Part-time M.S. Software Management

The Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley career-accelerating software management master’s program prepares experienced software engineers and managers for leadership roles in the software industry. This two-year, part-time program’s first-year courses are focused on process, project, and people management. Through a series of integrated task assignments in the second-year course sequence, student teams work on developing a new product business within an existing enterprise. These courses emphasize the business skills required to take a software product or service from an initial concept through detailed requirements analysis, market and competitive analysis, technical feasibility studies, to the development of a successful business.

Effective business communication is a key success factor for anyone in business. We emphasize continuous communication practice, incorporating written reports and oral presentations as major deliverables in all courses. The MS in Software Management program is designed for software professionals interested in becoming a product manager, director of software development, VP of Engineering, CTO, or successful entrepreneur.

Focus on Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship permeates the Silicon Valley campus and many aspects of the software management program. Course work considers the latest software industry trends, emphasizes team building and leadership, and many courses include guest speakers from industry, including venture capitalists (VCs) and well-known entrepreneurs. Several of our faculty members have significant startup experience, which they bring into their teaching.

Practicum Project

Available in the second-year summer semester, students work in a team on a real-world project, negotiating the scope, schedule, and deliverables with a business client, demonstrating proficiency of the master’s program content. Alternatively, a student team can pursue an entrepreneurial venture of their own, receiving coaching and advice from faculty. Students have the option to work solely on either type of project for the whole semester, or to take one complementary elective course at the same time, which reduces the project effort by half.