Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!uunet!sci34hub!sci!dc From: dc@sci.UUCP (D. C. Sessions) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: engineer training (was Re: bridge building) Message-ID: <987@mgt3.sci.UUCP> Date: 22 May 91 17:54:56 GMT References:

<1991May19.135145.3589@uoft02.utoledo.edu> Reply-To: dc@mgt3.sci.com (D. C. Sessions) Organization: SCI Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Al. Lines: 28 In article <1991May19.135145.3589@uoft02.utoledo.edu> lewallen@uoftcse.cse.utoledo.edu (James H. Lewallen) writes: > > I don't know about everywhere else, but here at the University >of Toledo, we have a Computer Science & Engineering program. CS&E >students have to take 6 quarters of calculus, and many basic engineering >classes, such as Statics, Dynamics, Network Analysis, MicroElectronics, >etc. This does give students an "Engineering" background that helps >teach them to use Engineering methods in designing software. > > Jim Lewallen The trouble with this is that it isn't engineering. Technology, yes; but not engineering. I haven't yet heard of an American university that teaches engineering at all; they leave that to employers after graduation. You can perform a simple test to check on whether a university actually teaches engineering, if you want to: look through the catalog for a course on revision control methodology. (I propose that revision control is absolutely necessary to real engineering; anything else is tinkering at best.) Bet you won't find one. For damn sure you won't find it as a core course. -- | The above opinions may not be original, but they are mine and mine alone. | | "While it may not be for you to complete the task, | | neither are you free to refrain from it." | +-=-=- (I wish this _was_ original!) D. C. Sessions -=-=-+