Software Engineering: What Do You Really Study?
From architecture planning to a working product - to build large, reliable and maintainable software systems.
What Do You Study in Software Engineering? Core Subjects, Year by Year
What do the degree courses cover?
Open a course to learn about its main topics and see what the work looks like in practice.
What do you learn in the course?Programming Fundamentals?
You learn to break down problems into clear processes and implement solutions in code using variables, conditions, loops, functions and basic data structures.
Main topics
- algorithmic thinking
- functions and modularity
- error detection
What does it look like in practice?
Building a program that captures transactions, summarizes expenses by category and identifies budget deviations.
What do you learn in the course?Calculus?
Developing the mathematical language to describe continuous change, growth rates and optimization - tools that are required for performance analysis, graphics and machine learning.
Main topics
- boundaries and continuities
- Derivatives and optimization
- integrals
What does it look like in practice?
Finding the minimum point of a cost function describing runtime and resource consumption.
What do you learn in the course?Linear Algebra?
Learn to work with vectors, matrices and linear copies, the computational basis for graphics, data processing, computer vision and artificial intelligence.
Main topics
- systems of equations
- Vector spaces
- Eigenvalues
What does it look like in practice?
Representation of rotation of a 3D model using matrix multiplication.
What do you learn in the course?Discrete Mathematics?
You acquire tools for the proof and analysis of discrete structures on which algorithms, databases, networks and software models are built.
Main topics
- Logic and evidence
- Combinatorics
- Graphs and relationships
What does it look like in practice?
Proof of correctness of an algorithm that finds a short route in a transportation network.
What do you learn in the course?Data Structures?
You learn to choose and implement a data structure that is suitable for the operations that the system needs to perform, while balancing runtime, memory and simplicity.
Main topics
- lists and queues
- Trees and hash tables
- Complexity of operations
What does it look like in practice?
Designing an automatic completion mechanism using a prefix tree for quick search.
Frequently Asked Questions About Software Engineering
Is a degree in Software Engineering difficult?
There is no single answer — difficulty depends on your background, the institution, and your chosen study pace. According to this site's estimate, The degree is highly quantitative — mathematics and formal reasoning appear in nearly every course, and this is the part most students describe as challenging, and a large share of the reading material is in English. A good way to assess fit is to review the course map on this page: if most of the subjects interest you, the effort will usually feel worthwhile.
How long does a degree in Software Engineering take?
Usually 4 years (Engineering degree with projects and teamwork). Exact duration varies by institution and depends on course load and the track you choose.
Software Engineering or Computer Science — which is right for me?
The degrees most closely related to Software Engineering are Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Industrial Engineering and Management. Their differences are usually in emphasis rather than the overall subject, so the fastest way to decide is to compare their course maps — what you actually study in each program, year by year. You can also open the degree comparison tool to view the differences side by side.
What is the difference between software engineering and computer science?
CS is scientific-theoretical; software engineering is an engineering degree (usually 4 years) focused on building large systems — architecture, testing, project management. The job market treats both nearly identically for development roles.
Which should you study?
If you are sure the goal is hands-on software development — software engineering trains you directly; if you want flexibility toward research, data and AI — CS is broader. The difference in outcomes is smaller than the difference in names.
What are the admission requirements?
Similar to CS: advanced math and a psychometric exam, with a high bar at the Technion and more accessible engineering colleges, some offering industry-project tracks.
Where can you study this?
Software engineering is taught at the Technion, Ben-Gurion and engineering colleges — Afeka, HIT Holon, Braude, SCE and Azrieli. Graduate salaries are similar to computer science (see the Avodata data on the computer science page).