Evaluation of Pace University's Master's Degree Program for BNY Mellon Employees Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Pace University by: Scott Cruzan, Raymond K Ho, Inna Kolbovskaya, Lalji Paul, Russell Petersen and Sotiris Skevoulis May 4, 2012
Abstract Result of research performed by a class of Bank of New York Mellon Information Technology professionals who are completing their master’s degrees in Software Development and Engineering at Pace University Program developed jointly by Pace University and the BNY Mellon Information Technology department. Documents our experiences during three and a half years of graduate level instruction by members of the Pace University faculty Evaluations of the strengths and weaknesses of each completed course were documented along with comparisons to similar graduate level courses taught at other universities. Comments were gathered relating to the applicability of each course and the overall curriculum to our roles in the BNY Mellon IT department. 2
Introduction BNY Mellon employees were offered the choice of two Advanced IT Graduate Certificate Programs though Pace University. The courses were graduate level courses applicable to Pace University Master’s degree programs. Certificate program consisted of 5 courses, taken sequentially, starting January 2009 and completing in June Offered the choice between two programs of study Software Development & Engineering or Security & Information Assurance Once students completed their certificates they could continue for their Master’s degree Due to decreased participation, the two programs were merged. Students who passed the IEEE CSDA exam received 3 credits toward their degree 3
Goals To evaluate the following programs at Pace University tailored for employees of BNY Mellon Advanced IT Graduate Certificate Program in Software Development & Engineering Advanced IT Graduate Certificate Program in Security & Information Assurance Master’s degree program in Software Development & Engineering The programs were evaluated based on the experiences of students who participated in them. The courses were also compared to similar courses offered by other universities. 4
Methodology Each course that was offered in these programs was evaluated. A primary reviewer was assigned. Provided a thorough review based on a common template. Compared the course with similar offering from other universities. Other students who had taken that course reviewed the primary reviewer's work and added their own observations 5
Advanced IT Graduate Certificate Program in Security & Information Assurance courses IT-603 Overview of Information Security IT-660 Network Security IT-666 Information Security Management IT-870 Software Risk Management IT-668 Building Secure Software 6
Advanced IT Graduate Certificate Program in Software Development & Engineering courses CS-775 Requirements Engineering CS-773 Software Design Methodologies CS-616 Software Engineering Seminar II CS-865 Distributed Systems CS-825 Component Architectures for Enterprise Application Development 7
Master’s degree in Software Development & Engineering courses CS-615 Software Engineering Seminar I CS-777 Software Reliability and Quality Assurance SE-679 Contemporary Software Engineering Theory and Practice SE-796 Software Research Seminar 8
Conclusion Overall an excellent program. Partnership between BNY Mellon and Pace University in designing the curriculum assured us that the degree we earn would teach us skills that are valued in our workplace. Pace of the program, one course at a time and 3 courses per calendar year, allowed us to complete the program in three and a half years without excessively impacting our work and personal lives. Taking these courses with other BNY Mellon employees allowed us to discuss real-life situations in class, enhancing our educational experience. Met other people and learned about other things that are going on in technology at BNY Mellon through our interactions inside and outside of class. 9
Thank you! 10