Universidad
Politécnica de Madrid

Computer software and systems are of prime importance in modern society. Computer software and systems are present in many everyday activities, ranging from mobile telephony, through traffic signalling and vehicle operation, to Stock Exchange securities trading. The UPM's Master in Software and Systems focuses on assorted technologies involved in computer software and systems development, introducing students to advanced and specialized knowledge of numerous issues related to current research in software and systems.

The programme offers an overview of the different paradigms existing today. These paradigms form the groundwork of and structure software and the software development process. It also covers key software engineering issues driving research in the search of satisfactory solutions, such as, for example, software verification and validation techniques or new development methodologies. Methods for undertaking experimental research in software engineering are reviewed, and the key challenges for software development are analysed. Declarative technology, closely linked to formal software specification and verification techniques, is examined as an alternative for enabling the development of testable and correct software. On the other hand, thanks to the upsurge of communications networks, more and more computer systems are being designed as distributed systems, and new service-oriented approaches to computation are emerging. Special interest is attached to the function of software systems as systems of information analysis and processing systems, covering techniques and technologies like data mining or advanced numerical computation, and extending to knowledge discovery or imaging data analysis. We also take an in-depth look at the technologies required to build systems with new options for interaction, such as virtual environments inhabited by user embodiments and intelligent virtual humans, and confront the challenges of software accessibility for people with functional diversity.

The main aim of the programme is to offer students a quality, methodical, highly specialized, research-driven training to meet the growing demands for qualified human resources to boost R&D&I capacity in today's world. We set out to train researchers qualified to tackle key theoretical and practical issues in the field of software and systems. Special emphasis is also placed on the activities of publicizing and disseminating research.

The Master in Software and Systems has been designed to conform to the requirements stipulated in the UPM policy on research masters. It serves as the research taught needed for the PhD in Software, Systems and Computation, which is the natural follow-on for students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree.