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From: coggins@coggins.cs.unc.edu (Dr. James Coggins)
Newsgroups: misc.jobs.misc,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Practical Experience ( was MS CS -  C binary search )
Message-ID: <6593@thorin.cs.unc.edu>
Date: 6 Feb 89 21:43:52 GMT
References: <67605@ti-csl.CSNET> <530@sirius.UUCP>
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Reply-To: coggins@cs.unc.edu (Dr. James Coggins)
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In article <530@sirius.UUCP> tarry@sirius.UUCP (Steve Tarry) writes:
>
>It has long puzzled me why there are so few masters degree programs in
>Software Engineering and even fewer (none that I know of) bachelors
>programs.

There is a good case to be made that Software Engineering is not an
appropriate baccalaureate field of study and that the professional
M.S. as you described Wang Institute's M.S.E (R.I.P.) is the only
reasonable way to go.  Wang's entrance requirements helped to ensure
that the MSE was not just an advanced hacker's degree. (yech, what a
concept.)

There is, in fact, a strong case that can be made to the effect that
software is OVERemphasized in current B.S. CS programs at the expense
of problem-solving, analytical skills, mathematics, and CS theory.
The question to ask is, "How much of our undergrad program will be
obsolete in 10 years?" Too many places must answer with too high a
figure.  Students are better served in the long run by not getting a
CS(E) undergrad degree - especially the narrow, inflexible,
hacker-driven mush being pushed by the accrediting agencies. 

>Of course, the engineering students must learn a foundation in the
>underlying sciences, but they also learn how to apply science to
>real commercial problems.

See this month's CACM for yet another attempt at defining what a 
CS curriculum is.  Since the underlying science is so ill-defined,
the engineering discipline sits atop sand.  It is appropriate for
intensive study only by those who really need it immediately -
people working in the field who, one hopes, have outgrown their
hacker phase and are ready to adopt the mantle of professionals.
In other words, Software Engineering remains most appropriate for
a professional M.S. program.

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Dr. James M. Coggins          coggins@cs.unc.edu
Computer Science Department   
UNC-Chapel Hill               Software Engineering Laboratory Bawss
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3175    (UNC COMP 145/227)
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