Software Engineering Institute

Modern society depends on software systems of ever-increasing scope and complexity in virtually every sphere of human activity including business, finance, energy, transportation, education, communication, government, and defense. Because the consequences of failure can be severe, dependable functionality and security are essential. As a result, software assurance is emerging as an important discipline for the development, acquisition, and operation of software systems and services that provide requisite levels of dependability and security. This report, the third volume in the Software Assurance Curriculum Project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides sample syllabi for the nine core courses in the Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum. That curriculum, detailed in Volume I, Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-005), presents a body of knowledge from which to create a Master of Software Assurance degree program, as both a stand-alone offering and as a track within existing software engineering and computer science master's degree programs. Volume II, Undergraduate Course Outlines (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-019), presents seven course outlines that could be used in an undergraduate curriculum specialization for software assurance. This volume is part of our transition plan for assisting educators who wish to implement a Master of Software Assurance degree program, specialization, or certificate program. In addition to application in a standard university program, these syllabi may also be useful for educators developing courses for industry practitioners.