Meet Our Faculty

Dr. Nasseh Tabrizi

East Carolina University continues to tailor its educational programs to meet the growing demand of regional, national and global business and industry. Starting in 2008, a new degree program will be launched that fits the bill perfectly, a Master of Science in Software Engineering degree.
This will be the first ever program of its kind in the state of North Carolina as it combines the disciplines of computer science and engineering. Dr. Nasseh Tabrizi is the graduate director for Computer Science and the Software Engineering programs and says this is a goal that has been a long time in the making.

“We have been actively involved in creating a Software Engineering program for about 15 years,” said Tabrizi. “It has been a labor of love for me; and a great deal of work and effort has gone into where we have evolved today.”

Another major proponent of the Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE) degree is that it will be offered both, on campus in a face-to-face setting and online through ECU’s Distance Education program.

“We believe this type of capability creates new opportunities for people all over the state,” added Tabrizi. “It addresses the needs of the person just completing their bachelor’s degree or the person who has been working in the business world and wants to move up the corporate chain.”

WHAT EXACTLY IS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING?

The MSSE program prepares its students to create reliable, high-quality and reusable software through concepts that are resilient for companies and helps strengthen the state’s workforce. Additionally, they will learn to specify, model, implement and manage large software system projects using best practices.

Software engineering graduates are increasing in demand and MSSE opens doors to people with backgrounds in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering and other related fields to hundreds of new career paths.

“People who want to expand their knowledge and experience in the software field, whether it is through development, testing, architecture, or program management, this degree is perfect for you.”

STRENGTHENING NORTH CAROLINA’S WORKFORCE

East Carolina’s MSSE program targets the working men and women of North Carolina. Additionally, local and regional businesses can improve and update their current practices while remaining fully productive to meeting client expectations.

“That is the beauty of software engineering,” said Tabrizi. “One of its vast benefits is that it can help companies to enable a level of predictability in their marketplace in relation to cost and time management when dealing with budgetary issues.”

Though in its fledgling state, the software engineering degree has the benefit of input from business and industry leaders. The creators of the program viewed them as vital resources to properly focus the curriculum and intended goals.

“This can be an avenue for East Carolina University to show businesses that we can modernize the style and characteristics of North Carolina’s working class through Software Engineering,” said Tabrizi.

The utilization of business consultants allows MSSE graduates to make an immediate impact in North Carolina and enables companies to reinforce their strengths without a production slowdown or halt.

EARNING A DEGREE FROM A DISTANCE

The capability of achieving a Master of Science in Software Engineering degree through ECU’s Distance Education (DE) program expands the potential student base exponentially. For most companies wishing to re-tool or modernize its staff, they typically have to work shorthanded while one or often times multiple employees are in training classes. And most courses are offered during the day on a specific campus.

Not at East Carolina. Upper level management across the state can keep workers in companies during their normal shift and participate in online classes on their own time. That type of freedom in education doesn’t prohibit other important factors like family time, hobbies, or recreation.

Tabrizi is anxious for this program to take off in the 2008 spring semester with hopes of bigger and better things to come.

“It’s very gratifying because of all of the innovation and activity occurring in our state. For us (East Carolina) to come out with a software engineering program first, this puts us on some people’s radar screens that didn’t even know we were here. Also, this exposes East Carolina students to a brand new approach in education that is on the leading edge of technology.”