Master’s Thesis Defense
College of Computer Science and Mathematics – Department of Software
University of Mosul

The Master’s thesis of the student Shahad Wissam Abdul-Fattah was defended in the discussion hall of the College of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Mosul on monday 2/3/2026.

The thesis, entitled:
“Effort Estimation in the Context of Agile Methodology and Software Development”
was supervised by Assist. Prof. Dr. Jamal Salah Al-Din.

The thesis addressed

The thesis addressed the problem of software effort estimation in Agile development environments as a critical challenge in modern software engineering. It focused on developing an intelligent predictive model based on machine learning and natural language processing to convert textual user stories into accurate Story Point estimates. The research also explored both individual and hybrid models to enhance predictive accuracy and improve estimation performance.

The study addressed

The study addressed the use of a real-world dataset containing textual user stories and multiple attributes. The data underwent preprocessing steps including cleaning, encoding, TF-IDF transformation, and feature standardization. The dataset was then divided into training and testing sets to ensure objective and reliable model evaluation.

The study aims to

The study aims to develop an intelligent and automated framework to support decision-making in software project management. It seeks to improve estimation accuracy in Agile environments, enhance planning reliability, and optimize resource allocation. Furthermore, it reduces reliance on subjective judgment by providing a more data-driven and systematic estimation approach

Examination Committee:

• Prof. Dr. Nada Nimat Salim – Chairperson
• Assist. Prof. Tawfiq Miqdad Tawfiq – Member
• Lecturer Dr. Shaimaa Mustafa Mohi Al-Din – Member
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Jamal Salah Al-Din – Member and Supervisor