? Please contact Robert Foreman, OIT Manager, Software Engineering.