software engineering department and profession

The Software Engineering Department, which is part of the Faculty of Technology at Karadeniz Technical University, was established in 2011 and admitted its first students in the 2013-2014 academic year. The department aims to train engineers with high application skills and qualified technical teachers for vocational and technical secondary education who can lead in the changing technology conditions required by the software industry, contribute to technological developments, possess the knowledge required by the age, are research-oriented, inquisitive, analytical, capable of teamwork, able to identify and solve current problems in this industry. Admission to our department is made by choosing the MF-4 score type in the Undergraduate Placement Exam (LYS).

Our department is located within the Faculty of Technology, therefore, practical education is provided in our department. In order for our students to graduate, they are required to complete a total of 60 working days of internship. In addition, our students spend the first semester of their fourth year working in the industry (on-the-job training) and submit reports to our department during this working period. Thus, they graduate with a certain level of experience.

Our department also boasts superior facilities in terms of technical infrastructure. In addition to the computer laboratories (2 modern computer labs with a capacity of 50 people each) commonly used for the execution of the Software Engineering Program, we also have specialized laboratories including the Android and Computer Hardware Laboratory, IOS Application Laboratory, and System and Network Laboratory. This enables our students to develop themselves in their desired directions.

Who is a Software Engineer? Where Can They Work?

A software engineer is an individual who designs, integrates, and implements software solutions for computer systems used in various fields, including but not limited to space and defense technologies, banking, automotive, and telecommunications.

Software engineers establish customer relationships related to the software to be developed. They perform analysis and design according to the requests received from the customer. They write and test programs. After the software is successfully developed, they prepare instructions for training users.

Software engineers can work in various departments of almost every institution and organization as system analysts, system engineers, design engineers, web design and programming experts, information technology experts, and application programmers. Additionally, they can take on roles such as management, data management, computer-aided industrial design, and application engineering in the information technology centers of companies producing computer software. They can work in various sectors where software development is necessary, such as banking, gaming, e-government, electronic warfare and defense systems, signal processing, health information systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Moreover, they can establish their own businesses with little capital.

Employers providing employment opportunities for software engineers include, primarily, defense industry, banking, medicine, transportation, retail, aviation, gaming, service, and manufacturing industries, both private and public institutions. Students who wish to do so can enroll in graduate programs and, if eligible and interested, enroll in doctoral programs to pursue an academic career. In addition, graduates with education formation can work as "Technical Teachers" in relevant departments of vocational, industrial, Anatolian vocational high schools, and vocational training centers affiliated with the Ministry of National Education.

Software engineering is an ideal profession for individuals interested in mathematics and technology, with logical reasoning and design skills, curiosity for problem-solving, social skills, teamwork abilities, openness to new ideas, and continuous self-improvement.