Enhance Your Software Development Career
American National University’s Master of Science in Software Development (MSD) program was designed for those who already have their bachelor’s degree and are seeking to continue their postgraduate education in the field of software development.
Whether you’re an IT professional looking for a promotion, or you’d like to build on your software development skills for future jobs, ANU’s Master of Science in Software Development program allows students to gain an advanced knowledge of how to evaluate a business or technical problem and effectively design software solutions that are secure and reliable. Students will study real-world problems and opportunities with software-intensive systems, and learn methods to evaluate, adopt, and exploit emerging technologies.
Your Learning Experience
While studying at ANU in our Master of Science in Software Development program, you will:
- Analyze problems and design solutions. You will evaluate business and technical challenges, gather customer requirements, and design secure, reliable software solutions using diagrams, models, and development tools.
- Work proficiently within software development teams, communicate ideas clearly, and document key aspects of software applications to support maintenance and upgrades.
- Master technical and development skills to enter the software development career field. Build expertise in web and mobile application development, database management, operating systems, programming languages, and software design principles.
- Apply knowledge through practical projects. You will explore computer architecture and system configurations. Additionally, you will develop a comprehensive capstone project that integrates academic learning with real-world application.
Practitioner Learning Track
Successful entry into the Practicum Learning Track will require an attestation by the students and their supervisors indicating the average number of hours worked each week and how long the work experience is expected to last.
Where will your degree take you?
- Senior software engineer
- Research software developer
- DevOps engineer
- Software validation engineer
- Lead software designer
- Mobile software engineer
Check out our “Not-What-You-Would Expect” Guide to Technology to learn more about this high-demand field.
Online Tuition Comparison
Total tuition for a master’s degree in Software Development at ANU is only $21,560. Large online colleges with course-based programs are 18% – 112% higher and do not include fees or textbooks.(1) ANU tuition includes all fees (application, course, technology, graduation, etc.), textbooks, and lab equipment (where applicable).
Sources & Citations
(1) Online tuition pages on the internet at:
- https://www.maryville.edu/admissions/graduate-tuition-and-fees/, (Viewed 12/11/25)
- https://www.bu.edu/online/programs/graduate-programs/software-development/, (Viewed 12/11/25)
- https://catalog.pace.edu/graduate/general-university/tuition-fees/tentative-tuition-fees/, (Viewed 12/11/25)
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED COURSES
49 credit hours required/147 quality points required.
Program Core Courses
37 Credit Hours
RM525 Web-Based Research Methods
SD600 Database Design & Management
SD610 Operating Systems
SD620 Software Design
SD630 Software Engineering
SD640 Software Architecture
IA570 Design and Development of Security Architectures
PM510 Information Security Project Management
Choose Track (Required)
STANDARD LEARNING TRACK
SD690 Capstone in Software Development
PRACTITIONER LEARNING TRACK
SD699 Practitioner Projects in Software Development
Electives
12 Credit Hours
SD650 Java Programming
SD660 NoSQL Programming
SD670 C-Programming
SD680 Python
All course prerequisites must be satisfied prior to admission to the program.
All students enrolled in the program must complete 50 hours of practicum training each term.
For all courses: See catalog for complete course descriptions and prerequisites.
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