Degree
Systems Engineering
Software that works in production, not just at the viva.
AUREA's Systems Engineering is built around one simple idea: an engineer is formed by writing software other people use. Every year ends with a capstone project that is not handed in on paper — it is deployed, documented and defended with usage metrics.
The first two years cover the fundamentals that do not change: discrete mathematics, data structures, algorithms, databases, networks. The last two open into three tracks — development, data and infrastructure — and are taken alongside the Artificial Intelligence Centre, where fourteen undergraduates are currently working on funded projects.
4
capstone projects
3
specialisation tracks
14
students in research
01Graduate profile
By the time you graduate, you will be able to:
Designs, builds and deploys complete applications, from the data model to the interface.
Models and tunes relational and non-relational databases.
Designs service architectures and operates them in the cloud.
Applies data engineering and machine learning to concrete problems.
Leads development teams and estimates effort with agile methods.
Assesses security risks and applies controls in proportion to them.
02Study plan
39 modules · 179 credit units
Organised into 8 terms. Eight academic terms.
Term I
Year one- Calculus I5 UV
- Linear Algebra4 UV
- Programming I6 UV
- Introduction to Engineering3 UV
- Professional Communication3 UV
Term II
Year one- Calculus II5 UV
- Discrete Mathematics4 UV
- Programming II6 UV
- Computer Architecture4 UV
- Technical English3 UV
Term III
Year two- Data Structures6 UV
- Databases I5 UV
- Probability and Statistics4 UV
- Operating Systems4 UV
- Capstone Project I4 UV
Term IV
Year two- Algorithms and Complexity5 UV
- Databases II5 UV
- Computer Networks5 UV
- Software Engineering I5 UV
- Ethics and the Digital Society2 UV
Term V
Year three- Advanced Web Development6 UV
- Software Engineering II5 UV
- Distributed Systems5 UV
- Information Security4 UV
- Capstone Project II4 UV
Term VI
Year three- Data Engineering5 UV
- Machine Learning5 UV
- Cloud Computing5 UV
- IT Project Management4 UV
- Pathway Elective I4 UV
Term VII
Year four- Software Architecture5 UV
- Quality and Testing4 UV
- Pathway Elective II4 UV
- Technology Entrepreneurship3 UV
- Professional Placement8 UV
Term VIII
Year four- Final Year Project10 UV
- Pathway Elective III4 UV
- Research Seminar3 UV
- IT Law3 UV
03Admission
Requirements
- An upper secondary certificate, or proof of completion.
- A transcript covering all three baccalaureate years.
- ID card or birth certificate.
- Entrance test: mathematical reasoning and reading comprehension.
- An interview with the programme lead.
- AUREA's own school leavers are exempt from the entrance test.
04Afterwards
Where it leads
- Software development and systems architecture
- Data engineering and data science
- Infrastructure, cloud and reliability
- Information security
- Technology leadership and product management
- Research and postgraduate study
05Who teaches it
Staff on this programme
M.Sc. in Software Engineering
Daniel Espinoza
Head of Systems Engineering. Service architectures and observability in small-scale systems.
Software Engineering I and II · Software Architecture
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Karla Medrano
Director of the Artificial Intelligence Centre. Machine learning applied to education data, and early detection of dropout.
Machine Learning · Data Engineering
M.Sc. in Quantitative Methods
Sofía Brenes
Lecturer and researcher. Experimental design and data analysis where samples are small.
Probability and Statistics · Inferential Statistics
06Frequently asked questions
About Systems Engineering
Yes. The award does not distinguish the mode. The difference is the labs: the online mode attends on site four Saturdays a term for the networking and infrastructure practicals.
Five is a full load, and what the fee calculator assumes. You may take between three and six; more than six needs the programme lead's authorisation and an average above 85.
The evening timetable exists for exactly that. Around 40 % of third- and fourth-year students work in the field, on a reduced load of four subjects.
Three linked electives in the third and fourth years: Product Development, Data and Artificial Intelligence, or Infrastructure and Security. You choose at the end of Term V and may change once.
Ready to apply to Systems Engineering?
The application takes about fifteen minutes and can be saved halfway through. The first priority deadline closes on 30 November.
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