Master of Science [M.S] [Software Engineering] From Fairfield University

Fairfield University Master of Science in Software Engineering is a 30-credit graduate degree in Fairfield, Connecticut, with full-time or part-time on-campus study. Students complete it in 12 to 24 months, and Indian applicants need a bachelor’s degree plus relevant software developer or programmer experience. Spring 2027 tuition is US$32,850 (INR 31.39 Lakhs); the benchmark GPA is 3.0/4.0, about 70% to 80% or CGPA 7 to 8/10.

Fairfield trains students in requirements gathering, software design, testing, deployment and maintenance, with electives in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data science. Its two-semester team-driven capstone or approved thesis suits applicants who want an applied portfolio or research route. The best fit is a working developer or career changer who can close technical gaps through bridge courses, but bridge credits do not count toward the 30 graduation credits.

• Classes are mostly offered in the evening and generally meet once weekly for two and a half hours.
• Students can select five electives across programming, web technologies, databases, networking and data science.
• The catalogue permits approved electives from engineering, mathematics and business graduate programmes.

Also Check: Fairfield University software engineering admission

Fairfield M.S. Software Engineering Fees and Living Costs 2027

The 2026-27 Fairfield fee schedule sets Software Engineering tuition at US$1,095 per credit (INR 1.05 Lakhs). The 30-credit degree therefore has estimated tuition of US$32,850 (INR 31.39 Lakhs).

Required and common charges sit outside tuition. The application fee is US$65 (INR 6,212). Registration is US$60 (INR 5,734) per semester, and the Graduate Student Activity Fee is US$65 (INR 6,212) in Fall and Spring.

The Red Stack Direct charge is US$24 (INR 2,294) per credit, while a lab course can add US$132 (INR 12,615). International students also face a required health insurance charge of US$2,346 (INR 2.24 Lakhs) for 2026-27.

A calculated direct-cost illustration for a full-time three-semester path is US$36,291 (INR 34.68 Lakhs). It includes US$32,850 tuition, US$65 application, three US$60 registration fees, two US$65 activity fees, US$720 Red Stack Direct and US$2,346 insurance.

2026-27 fee context: The programme tuition below uses Fairfield’s published 30-credit requirement and per-credit rate. The other amounts come from the graduate fee schedule.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 95.5681 as of 16 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: Fairfield University 2026-27 graduate tuition and fee schedule, Software Engineering programme page and health insurance page.

• The 30-credit tuition is the main direct cost, so calculate any bridge-course credits separately because bridge courses do not count toward the degree.
• The three-semester illustration assumes two Fall or Spring activity charges and excludes any applicable lab fees, so request a term-by-term bill before paying a deposit.
• International students cannot waive the listed US$2,346 (INR 2.24 Lakhs) insurance charge, which makes it part of the initial funding plan.

Cost of Living in Fairfield, Connecticut for Software Engineering Students

Fairfield’s 2026-27 graduate catalogue estimates Fall and Spring indirect expenses of US$31,904 (INR 30.49 Lakhs) for students on the Fairfield campus. The catalogue gives term totals, so the monthly figures below divide each official total by nine months.

Source: Fairfield University 2026-2027 Graduate Academic Catalog, Fairfield campus indirect estimated expenses.

Combining the published tuition with the nine-month Fall and Spring living estimate creates a calculated planning total of US$64,754 (INR 61.88 Lakhs). Adding the direct charges and insurance used in the three-semester illustration produces US$68,195 (INR 65.17 Lakhs). This is a funding illustration, not a university-published final bill, and it excludes bridge courses and any lab fee.

Read More: USA cost of living for international students

ROI reality: The published tuition is only one part of the budget. Indian applicants should secure funds for the 30-credit degree, nine-month living estimate and required insurance together.

Fairfield M.S. Software Engineering Admission 2027

Admission to Fairfield’s Master of Science in Software Engineering is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree and adequate professional software development or programming experience.

Applicants from other backgrounds may enter, but the programme director can assign bridge courses when data structures, application programming, systems analysis and design or mathematics preparation is incomplete.

Academic Eligibility and Selection

The academic benchmark is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Fairfield describes this as a general preference rather than an automatic cutoff, so the university reviews academic records, professional preparation and application materials together.

International documentation context: International transcripts require a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) recognized evaluator. Fairfield prefers WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators), but it also accepts other recognized evaluators.

Fairfield’s bridge policy makes the programme accessible to career changers, but the flexibility has a cost because bridge credits do not count toward the 30-credit degree. A candidate with a computer science or software engineering degree can therefore enter with a clearer route than a candidate whose technical record needs remediation.

• Describe programming languages, data structures, systems work and software projects because the programme assesses readiness beyond the degree title.
• Ask the programme director to review any missing foundation before budgeting because up to 9 bridge credits can be added.
• Send official Indian transcripts to the evaluator early because Fairfield cannot complete international review without the course-by-course report.

English Language Proficiency (ELP)

English Language Proficiency (ELP) is assessed through an approved test for international students whose native language is not English. Fairfield’s current policy uses a new TOEFL scale for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 and retains a separate pre-change benchmark.

TOEFL means Test of English as a Foreign Language. The university lists an overall minimum of 4.5 for the revised scale and 80 for tests taken before the change date, without publishing component minimums on this page.

Current English-score rules: The table preserves Fairfield’s published test scales instead of converting one test into another.

Fairfield’s current international graduate page does not publish a separate PTE Academic minimum for this programme. Because test rules can change by test date, verify the score scale on Fairfield’s international graduate requirements page before sending scores.

• Choose the IELTS route when a familiar 6.5 benchmark is easier to schedule than the revised TOEFL scale.
• Record the TOEFL test date because Fairfield applies different scales before and after 21 January 2026.
• Ask about a waiver only when your prior degree was completed at an accredited US college or university.

Tip for Indian students: The technical-readiness review matters as much as the GPA benchmark, so document software work and resolve bridge requirements before accepting the tuition commitment.

Fairfield M.S. Software Engineering Application 2027

Fairfield accepts applications on a rolling basis for Spring, Summer and Fall starts. The programme page names all three intakes, while the international page supplies priority dates for Spring and Fall.

For the target Spring 2027 intake, the international graduate priority date is 01 September 2026. Fairfield says programme-specific deadlines can be earlier, but this Software Engineering programme currently states rolling admission.

Forward-looking deadline context: The Spring 2027 application is open under rolling admission, and Fairfield does not publish programme-specific decision dates on the checked surfaces.

Fairfield does not publish a deadline time or university timezone for these graduate dates. Indian applicants should treat the date shown by the application portal as controlling because no reliable IST cutoff is provided.

How to Apply to Fairfield Software Engineering

Start with the online graduate application, then upload the resume, personal statement, transcripts, recommendations and any required official scores. The non-refundable application fee is US$65 (INR 6,212).

International applicants must also provide a course-by-course academic evaluation, passport copy, English-test score and financial documentation covering one year. Fairfield requires an affidavit of financial support when a parent, guardian or sponsor demonstrates the available funds.

Application file sequence: Each stage below closes a specific review gap, which helps Indian applicants avoid a file that is technically submitted but not complete.

Fairfield may require an interview for a programme-specific reason, and candidates are notified after application completion when one is needed. The university also says supporting credentials should be submitted at least three months before the intended start date.

Rolling admission rewards an early complete file because the university reviews applications as they arrive. For Spring 2027, an applicant who waits until the priority date risks having the transcript evaluation, English score or financial evidence still outstanding during review.

• Start the transcript evaluation before the 01 September 2026 Spring priority date because the report is a required international document.
• Use the personal statement to connect software projects with the programme’s capstone or thesis option.
• Ask Graduate Admission for the Summer 2027 international planning date because the checked pages publish no separate summer cutoff.

Also Check: Fairfield engineering graduate programmes

Application tip: Rolling admission does not remove the September 2026 international priority date, so submit a complete Spring file before the stated date and track missing documents in the portal.

Fairfield M.S. Software Engineering Scholarships 2027

Fairfield’s clearest published funding route for graduate applicants is the Graduate Merit Scholarship, which can provide up to US$6,000 (INR 5.73 Lakhs) per year. The award is partial, competitive and considered during admission rather than through a separate scholarship application.

The School of Engineering and Computing also identifies scholarship opportunities and grants for international engineering graduate students. However, the checked page gives no award amount, intake-specific deadline or guarantee for Software Engineering.

Graduate assistantships are a separate funding route for fully accepted full-time or part-time graduate students. Selected assistants may receive a tuition waiver and sometimes a stipend, but availability changes by department, semester and academic year.

Current published funding context: Fairfield does not publish a 2026-27 award cycle or a course-specific scholarship deadline on the checked pages. The terms below are current published routes rather than target-cycle guarantees.

The merit award reduces tuition but does not automatically cover Fairfield’s living estimate, insurance or bridge credits. The engineering funding route is more relevant to this course than a general university award, yet its unpublished amount means it cannot be used in a firm funding calculation.

• Submit a strong academic and technical file because Fairfield determines merit eligibility after reviewing the application and undergraduate record.
• Ask Financial Aid whether an engineering grant is open to Indian applicants before treating it as a confirmed reduction.
• Check assistantship eligibility after full acceptance because the university limits positions and may require service alongside study.

For an Indian applicant, the practical funding order is merit consideration first, an engineering grant enquiry second and an assistantship request third. Keep the full US$32,850 (INR 31.39 Lakhs) tuition budget available until Fairfield confirms an award in writing.

Check Out: Fairfield University funding information

Scholarship reality: The published merit ceiling is partial and the engineering grant amount is undisclosed. Indian applicants should treat aid as upside until a written award reduces the tuition plan.

Fairfield M.S. Software Engineering Salary 2027

Fairfield does not publish an MSSE-only salary, offer rate or employment report. The closest verified evidence is a school-level placement statement, a university-wide graduate outcome report and a separate external salary benchmark.

The official Software Engineering page cites a US$132,270 (INR 1.26 Crore) median salary from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is a university-cited market benchmark, not a Fairfield graduate salary or a placement guarantee.

Outcome scope: The figures below show how far each source can support an Indian applicant’s career decision.

Source: Fairfield School of Engineering and Computing graduate page and Fairfield Graduate Student Outcomes Report, Class of 2025.

Source: Fairfield Master of Science in Software Engineering programme page, which cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The course-specific evidence gap matters because a school placement statement cannot show the salary, offer rate or employer mix of this degree. Ask Fairfield for recent Software Engineering destinations before treating the external benchmark as a repayment input.

Fairfield Software Engineering ROI for Indian Applicants

The calculated three-semester funding illustration is US$68,195 (INR 65.17 Lakhs) after adding tuition, the nine-month living estimate, common direct charges and international insurance. A career return therefore depends on the job secured, the amount borrowed, funding received and the work window after graduation.

• The US$68,195 (INR 65.17 Lakhs) illustration excludes bridge and lab costs, so set a higher borrowing ceiling before accepting an offer.
• The Class of 2025 graduate outcome is 94.7% employment with an 80.2% knowledge rate, so request MSSE-specific outcomes before using it as your career forecast.
• The US$132,270 (INR 1.26 Crore) figure is an external median benchmark, so model gross pay by role and location rather than assuming a starting salary.
• Fairfield lists Software Engineering among graduate degrees eligible for the additional 24-month STEM OPT period, so verify the current work-authorisation rules before borrowing against a US job plan.
• An applicant returning to India cannot use the US salary benchmark or OPT window directly, so build a separate INR repayment case around a confirmed India-based role.

Take-home pay varies with state, filing status and withholding, so use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator instead of converting the benchmark directly into disposable income.

ROI reality: Fairfield offers a STEM-oriented curriculum and a market salary reference. The missing MSSE cohort report means applicants should verify outcomes before treating the degree as a guaranteed payback.

USA Visa for Fairfield Software Engineering Students 2027

International students studying full-time on campus need F-1 (academic student) status. Fairfield issues the Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) after admission, offer acceptance, confirmation deposit and required fees, as explained in its visa instructions. The U.S. visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,680), and the I-901 SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee is US$350 (INR 33,449).

• OPT (Optional Practical Training) can provide up to 12 months of post-completion work authorization when employment is directly related to the degree.
• Software Engineering appears on Fairfield’s graduate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) list, so a qualifying degree may add a 24-month STEM extension.
• H-1B (specialty occupation) sponsorship has no single MSSE salary threshold because the employer must meet the higher of the actual or prevailing wage and selection rules still apply.
• F-2 status can cover a spouse and unmarried minor children, but dependants cannot work, while permanent residence has no fixed course-linked timeline.

Check Out: U.S. post-study work and OPT guidance

Visa reality: The on-campus format supports the F-1 route and Fairfield lists Software Engineering for STEM consideration. Each student must verify the current degree coding and employment conditions before relying on the extension.