Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm!ndsuvm1!ndsuvax!ncmagel
From: ncmagel@ndsuvax.UUCP (ken magel)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: M.S. in SE
Message-ID: <2117@ndsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 12 Feb 89 13:03:35 GMT
Organization: North Dakota State University  Fargo, ND
Lines: 25



   I wish to echo the comments of the person who replied to the question
concerning the lack of M.S. programs in Software Engineering by stating that
his B.S. at an Australian school contained most of the information and techniques
which would be covered in a software engineering M.S.  I believe the time for a
distinct M.S. in Software Engineering has passed.  For example, in our regular
B.S. degree program, the student does seven distinct multi-week group projects
including design, coding, testing and debugging as well as user and maintenance
documentation.  Four other times the student is required to make and document
substantial enhancments or fault repairs to existing code.  We have courses in
the standard B.S. on systems specifications, systems design ( including two
different methodologies such as Jackson and Object-oriented), and testing and
maintenance.  Students may elect to take additional courses which cover other
aspects of software engineering.
     In our M.S. degree, students who do not have substantial expertise in
software engineering are required to take several courses which provide further
experience and concepts in this area.
     Thus, just as a degree program in Systems Programming might have seemed
appropriate in the 1960's, but not today, a distinct program in Software
Engineering is no longer necessary or desireable.
     There are some separate programs in artificial intelligence, but their
lifetimes are probably quite limited as well.  I expect them to either be
merged back into C.S. programs, or to become distinct interdisciplinary programs
with some psychology, some physiology, and some Computer Science as well as some
linguisitcs and semiotics.  In fact, perhaps they will in a few years merge
with the evolving semiotics programs at some schools.