Master's Degrees in Software Engineering: An Analysis of 28 University Programs
TL;DR: Key findings showed that the universities viewed software engineering largely as a specialization of computer science, that faculty size is generally small with few dedicated professors, and that new master's programs continue to start despite the decrease in computer science majors over the past few years.
Abstract: The software engineering institute published the last reference curriculum for a master's in software engineering in 1991. In 2007, a coalition from academia, industry, and government began creating a new reference curriculum. An early step was to establish a baseline of graduate education by surveying 28 master's programs in software engineering. The survey was largely limited to US schools. Key findings showed that the universities viewed software engineering largely as a specialization of computer science, that faculty size is generally small with few dedicated professors, and that new master's programs continue to start despite the decrease in computer science majors over the past few years. We used the IEEE Computer Society's Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) to structure our analysis of the 28 curricula, focusing primarily on courses and topics required or semirequired of all students. (A course is semirequired if there is at least a 50 percent chance a student must take it.) Major findings show wide variation in the depth and breadth of SWEBOK coverage in required and semirequired courses, less than 40 percent of all programs requiring an introductory course on software engineering, and many universities having required and semirequired courses that are peripheral to SWEBOK.
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01 Jan 2009
92 citations
TL;DR: The paper mentions that a reference curriculum for master's programs helps ensure software engineers possess the appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience to develop, maintain, and acquire complex systems.
Abstract: The paper mentions that a reference curriculum for master's programs helps ensure software engineers possess the appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience to develop, maintain, and acquire complex systems.
20 citations
17 Apr 2012
TL;DR: This paper shows how a flexible simulation environment can link the various topic areas of software engineering in the same way they are interwoven in the daily work of practitioners.
Abstract: Software Engineering education must account for a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills software engineers will be required to apply throughout their professional life. Covering all the topics in depth within a university setting is infeasible due to curricular constraints as well as due to the inherent differences between educational institutions and the actual workplaces of individual graduates. This paper shows how a flexible simulation environment can link the various topic areas of software engineering in the same way they are interwoven in the daily work of practitioners. The authors report their experience gained in using such an environment in their courses at their different institutions, each one having a very distinct focus. Customization of the environment and respective didactical changes can address students with different maturity levels, educational aims, and backgrounds.
19 citations
Cites background from "Master's Degrees in Software Engine..."
...This section provides an overview of selected literature and briefly characterizes their relationship to the ideas presented in this paper in terms of three key areas....
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07 Sep 2010
TL;DR: A state of the art of the human-computer interaction aimed at tourism and cultural heritage in some cities of the European Mediterranean is presented and the main problems deriving from training understood as business are made.
Abstract: We present a state of the art of the human-computer interaction aimed at tourism and cultural heritage in some cities of the European Mediterranean. In the work an analysis is made of the main problems deriving from training understood as business and which can derail the continuous growth of the HCI, the new technologies and tourism industry. Through a semiotic and epistemological study the current mistakes in the context of the interrelations of the formal and factual sciences will be detected and also the human factors that have an influence on the professionals devoted to the development of interactive systems in order to safeguard and boost cultural heritage.
19 citations
Cites background from "Master's Degrees in Software Engine..."
...While in the USA one can see a continuous tendency to adapt the university curricula related to the new technologies to the new realities deriving from the software and the hardware, for instance [15] [16] [ 17 ] [18]....
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TL;DR: This study will provide a guideline to universities conducting an SE programme at undergraduate level to align their course curriculum with IEEE/ACM guidelines (SEEK, 2004) and provide an assessment of SE curriculum in Turkish Universities with respect to SEEK (2004).
Abstract: Software engineering (SE) education has been emerging as an independent and mature discipline. Accordingly, various studies are being done to provide guidelines for SE education curriculum design. This paper presents software engineering education evolvement in Turkey, present SE education scenario in different universities along with the significance of software technology parks in relevance to software engineering education. The objective of this paper is to provide an assessment of SE curriculum in Turkish Universities with respect to IEEE/ACM guidelines given in SEEK (2004). This study will provide a guideline to universities conducting an SE programme at undergraduate level to align their course curriculum with IEEE/ACM guidelines (SEEK, 2004). Keywords: Curriculum, Software Engineering Education, Software Engineering, Software Industry, Turkey ---------------------- Obrazovanje programskih inženjera (PI) razvija se kao samostalna i zrela znanstvena disciplina. Sukladno tome, provode se razlicita istraživanja u cilju određivanja smjernica za izradu nastavnih planova i programa za obrazovanje PI. Ovaj rad predstavlja razvoj obrazovanja programskih inženjera u Turskoj, trenutnu situaciju u obrazovanju PI na razlicitim sveucilistima, kao i znacenje tehnoloskih parkova za njihovo obrazovanje. Cilj ovoga rada je dati evaluaciju nastavnoga plana i programa za Programsko inženjerstvo na turskim sveucilistima s obzirom na IEEE/ACM smjernice navedene u dokumentu SEEK (2004). Ova ce studija pružiti smjernice sveucilistima prilikom provođenja programa PI na dodiplomskoj razini kako bi se uskladio plan i program kolegija s IEEE/ACM smjernicama (SEEK, 2004). Kljucne rijeci: nastavni plan i program, obrazovanje programskih inženjera, programsko inženjerstvo, softverska industrija, Turska
17 citations
Cites background from "Master's Degrees in Software Engine..."
...The ability of any large company or government organization to manage its projects and enterprises depends heavily on sophisticated software systems that support its business and technical processes, ranging from logistics to manufacturing systems and to customer relationship management systems (Pyster et al., 2009)....
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...…large company or government organization to manage its projects and enterprises depends heavily on sophisticated software systems that support its business and technical processes, ranging from logistics to manufacturing systems and to customer relationship management systems (Pyster et al., 2009)....
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References
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Book•
01 Dec 2001
TL;DR: The mapping shows that, though there are no major "school of thought" divergences between the two bodies of knowledge, there are a number of differences in the details of each breakdown in terms of vocabulary, level of detail, decomposition approach and topics encompassed.
976 citations
01 Jan 1999
922 citations
28 May 2006
TL;DR: This paper tries to identify at least some of the major past software experiences that were well worth repeating, and some that were not, and makes some first steps towards distinguishing relatively timeless software engineering principles that are risky not to repeat, and conditions of change under which aging practices will become increasingly risky to repeat.
Abstract: George Santayana's statement, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," is only half true. The past also includes successful histories. If you haven't been made aware of them, you're often condemned not to repeat their successes.In a rapidly expanding field such as software engineering, this happens a lot. Extensive studies of many software projects such as the Standish Reports offer convincing evidence that many projects fail to repeat past successes.This paper tries to identify at least some of the major past software experiences that were well worth repeating, and some that were not. It also tries to identify underlying phenomena influencing the evolution of software engineering practices that have at least helped the author appreciate how our field has gotten to where it has been and where it is.A counterpart Santayana-like statement about the past and future might say, "In an era of rapid change, those who repeat the past are condemned to a bleak future." (Think about the dinosaurs, and think carefully about software engineering maturity models that emphasize repeatability.)This paper also tries to identify some of the major sources of change that will affect software engineering practices in the next couple of decades, and identifies some strategies for assessing and adapting to these sources of change. It also makes some first steps towards distinguishing relatively timeless software engineering principles that are risky not to repeat, and conditions of change under which aging practices will become increasingly risky to repeat.
525 citations
18 Jul 1989
TL;DR: A report on the SEI's 1988 Curriculum Design Workshop is provided, along with descriptions of the six core courses for a Master of Software Engineering degree program that were designed at that workshop.
Abstract: A report on the SEI's 1988 Curriculum Design Workshop is provided, along with descriptions of the six core courses for a Master of Software Engineering degree program that were designed at that workshop. A summary of current SEI recommendations for such a degree program is also included.
76 citations