Software engineering education: Status and prospects

Software engineering is an emerging field aimed at improving the quality of computer software and the processess used to produce it. The field seeks to transform software creation from an art into an engineering discipline. Efforts have recently begun to teach software engineering concepts to university students and to practicing professionals in industry and government. This paper surveys past and present efforts in software engineering education, describes some existing problems in training software engineers, and outlines likely future developments in educational programs. The outline of a curriculum for a professional master's degree in software engineering is included.