Introduction

This class is based on Cornell’s Software Engineering course.

Course overview

Self introduction

Name
Preferred programming language (or one you are most proficient with)
Preferred operating systems and platforms/libraries (or one you are most familiar with)
Anything else?

Goals

Ideal: To learn how to deliver quality software when the scope is larger and the stakes are higher
Realistic:
- To work on a project that is significantly more complex than previous courses
- To learn to take on practices and mentalities that should be as close to a real-world as possible
- Sprinkles of theoretical concepts about software engineering

Themes

Engineering principles
Management & teamwork
Design
Construction & maintenance
Quality
Delivery
Professionalism

Example success and failures

Linux kernel (1991-present)

Wiki

SQLite (2000-present)

Wiki

Failure: Therac-25 (1982)

Failure: Ariane 5 (1996)

Failure: Boeing 737 MAX (2017)

IEEE Spectrum: How the Boeing 737 Max Disaster Looks to a Software Developer
Engine size issues when move from 737 to 737 Max design
Boeing’s solution to its hardware problem was software (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System - MCAS)
MCAS automatically pushed aircraft’s nose down when it thinks the angle-of-attack exceeds its limit (too high up).
- It also uses Elevator Feel Computer to override the pilot’s ability to manually pulling up (explicit design decision)
- If the angle-of-attack sensors are faulty (and they were for the incidents), MCAS only believes the sensors!

Discussion: What is software engineering?

Form groups

For this discussion, groups of five to six are to be randomly formed
Reintroduce yourselves to one another: Names, Years

Example: Discussion

Designate one person as a note taker/final reporter for the group.
Discuss the following question:
- What makes software engineering different from programming?

The course project

Teams

Teams
- External projects: 6-8 students
- Personal projects: 4-6 students
Check for compatible schedules and work styles
Try to include members with both frontend and backend experience (well-rounded team)
Students can form complete or partial team on their own
For partial teams or students without team
- Utilize the Discord server to specify that you are looking for more members (which schedules/skills) or if you are looking for a team (provide your schedules/skills)
- The professor reserve the right to assign individual members (I will most likely only to it for people who can’t find a team)
Teams should be formed by the third lecture, where we will discuss the subject of Teamwork and collaboration

Projects

Projects from the course instructor
Projects from WCU faculty
Teams may petition for an external project:
- Client may not be a student
- Must be evaluated by the course instructor to ensure adequate complexity
- List of example project ideas
Timeline: four 3-week sessions

Project deliverables

Session reports
Plan
Accomplishments, setbacks, discovered work
Peer feedback
Work log
Design documentation
Test plans and reports
Coverage analysis
Requirements
Code and code reviews
User documentation

Available project topics for Spring 2026

Operations Workflow Modernization

Client: Polaris Brand Promotion
Description: This project asks the team to modernize a real operations workflow at Polaris Brand Promotions by replacing worksheet-based storage solutions, one for scheduling shifts/events and one for client billing & contractor payroll, with a secure, cloud-based web application backed by a database. You’ll design the data model so shared fields can flow reliably from scheduling into billing/payroll. You will also work on adding more advanced features such as searchable client and staff profiles, single-shift entry forms plus bulk CSV/Excel import, reporting dashboards/exports for operations and finance, automatic daily backup emails of the data as Excel/CSV, and an audit trail that records which logged-in corporate user created or edited each record. The system will be standalone (not integrated into an existing IT environment), and you’ll work from provided sample/updated spreadsheet extracts rather than direct access to Polaris’ live data. Therefore, part of the engineering challenge is building something robust, testable, and maintainable with realistic data constraints and clear handoff documentation.

AI HR Assistant

Client: West Chester University Human Resources Department
Description: This project aims to develop and deploy a secure, cost-aware AI chatbot to assist West Chester University employees with Human Resources–related inquiries. The system is designed to support high-volume topics such as benefits eligibility, leave policies, employee and student worker recruitment questions, and onboarding by providing timely, 24/7 access to institution-approved information. Unlike basic informational chatbots, the solution incorporates advanced retrieval and reasoning capabilities that allow it to handle contextual, multi-step HR questions and determine eligibility outcomes based on user-provided information. The chatbot will operate exclusively within the HR domain, reinforcing scope control and reliability while reducing administrative burden on HR staff. The project emphasizes responsible AI use through strong data governance practices, including avoiding the collection or storage of personally identifiable information, and prioritizes cost-effective operation by leveraging university-managed infrastructure. The final outcome is a production-ready system that enhances the employee experience while remaining secure, scalable, and sustainable.

Intelligence Capability Enhancement

Client: iPipeline
Description: This iPipeline project focuses on applying AI to interpret internal data, surface meaningful insights, and automate tasks that today require slow, manual effort. The goal is to build intelligent capabilities that can understand documents, conversations, and decision outputs, and then translate that understanding into clear, actionable information for the teams who rely on it. Your role on this project may include:
- Developing components that analyze and compare internal data to highlight important changes, patterns, or discrepancies
- Building tools that allow employees to quickly turn raw operational information into insights they can act on
- Contributing to intelligent automations that reduce manual review, streamline workflows, and help teams make faster, more informed decisions across multiple iPipeline processes

3D Flight Visualization System

Client: SME Solutions Inc.
Description:
- Develop an open and modular flight visualization application using a modern game engine.
- Application will accept real-time motion data and render a real-time 3D visualization of an object during flight.
- Input data stream will include position data, 6 degrees of freedom, acceleration, etc…
- The application should be optimized to run on a customer provided NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano board.
- Upon data stream completion, application shall provide full flight playback for user review and analysis

Mobile Application Development to Support Biomedical Engineering Device

Client: Orthoforge/BME Capstone team
Descriptions: WCU BME Capstone Team is developing a quantitative ultrasound device for Orthoforge that attaches to a patient’s cast to monitor distal radius fracture healing progress. Your capstone team will help turn the device’s raw sensor signals into something clinicians (and optionally patients) can actually use. From a Computer Science standpoint, the project can potentially be split into two connected layers:
- A data transfer layer that utilizes bluetooth or similar wireless technologies to periodically transfer captured data to a device (PC/mobile phone/etc), from which the aggregated data can be moved to a remote repository for further processing.
- An application layer (mobile app) that allows patients and clinicians to view the processed results.
- There could be additional software development on the analytical layer that ingests and performs signal processing/data analytics on the transferred data.

Predictive Analysis for Manufacturing

Client: ProfitMatrix
Description: This project is a fantastic opportunity to apply your AI/ML skills to a real-world business challenge. Our goal is to move from simply reporting on profitability to helping small manufacturers proactively identify issues and fix root causes. The primary objective is to build a machine learning model that incorporates time-based forecasting and cluster analysis.
- Data Structure: You’ll start by working with our existing PostgreSQL database that consolidates manufacturer’s ERP data from sources such as Microsoft Dynamics, Netsuite, and SAP. You will be focusing on tables related to sales orders, product hierarchies, and cost of goods sold (COGS) and working closely with our Lead Architect to determine the best method to prepare and feed this data through the model.
- Model Development & Training: You’ll build a machine learning model that automatically analyzes the data to find patterns, make predictions, and automate decisions without being explicitly programmed for every scenario.
- Root-Cause Analysis: You’ll dig deeper and perform a statistical analysis to determine the primary drivers of low profitability—is it due to inadequate pricing (e.g., high discounts) or excessive costs (e.g., high material or production costs) or changes in product/customer mix or other features you’ve identified?
- Prediction: Generate a 3-to-6-month forecast for the variable margin trend, including confidence intervals.
- Develop Actionable Recommendations: Based on your root-cause analysis, propose clear, data-driven recommendations to improve & optimize profitability, such as adjusting prices, renegotiating costs, or discontinuing a product.
- Visualization: Create clear and compelling visualizations to communicate your findings and the model’s predictions to a non-technical audience.

Improvement website platform for WiCS/DAiM

This project builds on the existing Women in Computer Science (WiCS) website developed in a previous course and is a joint effort between the Women in Computer Science Club and the Data Science, Ai, & ML Club (DAiM) at West Chester University. The Capstone team will enhance and extend the current platform by redesigning the frontend to be more professional, accessible, and functional, while also strengthening the backend through improved organization, testing coverage, and CI/CD workflows etc. The project will also introduce an AI-driven internship and opportunity hub designed to help students identify relevant opportunities they may have otherwise overlooked, both within West Chester University and beyond. In addition, the website may be expanded to reflect the overlap between the two organizations by incorporating AI, machine learning, and data science–related content or features. Overall, the project emphasizes maintainable, real-world software development practices and cross-organization collaboration while delivering a meaningful resource for the student community

Surgical Procedure Preparation App

Client: Dr. Neil R. Malhotra, Professor of Neurosurgery at Penn Medicine
Description: The primary goal of this project is to develop a novel extension of an innovative digital platform designed to transform surgical and procedural care. While our initial work focused on guided preparation before procedures, this new phase centers on procedural documentation after care has been delivered—an area of critical importance to patient safety, quality improvement, and system-wide learning. Our medical group has a strong and sustained track record in advancing patient safety, quality, outcomes, and efficiency, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in these areas. The existing platform has already been successfully developed and deployed; this project represents a natural and ambitious evolution of that work. By focusing on post-procedural documentation, the project aims to capture expertise, reduce variability, and create structured data that can meaningfully inform clinical decision-making and operational improvement. The platform translates clinical expertise into a powerful digital tool that simplifies workflow, enhances safety, and reduces the cost of care. It is built around three integrated components: (1) a clinician-facing, AI-supported iOS interface that enables efficient and intuitive procedure documentation; (2) an administrative and analytics dashboard designed to support oversight, quality improvement, and research; and (3) integrated communication tools that strengthen feedback loops among clinicians, administrators, and other stakeholders. This project offers a unique opportunity to work closely with an experienced, multidisciplinary team at the intersection of medicine, technology, and innovation. We are seeking motivated students who are intellectually curious, comfortable with complexity, and eager to contribute in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Participants will gain hands-on experience building tools with real-world clinical impact, while helping shape the future of patient safety and procedural care. Teammates wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. – Ernest Shackleton

General project ideas

It is OK to start your own project ideas. What I want you to keep in mind is that you want to build something big, something that last beyond the scope of this class.

Challenges

What do you like the least about this class

I didn’t like the lectures. They felt like a waste of time when I could just be working on the project.
The work for our client could feel disconnected at times from the material we learned in class. The material we learned in class was relevant to presentation projects, but the actual development for the client projects could feel less related.
The lack of project choices and independent scoring in projects

Additional comments

There were a lot of unrealistic expectations for this class. We only had about 12 weeks to work on the project, and the professor expected us to have a lot more done even though we all have 3 – 5 additional classes on top of this one. If this class is only 3 credits, expect only 3 credits worth of work!
Don’t expect us to be Clemson students. There were so many references to “Clemson does it this way” or “Clemson students do this” we are West Chester students so only except result that a West Chester student would be able to give.