Overview of the RoseHulman Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering

1
Overview of the Rose-HulmanBachelor of Science
in Software Engineering

• Don Bagert
• SE Faculty Retreat New Faculty Tutorial
• August 23, 2005

2
Background

• There are currently about 32 schools in the U.S.
  with a degree titled Bachelor of Science in
  Software Engineering, including
• Three major state colleges (Auburn, Florida
  State, Mississippi State)
• Five AITU schools (Clarkson, Drexel, Milwaukee
  School of Engineering, RIT and Rose-Hulman)
• The 2005-06 ABET/EAC Criteria for Software
  Engineering
• The program must demonstrate that graduates
  have the ability to analyze, design, verify,
  validate, implement, apply, and maintain software
  systems the ability to appropriately apply
  discrete mathematics, probability and statistics,
  and relevant topics in computer science and
  supporting disciplines to complex software
  systems and the ability to work in one or more
  significant application domains.

3
Background (continued)

• The original program was greatly influenced by
• Guidelines for Software Engineering Education,
  1999 (co-author Don Bagert)
• 1989 SEI Report on Graduate Software Engineering
  Education (co-author Mark Ardis)
• A more recent source has been the Software
  Engineering 2004 volume published by IEEE-CS and
  ACM
• Software Engineering Education Knowledge (SEEK)

4
Vision

• To be the 1 baccalaureate software engineering
  program in the world by means of excellent
  instruction, continuous curriculum innovation,
  and software engineering education leadership.

5
Mission

• The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in
  Software Engineering will be to educate students
  for careers as software professionals.
• To achieve these goals, the program will provide
  students the basic knowledge and fundamental
  principles upon which software engineering is
  based, encourage critical thinking and innovative
  approaches to problem solving, and introduce the
  students to the ethical and professional issues
  with which they must be concerned.

6
Educational Objectives

• Software engineering graduates will have been
• educated in the theory, principles, tools and
  processes involved in the engineering of complex
  software systems (including analysis, design,
  construction, maintenance, quality assurance and
  project management) and given opportunities to
  put that knowledge into practice.
• endowed with a sound background in computer
  science and mathematics.
• shown how to solve problems in a team environment
  through effective use of written and oral
  communication skills.
• introduced to the current issues presently
  involved in effectively performing duties as a
  software practitioner in an ethical and
  professional manner for the benefit of society,
  and to the reasons why lifelong learning is
  needed in order to keep current as new issues
  emerge.
• provided with instruction sufficient to develop
  software in at least one application domain.

7
Measurable Outcomes

• Graduates of the software engineering program
  will have demonstrated
• the ability to apply software engineering theory,
  principles, tools and processes, as well as the
  theory and principles of computer science and
  mathematics, to the development and maintenance
  of complex software systems.
• the ability to design and experiment with
  software prototypes.
• the ability to select and use software metrics.
• the ability to participate productively on
  software project teams involving students from
  both software engineering and other majors.
• effective communication skills through oral and
  written reports and software documentation
  evaluated by both peers and faculty.
• (continued on next slide)

8
Measurable Outcomes (continued)

• Graduates of the software engineering program
  will have demonstrated
• the ability to elicit, analyze and specify
  software requirements through a productive
  working relationship with project stakeholders.
• the ability to evaluate the business and impact
  of potential solutions to software engineering
  problems in a global society, using their
  knowledge of contemporary issues.
• the ability to apply appropriate codes of ethics
  and professional conduct to the solution of
  software engineering problems.
• the knowledge required to understand the need for
  and the ability to perform in lifelong learning.
• the basic knowledge required in a software
  engineering application domain track.

9
Major Milestones of Program to Date

• August 2002 White paper written by SE faculty
  for CSSE fall retreat
• October 2002 Interdisciplinary Committee on SE
  submits report
• December 2002 CSSE faculty approve proposal for
  program
• March 2003 Proposal approved at Institute
  Faculty Meeting
• May 2003 Proposal approved by Board of Trustees
  (May)
• Fall 2003 First SE majors, new SE courses first
  taught
• May 2004 First BSSE graduate (Ian Price)
• Fall 2004 First freshmen admitted as SE majors
  (about 20)
• February and May 2005 Nine additional SE
  graduates

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Breakdown of Curriculum Hours

• Engineering Topics 76 (required by ABET 72)
• Software Engineering 40
• Computer Science 28
• CSSE Electives - 4
• Electrical and Computer Engineering 4
• Math and Basic Sciences 51 (required by ABET
  48)
• Mathematics - 35
• Lab Sciences 16
• General Education 37
• Humanities and Social Science - 36
• College and Life Skills - 1
• Other 28
• Application Domain Track courses (can also be
  counted in other areas)
• Free Electives
• Total of 192 hours (same as for CS)

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Software Engineering Courses

• CSSE 371 Software Requirements and Specification
• CSSE 372 Software Project Management
• CSSE 373 Formal Methods for Specification and
  Design
• CSSE 374 Software Architecture and Design I
• CSSE 375 Software Construction and Evolution
• CSSE 376 Software Quality Assurance
• CSSE 377 Software Architecture and Design II
• CSSE 497 Senior Project I
• CSSE 498 Senior Project II
• CSSE 499 Senior Project III

12
Role of the Introductory Sequence

• Although they are considered as computer science
  courses, the Fundamentals of Software Development
  sequence (CSSE 120/220/230) teach elementary SE
  principles throughout
• This allows RHIT to be perhaps the only BSSE
  program in the country to not have an
  introduction to software engineering course

13
Application Domain Tracks

• Current domain tracks
• Commercial Applications
• Biomedical
• Electrical Engineering
• Ethics and Law of Business
• Engineering Management
• Fundamentals of Engineering
• Geography
• Physical Modeling
• Scientific Computing
• Each track is 12-22 hours and contains at least
  12 hours of non-CSSE courses

14
Differences Between SE and CS Curricula

• There are five SE courses are required for SE but
  not CS
• CSSE 373 Formal Methods for Specification and
  Design
• CSSE 374 Software Architecture and Design I
• CSSE 375 Software Construction and Evolution
• CSSE 376 Software Quality Assurance
• CSSE 377 Software Architecture and Design II
• The senior project sequence must be taken in SE,
  while CS majors can take either project or thesis
• There are five CSSE electives in CS
• One of them must be a theory course
• None of them can be from among the CSSE 373
  through 377
• There is only one CSSE elective for SE
• ECE 332 (Computer Architecture II) is required in
  CS but not in SE
• SE requires the application domain track, while
  CS does not
• CS has three ECE/MA electives, while SE has just
  one MA elective

15
Software Engineering as a Second Major

• Normally, a double major student must satisfy all
  degree requirements of the primary major and take
  all of the major subject courses in the second
  major (including their prerequisites).
• However, it is essential that all SE double
  majors satisfy ABET/EAC software engineering
  accreditation criteria
• So someone with SE as a second major must also
  satisfy the application domain track
  requirements, and math and lab science courses
  totaling at least 48 hours, including at least
  one course in probability and statistics