🚀 Building Real-World Software at Scale: My Experience in SWEN 670 Software Engineering Capstone at UMGC

The SWEN 670 Software Engineering Capstone at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) was more than just a course—it was a professional-grade simulation of how real-world software gets built. From project planning to deployment, I had the privilege of participating in a cross-functional, Agile-driven team tasked with building and deploying an enterprise-level software system from scratch.

Core Objective: End-to-End Software Delivery

Our mission: deliver a full-stack, cloud-native application for a simulated client, complete with all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Each deliverable was aligned with Agile milestones and included:

· Project planning & SRS · Architectural & test planning · MVP deployment · Final usability & operational demo

Technologies That Powered Our Project

We used a cutting-edge, industry-aligned tech stack:

· Frontend (Mobile-first): Flutter + Dart

· Backend: Java + Spring Boot

· Cloud: AWS

· Compute & Deployment: ECS, Fargate, Docker, API Gateway

· Database: Aurora MySQL for transactions o Aurora PostgreSQL (with pgvector) for AI embeddings

· AI/LLM Layer: DeepSeek (HIPAA/GDPR-compliant)

· Infrastructure as Code: Terraform · CI/CD: CodeMagic (for mobile pipeline automation)

Milestone Breakdown: From Vision to Reality

Milestone 1 – Project Initiation Delivered a full Project Management Plan and SRS after mock client interviews. I led stakeholder requirement gathering and authored user stories aligned with PMBOK practices.

Milestone 2 – Architecture & Test Planning Submitted Technical Design Document (TDD) and Test Plan, explored architectural trade-offs, and built initial prototypes with Spring Boot and AWS Aurora.

Milestone 3 – MVP & Developer Documentation Deployed the MVP via ECS/Fargate with authentication, database persistence, and LLM-backed features. Submitted Programmer Guide, Deployment Manual, and updated Test Plans.

Milestone 4 – Final Delivery Presented a fully operational product with a walkthrough of all features. Submitted a User Guide, Test Report, and conducted a live demo showcasing cloud deployment and LLM use cases.

Collaboration & Workflow

· Tools: GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs

· Team Dynamics: Scrum-based sprint cycles with weekly standups and peer reviews

· Roles: Every team had a team lead, and all teams worked under the Project Manager (I served as the Project Manager), coordinating deliverables and communication.

· Accountability: Peer evaluations, QA checklists, and milestone sign-offs

Real-World Readiness

This capstone project was a turning point in my graduate journey—it bridged the gap between theory and practice. Here's what it reinforced:

✅ Agile development with stakeholder engagement ✅ Secure, cloud-based full-stack engineering ✅ Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform ✅ Mobile-first DevOps pipelines with CodeMagic ✅ AI & LLM integration into real apps ✅ Professional documentation for SDLC compliance

Final Thoughts

The SWEN 670 Capstone was the capstone of my MS in Software Engineering at UMGC. It was rigorous, intense, and transformational. I’m proud of the system we built and grateful for the lessons in cloud architecture, scalable design, and team collaboration — lessons I will carry into every future project.

For anyone transitioning into industry or aiming to level up as a software engineer, I cannot recommend this kind of experience enough.

Let’s Connect

LinkedIn  GitHub Portfolio

#AlirezaMinagar #UMGC #SoftwareEngineering #CapstoneProject #FullStackDevelopment #CloudComputing #AWS #Java #SpringBoot #Flutter #Dart #AIIntegration #LLM #AgileDevelopment #DevOps #InfrastructureAsCode #Terraform #CodeMagic #MobileAppDevelopment #GraduationProject #TechLeadership #EngineeringExcellence

Disclosure: Image created by AI to illustrate my UMGC Software Engineering Capstone experience; not an actual photo.