Chairperson: Dr. Muhammad Umair Khan, Assistant Professor of Software Engineering
Ph: +966 11 289 0827
E: mumkhan@alfaisal.edu
Web address: https://coe.alfaisal.edu/en/se-home
General Department Information
Anywhere you look certainly you will find software taking care of business: on your computer and in your smartphone, in your dishwasher and in your car, in the bank, supermarket, or mall, on the streets or in your house. Software makes things run smarter and cheaper, generally providing a better quality of life. And since software has become a main and important part of life, it needs professionals to take care of how it is designed, implemented and installed, and to make sure that it stays working correctly after it is installed. This is what Software Engineers do.
There are many things a Software Engineer can be a part of that mainly involve developing software. A sophisticated software, like any other man-made complex system, needs to be engineered based on very well-defined laws and techniques. The development must follow well-defined software development processes. A software engineer must learn various programming and software development techniques, and must acquire a fair understanding of different software platforms in order to be able to design software that runs on those different platforms (e.g. desktops, laptops, pads, smartphones, game consoles). But for a software developer to know what to develop, he or she needs to know what all the requirements for the software are. These requirements may be broadly separated into what the software system must do (functional requirements), and how it is supposed to do it (non-functional requirements). Consider, for instance reliability as a non-functional requirement. In the case of software running a fighter jet or a pacemaker, both the equipment and the software running it must be absolutely reliable with no room for failure. However, lesser reliability can be tolerated in a game running on your Android. Accuracy, is another non-functional requirement. Would you consider what could go wrong if the software running your bank made a mistake in its calculations? For these and for other reasons, it is vital that a software engineer regularly interacts with the client to make sure that the developers know what the expectations from the software exactly are before it is designed and implemented. You may also know that it is important that a software is extensively tested before it is delivered to the client or made available to the public. Testing and validation is a major phase in the software engineering process. It achieves a main objective, which is making sure that the software meets the clients' requirements. And due to the complexity and the size of the software, oftentimes a software engineer is not directly involved in these different stages, but in managing how the software evolves from one stage to another. Crafting a process for developing a software is not an easy task, as sometimes many people can participate in the software, and they may not necessarily be in the same room, building or country. Engineering a software development process has hence become one of the important disciplines that a software engineer can excel at.
Today, in Saudi Arabia and the world, there is a great demand for software engineers. Local companies like Microsoft, IBM, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Aramco, SCECO, SABIC, banks, telecommunications providers and carriers such as STC, Mobily and Zain, in addition to multinationals such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Siemens and Telus – all have constant interest in software engineers across all branches. Here, at Alfaisal University, we have a world class SE program that helps prepare you for the international job market, and that makes you able to take part in powering up the world.