Jason Van Schooneveld
Alumni Spotlight.
Meet Jason Van Schooneveld, Web Application Developer and recent graduate from the Master of Science in Software Development (MET’18) program as well as the May 2018 Excellence in Graduate Studies Award Recipient.
In honoring Mr. Van Schooneveld at the commencement ceremony, Professor Eric Braude explained,
“He excelled in his courses and has a high reputation among his peers. His projects, written in various languages, have served as examples for fellow students.”
Braude also noted that Mr. Van Schooneveld’s research and development work on the PREXEL system for the automatic generation of Unified Modeling Language class models qualified for the International Conference on Software Engineering, held in Gothenburg, Sweden, and that work on PREXEL would be continued by the students that follow him.
Why did you choose MET for your graduate studies? What set MET apart from other programs you had considered?
As I was considering returning to school to get my master’s degree, I was a looking for a school that provided a comprehensive online computer science program that could be completed in one to two years. I looked at several schools that offered this type of program, but wasn’t impressed with their credentials. Once I found BU’s MSSD program I was instantly interested.
What really stood out to me was the variety of course options available in the program. With courses ranging from Agile Software Development (MET CS 634) to Mobile Application Development with Android (MET CS 683), I knew this program could provide a breadth of experience that would certainly make me a more competitive software developer in the marketplace.
Is there a particular faculty member who enhanced your experience at MET?
I had the pleasure of working with Professor Eric Braude as a research assistant for eight months during my program. He and I collaborated on the PREXEL project. This experience was a fantastic chance to apply the skills I was learning in the program as well as get my feet wet in academic research.
How were you able to adapt to some of the challenges of balancing work, home life, and school? Did you benefit from MET’s flexible class delivery options?
I main reason I selected MET was that it offered an online program that could be completed from anywhere in the world. As I live in Taiwan, this flexibility was of paramount importance when selecting a master’s program. I also really enjoyed the seven-week class format, which allowed me to complete the entire degree program in 15 months.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is considering applying to this program?
The Master of Science in Software Development is certainly a challenging program, but take it one step at a time and you will be successful. Enjoy what you are learning and find ways to apply the concepts outside of the classroom.