Integrated Software and Systems Engineering Curriculum

1
Integrated Software and Systems Engineering
Curriculum
A Graduate Software Engineering Reference
Curriculum (GSwERC) The Current State of SE
Masters Degree Programs

• Dr. Richard Turner
• Kahina LasferStevens Institute of Technology
• April 2008
• rturner_at_stevens.edu

2
Background

• Software drives the performance of virtually all
  major systems.
• Being able to produce software that can be
  trusted as reliable, secure, safe, correct, and
  available while being delivered on-time and
  within budget is a major challenge for both the
  government and industry.
• Many steps must be taken to meet that challenge -
  including ensuring our workforce is well educated
  in software engineering (SWE) principles and
  practices.
• Yet, the last effort to create a reference
  curriculum for graduate software engineering
  education was by the SEI in the early 1990s.

Now creating new reference curriculum.
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Our Approach Where We Are Today

• Understand the current state of SWE graduate
  education (November 30, 2007)
• Create GSwERC 0.25 with a small team, suitable
  for limited review (February 2008)
• Publicize effort through conferences, papers,
  website, etc. (continuous)
• Obtain endorsement from ACM, IEEE, INCOSE, NDIA,
  and other professional organizations (continuous)
• Create GSwERC 0.50 suitable for broad community
  review and early adoption (Summer 2008)
• Create GSwERC 1.0 suitable for broad adoption
  (2009)

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The Early Start Team

• Rick Adcock, Cranfield University and INCOSE
• Edward Alef, General Motors
• Bruce Amato, Department of Defense
• Mark Ardis, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Larry Bernstein, Stevens Institute of Technology
• Barry Boehm, University of Southern California
• Pierre Bourque, Quebec University and SWEBOK
  
• volunteer
• John Bracket, Boston University
• Murray Cantor, IBM
• Lillian Cassel, Villanova and ACM volunteer
• Robert Edson, ANSER
• Dennis Frailey, Raytheon Southern Methodist
  University
• Gary Hafen, Lockheed Martin and NDIA
• Thomas Hilburn, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
  University
• Greg Hislop, Drexel University and IEEE volunteer
  

• Philippe Kruchten, University of British Columbia
  
• James McDonald, Monmouth University
• Ernest McDuffie, National Coordination Office for
  NITRD
• Bret Michael, Naval Postgraduate School
• William Milam, Ford
• Fernando Naveda, RIT and IEEE volunteer
• Ken Nidiffer, SEI
• Art Pyster, Stevens Institute of Technology
• Paul Robitaille, Lockheed Martin and INCOSE
• Doug Schmidt, Vanderbilt
• Mary Shaw, Carnegie Mellon University
• Ann E Sobel, Miami university and IEEE volunteer
• Robert Suritis, IBM
• Richard Thayer, California State University at
  Sacramento
• Richard Turner, Stevens Institute of Technology
• Joseph Urban, National Science Foundation
  observer
• Ricardo Valerdi, MIT INCOSE
• Osmo Vikman, Nokia, Finland
• David Weiss, Avaya

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Methodology to Understand Current State

• Diverse set of universities with Masters programs
  in SWE
• Vary in size, geography, maturity, resources,
  target market,
• Focused on programs with degree in SWE or
  Computer Science with a SWE specialization - not
  degrees in information technology and related
  areas
• Used Software Engineering Body of Knowledge
  (SWEBOK) as the primary framework for SWE
  competencies
• Collected data from school websites
• Degree, faculty size, student population, target
  market,
• Degree structure, individual course descriptions
• Map between courses and SWEBOK
• Validated data with one or more professors from
  each school
• Analyzed for commonalities and uniqueness

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Schools Studied

• Naval Postgraduate School
• Penn State University Great Valley
• Quebec University (Canada)
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Seattle University
• Southern Methodist University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Texas Tech University
• University of Alabama Huntsville
• University of Maryland University College
• University of Michigan Dearborn
• University of Southern California
• University of York (UK)
• Villanova University

• Air Force Institute of Technology
• Brandeis University
• California State University Fullerton
• California State University Sacramento
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Carnegie Mellon University West
• DePaul University
• Drexel University
• Dublin City University (Ireland)
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• George Mason University
• James Madison University
• Mercer University
• Monmouth University

Non-US Schools
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Observations from 28 Schools

• SWE is largely viewed as a specialization of
  Computer Science - much as systems engineering
  was often viewed as specialization of industrial
  engineering or operations research years ago
• Faculty size is small - few dedicated SWE
  professors, making programs relatively brittle
• Student enrollments are generally small compared
  to CS and to other engineering disciplines
• Many programs specialize to specific markets such
  as defense systems or safety critical systems
• The target student population varies widely -
  anyone with Bachelors and B average to someone
  with CS degree and 2 years of experience
• Online course delivery is popular

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More Observations

• Objective for graduates vary widely - software
  developer to researcher to software manager
• Wide variation in depth and breadth of SWEBOK
  coverage in required and semi-required courses
• Many programs have required or semi-required
  courses that cover material that is either not in
  the SWEBOK at all or is not emphasized in the
  SWEBOK
• Some significant topics are rarely mentioned -
  agility, software engineering economics, systems
  engineering
• Some topics are ubiquitous - formal methods and
  architecture
• Object-oriented is the standard development
  paradigm - creating a clash with many systems
  engineering programs that emphasize structured
  methods

A student has a 50 or greater probability of
taking a semi-required course.
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Programs Have Diverse Focuses

• Embedded real-time systems
• Entrepreneurial technology companies
• Quantitative software engineering
• Software economics
• Safety critical systems
• Development of defense systems
• Acquisition of defense systems
• Secure software engineering
• Highly dependable software systems

No focus dominated
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Differing Entrance Requirements
Many programs routinely waive academic
requirements for students with industrial
experience
Most programs offer leveling courses for students
lacking entrance requirements
Programs
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Number of Full-time and Adjunct Faculty

• Many software engineering faculty also teach
  computer science
• Heavy dependence on adjunct faculty
• Most faculty have industry experience

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Number of Students Currently Enrolled
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Percentage of Courses are Required

• On average, students take 11.6 courses for the
  degree of which 8.3 are required.
• For 43 of the programs, this includes a required
  thesis, project or practicum, which is normally
  the equivalent of 2 or 3 courses.

• Required Student must take the course
• Semi-Required 50 or more probability that
  course will be taken

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SWEBOK Coverage in Required and Semi-Required
Courses

• 0 No coverage of topic
• 1 Some coverage but no dedicated course
• 2 One dedicated course
• 3 Two or more dedicated courses

sample

• Required Student must take the course
• Semi-Required 50 or more probability that
  course will be taken

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Individual SWEBOK Coverage in Required and
Semi-Required Courses
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Composite SWEBOK Coverage in Required and
Semi-Required Courses

• No consistency in coverage across programs
• Requirements, design, and management are best
  covered
• Maintenance, configuration management, quality,
  and tools are least covered

of Programs with one or more dedicated courses
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The Approach Create GSwERC 0.25

• Understand the current state of SWE graduate
  education (November 30, 2007)
• Create GSwERC 0.25 with a small team, suitable
  for limited review (February 2008)
• Publicize effort through conferences, papers,
  website, etc. (continuous)
• Obtain endorsement from ACM, IEEE, INCOSE, NDIA,
  and other professional organizations (continuous)
• Create GSwERC 0.50 suitable for broad community
  review and early adoption (Summer 2008)
• Create GSwERC 1.0 suitable for broad adoption
  (2009)

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Selected Guidance for GSwERC Project (1)

• The principle purpose of GSwERC will be to
  provide a framework for development and
  improvement of curricula that provide software
  engineering education at the masters degree
  level.
• The masters degree described by GSwERC will be a
  professional degree targeting practicing software
  engineers. Nevertheless, with slight
  modification, GSwERC will serve as the foundation
  for those with a research interest who ultimately
  seek a doctoral degree.
• Software Engineering draws its foundations from a
  wide variety of disciplines.
• All software engineering students must learn to
  integrate theory and practice.
• The rapid evolution and the professional nature
  of software engineering require an ongoing review
  of the corresponding curriculum

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Selected Guidance for GSwERC Project (2)

• GSwERC will go beyond knowledge elements to offer
  significant guidance in terms of individual
  curriculum components.
• GSwERC will support the identification of the
  fundamental skills and knowledge that all
  graduates of a masters degree program in software
  engineering must possess.
• GSwERC will be international in scope.
• GSwERC will include exposure to aspects of
  professional practice as an integral component of
  the graduate curriculum.
• GSwERC will identify prerequisite requirements
  for students to enter a masters program in
  software engineering

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Expectations at Entry

• The equivalent of an undergraduate degree in
  computing or an undergraduate degree in an
  engineering or scientific field and a minor in
  computing. The GSwERC Body of Knowledge more
  completely defines the expected prerequisite
  knowledge, and
• The equivalent of an introductory course in
  software engineering, and
• At least one year of practical experience in some
  aspect of software engineering or software
  development

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Expectations at Graduation (1)

• 1. Show mastery of the software engineering
  knowledge and skills, and professional issues
  necessary to practice as a software engineer in a
  variety of application domains with demonstrated
  performance in at least one application domain.
• 2. Understand the relationship between software
  engineering and systems engineering and be able
  to apply systems engineering principles and
  practices in the engineering of software.
• 3. Show mastery of software engineering in at
  least one specialty such as embedded devices,
  safety critical systems, highly distributed
  systems, software engineering economics, or one
  of the knowledge areas of the GSwERC Body of
  Knowledge.
• Work effectively as part of a team, including
  teams that may be international and
  geographically distributed, to develop quality
  software artifacts, and to lead in one area of
  project development, such as project management,
  requirements analysis, architecture,
  construction, or quality assurance.

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Expectations at Graduation (2)

• 5. Reconcile conflicting project objectives,
  finding acceptable compromises within limitations
  of cost, time, knowledge, existing systems, and
  organizations.
• 6. Design appropriate software engineering
  solutions that address ethical, social, legal,
  and economic concerns.
• 7. Understand and appreciate the importance of
  feasibility analysis, negotiation, effective work
  habits, leadership, and good communication with
  stakeholders in a typical software development
  environment.
• 8. Learn new models, techniques, and technologies
  as they emerge, and appreciate the necessity of
  such continuing professional development.
• Analyze a current significant software
  technology, be able to articulate its strengths
  and weaknesses, and be able to specify and
  promote improvements or extensions to that
  technology.

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Curriculum Architecture
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Courses Cut Across Boundaries
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A Program Track
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Slice of the Body of Knowledge
Bloom of Hours Hours
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Comparison of Four Real Masters Programs
Scale 1 does not implement at all, 5 fully
implements
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Reminder Where We Are Today

• Understand the current state of SWE graduate
  education (November 30, 2007)
• Create GSwERC 0.25 with a small team, suitable
  for limited review (February 2008)
• Publicize effort through conferences, papers,
  website, etc. (continuous)
• Obtain endorsement from ACM, IEEE, INCOSE, NDIA,
  and other professional organizations (continuous)
• Create GSwERC 0.50 suitable for broad community
  review and early adoption (Summer 2008)
• Create GSwERC 1.0 suitable for broad adoption
  (2009)

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Contacts Rich Turner, rturner_at_Stevens.edu Art
Pyster, art.pyster_at_Stevens.edu
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Backups
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Programs Prepare Graduates for Diverse Roles
Most programs prepare students to be practicing
software engineers. Two prepare students to
acquire software. Several prepare students to
manage teams of software engineers or to be
researchers.

• Develop and modify large, complex software
  systems
• Be an effective member of software development
  team
• Procure highly dependable, trustworthy
  software-intensive systems
• Understand and apply advanced SWE principles
  vital to industry
• Realize software products on time, within budget
  and with known quality
• Provide industrial leadership as a software
  engineer
• Prepare students for research
• Prepare students to be software engineers and
  software process managers in industry and
  government
• Develop future chief engineers, head designers,
  principal technical officers
• Provide software development professional with a
  sound educational basis for their work, and an
  opportunity to broaden skills

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Department or School in which Degree is Offered

• School of Systems and Enterprises (Stevens)
• Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  (AFIT, Drexel, Mercer)
• Dept. of Engineering and Information Science
  (Penn State Great Valley)
• Dept. of Information and Technology Systems
  (University of Maryland University College)
• Division of Professional Studies (Brandeis)

Department or school names may vary slightly,
but are close to software engineering or
computer science
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Degree Offered

• MSE Master of Software Engineering
• MS in SWE Master of Science in Software
  Engineering
• MS in CS (SWE spec.) Master of Science in
  Computer Science with specialization in Software
  Engineering
• MS in IT (SWE spec.) - Master of Science in
  Information Technology with specialization in
  Software Engineering

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Year that Program Started
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Some Novel Required Semi-Required Courses

• Reverse Engineering (Drexel)
• Software Evolution and Re-engineering (Rochester)
• Software Documentation (Penn State Great Valley)
• Software Risk Assessment in DoD (NPS)
• Refactoring (Mercer)
• Structured Document Interchange and Processing
  (DePaul)
• Avoiding Software Project Failures (Carnegie
  Mellon West)
• Mathematical Foundations of Software Engineering
  (Monmouth)
• Global Software Development (Carnegie Mellon)

• Management of Outsourced Development (Carnegie
  Mellon West)
• Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues for
  Software Engineers (Cal. State Univ. Fullerton)
• Managing Software Professionals (Carnegie Mellon
  West)
• Lean Agile Software Processes (Mercer)
• Artificial Intelligence (Michigan - Dearborn)
• Software Engineering Economics (GMU, USC)
• Computer Game Design Implementation (Michigan -
  Dearborn)
• Service Oriented Architecture (Dublin City)

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Special Emphasis Required and Semi-Required
Courses
HCI Human Computer Interfaces, Graphics
Visualization ALG Algorithms DBMS Databases
Information Management SS Safety
Security NET Networks, Internet Distributed
Systems
OS Operating Systems Middleware HW Hardware
Computer Engineering RES Research
Experimental Methods RTES Real-time Embedded
Systems
Programs
Shown are 9 categories with required or
semi-required courses in at least 10 of the
programs
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SWEBOK Coverage in Introductory Course(s)

• 0 No coverage of topic
• 1 Some coverage of topic
• 2 Significant coverage of topic

sample

• Only 39 of the programs offer an introductory
  course
• Most common reason for not offering course
  expect students to have industrial experience
  before entering program

Introductory / Foundation level course in
Software Engineering, as indicated in Course
Title or Description
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Individual SWEBOK Coverage in Introductory
Course(s)
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Composite SWEBOK Coverage in Introductory
Course(s)

• Reasonable consistency in coverage across
  programs that offer an introductory course
• Requirements and design are best covered
• Tools and quality are least covered

of Programs with coverage