Software Process Improvement

Undergraduate | 2026

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Mode icon
Mode
Mode
Your studies will be on-campus, and may include some online delivery
On campus
area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
COMP 4020
Course ID icon
Course ID
205825
Campus icon
Campus
Adelaide City Campus East, Mawson Lakes
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course owner
Course owner
School of Comp Sc & IT
Course coordinator
Course coordinator
Amali Weerasinghe
Course level icon
Course level
4
Work Integrated Learning course
Work Integrated Learning course
No
Study abroad and student exchange icon
Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
No
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
No
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
No

Course overview

This course is a guided study of software process grounded by practical personal experience. All software engineering is based on one or more processes that guide how software is developed with particular time, cost or quality goals. Process improvement aims to learn from current practice and objectively assess potential improvements. This will be explored by practicing a simplified form of the Personal Software Process and studying a number of process related topics drawn from: the goal question metric paradigm; appropriate automation; configuration management; project tracking and control; quality assurance; cost of quality; continuous integration; DevOps; software distribution; Infrastructure, Platform and Software as a Service; leveraging social media and the internet.

Course learning outcomes

  • Articulate a critical view of the Personal Software Process
  • Articulate a critical view of their own software development process
  • Write essays following the structure of a scientific paper
  • Apply the PSP to their work

Availability

Census date Icon
Census date
Fri 27/03/2026
Enrol by date
Enrol by date
Fri 13/03/2026
Last day to W
Last day to W
Fri 10/04/2026
Last day to WF
Last day to WF
Fri 08/05/2026

Class details

Adelaide City Campus East

Class number
Class number 27522
Section
Section LE01
Size
Size 150
Available
Available 150
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
25 Feb - 15 Apr Wednesday 2:10pm - 3pm Adelaide City Campus East Napier, G04
27 Feb - 17 Apr Friday 3:10pm - 4pm Adelaide City Campus East Napier, G04
6 May - 3 Jun Wednesday 2:10pm - 3pm Adelaide City Campus East Napier, G04
8 May - 5 Jun Friday 3:10pm - 4pm Adelaide City Campus East Napier, G04
Class number
Class number 27525
Section
Section PR01
Size
Size 40
Available
Available 40
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
26 Feb - 16 Apr Thursday 12:10pm - 2pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, B.23
7 May - 4 Jun Thursday 12:10pm - 2pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, B.23
Class number
Class number 27524
Section
Section PR02
Size
Size 40
Available
Available 40
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
25 Feb - 15 Apr Wednesday 3:10pm - 5pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, B.23
6 May - 3 Jun Wednesday 3:10pm - 5pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, B.23
Class number
Class number 27523
Section
Section PR03
Size
Size 40
Available
Available 40
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
26 Feb - 16 Apr Thursday 10:10am - 12pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, G.22
7 May - 4 Jun Thursday 10:10am - 12pm Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, G.22
Class number
Class number 27526
Section
Section PR04
Size
Size 40
Available
Available 40
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
26 Feb - 16 Apr Thursday 8:10am - 10am Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, 2.34
7 May - 4 Jun Thursday 8:10am - 10am Adelaide City Campus East Ingkarni Wardli, 2.34

Mawson Lakes

Class number
Class number 27595
Section
Section LE01
Size
Size 50
Available
Available 50
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
23 Feb - 13 Apr Monday 3:10pm - 4pm Mawson Lakes Sir Charles Todd, SCT2-49
24 Feb - 14 Apr Tuesday 1:10pm - 2pm Mawson Lakes Building GP, GP1-09
4 May - 1 Jun Monday 3:10pm - 4pm Mawson Lakes Sir Charles Todd, SCT2-49
5 May - 2 Jun Tuesday 1:10pm - 2pm Mawson Lakes Building GP, GP1-09
Class number
Class number 27597
Section
Section PR01
Size
Size 20
Available
Available 20
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
27 Feb - 17 Apr Friday 1:10pm - 3pm Mawson Lakes Building F, F1-15
8 May - 5 Jun Friday 1:10pm - 3pm Mawson Lakes Building F, F1-15
Class number
Class number 27596
Section
Section PR02
Size
Size 20
Available
Available 20
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
23 Feb - 13 Apr Monday 12:10pm - 2pm Mawson Lakes Building F, F1-13
4 May - 1 Jun Monday 12:10pm - 2pm Mawson Lakes Building F, F1-13
Class number
Class number 27598
Section
Section PR03
Size
Size 30
Available
Available 30
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
23 Feb - 13 Apr Monday 8:10am - 10am Mawson Lakes Building J, J2-25
4 May - 1 Jun Monday 8:10am - 10am Mawson Lakes Building J, J2-25

Prerequisite(s)

  • must have completed COMP2037 Algorithm & Data Structure Analysis

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

  • must not have completed COMPSCI4123 Software Process Improvement at the University of Adelaide

Assumed knowledge

N/A

Textbook(s)

N/A

Inherent requirements

N/A

Other resources

N/A

Assessment

N/A

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The Student Contribution amount displayed below is for students commencing a new program from 2021 onwards. If you are continuing in a program you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, or are commencing an Honours degree relating to an undergraduate degree you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, you may be charged a different Student Contribution amount from the amount displayed below. Please check the Student Contribution bands for continuing students here. If you are an international student, or a domestic student studying in a full fee paying place, and are continuing study that you commenced in 2025 or earlier, your fees will be available here before enrolments open for 2026.