Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

Developing large scale software systems is challenging for many reasons. Initial ideas about what to make and how to make it are typically flawed. We work from a set of requirements that are ambiguous and incomplete, may be invalid and are subject to change. It’s hard to determine the quality and doneness of (intermediate) deliverables like designs, plans and code. We have to coordinate up to 1.000 software engineers with imperfect mechanisms for separation of concerns.

During this course you will study failed projects and learn about planning, control, coordination, learning, motivation, empowerment, effective teams. We will also briefly touch upon methods like: Lean, CMMi, TQM, Kaizen.

Lat but not least you will examine evidence about the practices we apply in software engineering, like test first, pair programming, software architecture.

Study materials

Literature

Andy Oram, Greg Wilson'Making Software: What Really Works, and Why We Believe It'.

Objectives

The student can explain the dynamics of realizing software solutions in a business or government context
The student can evaluate choices to be made to successfully create and deliver a software system
The student can explain the core concepts and principles of empirical research as applied to software engineering

Teaching methods

Lecture
Seminar
Self-study
Supervision/feedback meeting
Presentation/symposium

Lecture, work groups, seminar.

Learning activities

Activity	Number of hours
Zelfstudie	168

Attendance

Some course components require compulsory attendance. If compulsory attendance applies, this will be indicated in the Course Catalogue which can be consulted via the UvA-website. The rationale for and implementation of this compulsory attendance may vary per course and, if applicable, is included in the Course Manual.

Additional requirements for this course:

The course is concluded with a pass/fail exam. You can get exempted from the exam, if:

you attend all lectures, but one
you attend all meetings with the supervisor, but one
you adequately contribute to the group work
you actively participate in at least one Monday afternoon feedback session

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade
Tentamen	Mandatory
1 (12%) Group Work - Failed Case	Mandatory
1 (12%) Group Work - Teams	Mandatory
1 (12%) Group Work - Third assignment	Mandatory
1 (12%) Group Work - Fourth and last assignment	Mandatory
1 (12%) Test wk 3: Readings - Lecture (notes)	Mandatory
1 (12%) Test wk 5: Readings - Lecture (notes)	Mandatory
1 (12%) Test wk 7: Readings - Lecture (notes)	Mandatory
1 (12%) Personal Deep Dive (Literature study)	Mandatory

The course is concluded with a pass/fail exam. You can get exempted from the exam, if:

you attend all lectures, at most you can miss one
you attend all meetings with the supervisor, at most you can miss one
you adequately contribute to the group work
you actively participate in at least one Monday afternoon feedback session

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Weeknummer	Onderwerpen	Week task
1		Small set of mandatory readings Group work - Failed Case
2		Read a set of mandatory readings
3		Group work - Teamwork
4		Read a set of mandatory readings
5		Group work - select your own topic
6		Read a set of mandatory readings
7		Group work - select your own topic
8		Personal Deep Dive

Additional information

Recommended prior knowledge: Knowledge of software methods like Rup, Scrum, Xp and software practices like pair programming, test first. Experience with working in big projects.

Owner	Master Software Engineering
Coordinator	H.L. Dekkers
Part of	Master Software Engineering, year 1
Links	Visible Learning Trajectories

Software Process