Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cca!g-rh
From: g-rh@cca.CCA.COM (Richard Harter)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: MS in Software Engineering
Message-ID: <26960@cca.CCA.COM>
Date: 14 Apr 88 05:38:40 GMT
References: <17063@gatech.edu>
Reply-To: g-rh@CCA.CCA.COM.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 88

In article <17063@gatech.edu> rob@gatech.UUCP (Rob McCurley) writes:

>Recent discussions in this newsgroup have considered the question of
>what should be taught to students in undergraduate or PhD programs in
>computer science and software engineering.  I'm currently pondering a
>related question: what should be taught to students in an MS in
>Software Engineering (MSSE) program?  Here's a few specific questions
>to get the ball rolling:

>1) In the spectrum ranging from vocational to theoretical education
>(if such a spectrum exists), where should an MSSE program lie?

	The vocational/theoretical disjunction is a little misleading.
I would say that a master's program should be aimed at producing someone
who is a master practioner.  This requires a knowledge both of theory and
practice.


>2) What should the incoming/outgoing student know about the
>following areas:

>programming languages

	The usual -- one should have a working acquaintance with half
a dozen languages, with a knowledge of several based on a variety of
principles.  Sampler:  Lisp, Ada, C, Fortran, Snobol, APL.  Just as
important as knowing languages is knowing how they work, the assumptions
made, and the organizing principles around which they are built.  The
above list should also include a couple of more modern, high level languages.
In practice one often ends up creating special purpose languages.  There
should be a fair bit on this.

>programming methodologies

	Unfortunately, this probably belongs in the School of Theology.
There are a number of schools among people who write about programming
methodology.  The relevance of their writings to practice is mostly
unknown.

>compiler technology

	An over rated field in Academia.  The average SE should know
what a compiler does to the HLL that goes in and what sort of stuff is
likely to come out.  As noted above, however, special purpose languages
are quite common, and one should have a knowledge of interpreter technology.

>management techniques

	This is important.  I would focus on what the responsibilities
and functions of middle management are.  

>software cost calculation

	This can be taught??

>technical writing

	This area is often dealt with in terms of trying to teach people
how to be technical writers.  Think in terms of knowing what is required,
and criteria for evaluation of documentation.  

>program specification and verification

>3) What areas are missing from the above list?

3.1	Configuration management.

3.2	Quality Assurance

3.3	Operating system architecture

3.4	Operating system technology

3.5	Algorithm design and analysis

3.6	General systems theory

3.7	Architecture of software systems
	
	Let me expand on the this one.  If you are going to create a large
system, you need an over all picture of how that system works and how the
pieces are going to fit together.  You don't have to invent the design
de novo.  
-- 

In the fields of Hell where the grass grows high
Are the graves of dreams allowed to die.
	Richard Harter, SMDS  Inc.