Changing conditions for undergraduate software engineering programs

Abstract

This panel will consider the conditions under which software engineering degree programs are being designed and implemented in the United States. The discussion will focus particularly on how these conditions are changing over time as more degree programs are implemented and general software engineering issues evolve. The panelists represent four undergraduate software engineering degree programs and also have experience with several graduate degree programs. The number of undergraduate software engineering degree programs worldwide is growing but still small. Many of the early programs, especially in the United States, have had to deal with difficult issues including crossing disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Other institutions are struggling to address these issues today and still more will need to deal with them in the future. Unless many of these efforts are successful, software engineering will not be successful as a discipline. While the early undergraduate software engineering initiatives have unfolded at various universities, conditions for these efforts have been changing. Key features of the landscape including accreditation, licensing, and curricular models are all changing. In addition, future initiatives will have the start-up experience and early success of the first programs as points of reference. All of these factors will change the context for future efforts. This panel session will discuss the experience of several universities in starting and managing software engineering programs. In particular, the discussion will focus on how issues and approaches have changed over time. This discussion should be useful to faculty at other institutions considering starting software engineering programs. The panel discussion will include consideration of the following topics: • Participants – Who among faculty or administrative groups have supported or resisted software engineering programs? • Organization -- Where have software engineering programs been located within the university?