- Software Development Process
- Database (DB) Design
- Software Design
- Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
- Security Software
Secure Software Design Specialization
Design and maintain secure software.. Acquire the attitudes and skills needed to produce designs of secure software.
Offered By


What you will learn
Secure design
UML, unit testing, and ethics
Effective user interfaces
Database design
Skills you will gain
About this Specialization
Applied Learning Project
Students will create a Unified Modeling Language (UML) Class diagram and a UML Sequence diagram using IBM’s Rhapsody modeling tool for a set of classes and actions described in the lectures. Downloading and activating Rhapsody is also covered. Students will also download and install NetBeans for Java and JUnit, a unit testing tool. Students will configure NetBeans to use JUnit and test code written for the classes and methods described in the UML project. Finally, students will explore case studies of a successful (Bitcoin) and unsuccessful (Therac-25) designs.
No prior experience required.
No prior experience required.
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization
Software Design as an Element of the Software Development Lifecycle
This course talks about software development lifecycles a description/prescription for how we write software. Design is a step in this life cycle, and the course explores the implications of this. Design has a role in the life cycle; it is always there, regardless of the kind of life cycle we’re talking about. Why is that? Why was design considered as a step in this life cycle?
Software Design as an Abstraction
The design step in developing software has some unique characteristics. First of all, it’s the only step where drawing pictures of things is the norm. Why is that? What do pictures do that other representations cannot do? Pictures have varying levels of detail; pictures have context. Pictures…paint a picture. Why are these things important? In this course, too, we begin looking at other disciplines (building architecture is a favorite one) for lessons on design.
Software Design Methods and Tools
Since many software developers are compulsive coders, they have created software over the years to help them do their job. There are tools which make design and its associated tasks easier. The course introduces some basic tools and techniques to help you with design. Tools aren’t always tangible, however. The last two lessons of this course discuss questions of Ethics in software development. The purpose here is, as with tools, to equip you to better carry our your responsibilities as a designer. Students will be required to have a prior knowledge of writing and delivering software and some programming knowledge in java.
Software Design Threats and Mitigations
The design step in developing software has some unique characteristics. First of all, it’s the only step where drawing pictures of things is the norm. Why is that? What do pictures do that other representations cannot do? Pictures have varying levels of detail; pictures have context. Pictures…paint a picture. Why are these things important? In this course, too, we begin looking at other disciplines (building architecture is a favorite one) for lessons on design.
Offered by

University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado is a recognized leader in higher education on the national and global stage. We collaborate to meet the diverse needs of our students and communities. We promote innovation, encourage discovery and support the extension of knowledge in ways unique to the state of Colorado and beyond.
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