Launch Your Career in Software Development. Master techniques and best practices for traditional and agile software project management.

4.6

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2,014 ratings

Praveen Mittal +1 more instructor

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Software Development Lifecycle SpecializationUniversity of Minnesota

What you will learn

Critically analyze software engineering development processes from our four selected development philosophies (traditional, secure, agile, and lean)
Describe the trade-offs among the philosophies with respect to environmental, organizational, and product constraints
Discuss the workings of exemplary processes within each of the given philosophies
Perform activities within each of the four aforementioned philosophies and explain how they satisfy the principles of the given philosophy

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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This Specialization is designed for people who are new to software engineering. It's also for those who have already developed software, but wish to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying context and theory of software development practices. At the end of this Specialization, we expect learners to be able to: 1.) Build high-quality and secure software using SDLC methodologies such as agile, lean, and traditional/waterfall. 2.) Analyze a software development team's SDLC methodology and make recommendations for improvements. 3.) Compare and contrast software development methodologies with respect to environmental, organizational, and product constraints.

Applied Learning Project

To cement the theoretical concept into solid learning, learners will be given multiple fictional case studies where learners will be asked to make decisions like what methodology will you choose, what practices/processes will you use and why? These projects will help learners apply the concepts into practice.

In agile course, learners will be asked to create a story map for a given situation, and make a case for agile methodology.

In lean course, learners will be asked to create a value stream map and use design thinking to a ficticious case study

All of the projects will be peer reviewed.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Intermediate Level

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Intermediate Level

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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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

Course1

Course 1

Software Development Processes and Methodologies

4.7

stars

1,841 ratings

Software is quickly becoming integral part of human life as we see more and more automation and technical advancements. Just like we expect car to work all the time and can't afford to break or reboot unexpectedly, software industry needs to continue to learn better way to build software if it were to become integral part of human life.

In this course, you will get an overview of how software teams work? What processes they use? What are some of the industry standard methodologies? What are pros and cons of each? You will learn enough to have meaningful conversation around software development processes. After completing this course, a learner will be able to 1) Apply core software engineering practices at conceptual level for a given problem. 2) Compare and contrast traditional, agile, and lean development methodologies at high level. These include Waterfall, Rational Unified Process, V model, Incremental, Spiral models and overview of agile mindset 3) Propose a methodology best suited for a given situation

Course2

Course 2

Agile Software Development

4.7

stars

6,705 ratings

Software industry is going crazy on agile methods. It is rapidly becoming the choice for software development where requirements are unpredictable or is expected to change over time. This course will help you gain knowledge on what is agile? Why agile is better suited for these situations? We will also cover some of the most common agile frameworks like scrum and XP in depth.

Prerequisite: You need basic knowledge of software development process and software development methodologies. After completing this course, you will be able to : 1) Demonstrate the ability to participate effectively in agile practices/process for software development. 2) Explain the purpose behind common agile practices. 3) Ability to apply agile principles and values to a given situation. 4) Ability to identify and address most common problems encountered in adopting Agile methods. Project: You will also be given opportunity to apply what you learn in this course. You will be given fictional case studies, where after studying the case study, you will have to exercise some of the practices, techniques, etc that team members of an agile team members are expected to know.

Course3

Course 3

Lean Software Development

4.6

stars

365 ratings

While scrum and XP were transforming the software development industry, there were another set of ideas (derived from lean manufacturing and Six Sigma) that started to influence software development methods. These ideas around Lean Software Development forms the foundation of number of agile methods.

In this course, we will explore lean concepts and cover some of the common Lean methods and techniques like Kanban, Value Stream Mapping, etc. In this course, we will also learn techniques like Lean Startup and Design Thinking that can help team learn about user and market needs much faster and cheaper. As part of this course, you will also apply the knowledge gained in this course to fictional case studies. These projects will help you gain experience to confidently apply these techniques in real world. At the end of the course, you will be able to apply lean techniques / methods to software development. You will also be able to apply methods to learn about your users and market needs much faster and cheaper.

Course4

Course 4

Engineering Practices for Building Quality Software

4.5

stars

292 ratings

Agile embraces change which means that team should be able to effectively make changes to the system as team learns about users and market. To be good at effectively making changes to the system, teams need to have engineering rigor and excellence else embracing change becomes very painful and expensive.

In this course, you will learn about engineering practices and processes that agile and traditional teams use to make sure the team is prepared for change. In additional, you will also learn about practices, techniques and processes that can help team build high quality software. You will also learn how to calculate a variety of quantitative metrics related to software quality. This is an intermediate course, intended for learners with a background in software development. To succeed in the course, you should have experience developing in modern programming languages (e.g., Java, C#, Python, JavaScript), an understanding of software development lifecycle models, familiarity with UML diagrams (class and sequence diagrams), and a desire to better understand quality aspects of software development beyond program correctness. At the end of this course, you will be able to comfortably and effectively participate in various techniques and processes for building secure and high quality software.

Instructors

Praveen Mittal

Adjunct Professor

College of Science and Engineering

198,219 Learners

4 Courses

Kevin Wendt

Director of Graduate Studies, Software Engineering

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

151,180 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

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Software Development Lifecycle Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project