A Technical History of the SEI

to the colleges’ broader student population. As a result, the National Guard gained highly qualified
systems administrators who could address the survivability and information assurance of their
systems, and additional well-qualified system administrators entered the workforce. The materials
were made available online and had widespread influence. For example, as of 2014 access to the
faculty version of the curriculum was granted to 369 qualified faculty members representing 239
colleges and universities in 43 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and one Canadian province.
Curricula Transition
The SEI approach to curriculum development by engaging the academic community provided a
natural mechanism for transition. In addition, the SEI engaged other established mechanisms for
transition. Faculty development workshops were conducted in conjunction with a Conference on
Software Engineering Education. In a tutorial format, the SEI provided materials and preparation
to faculty members planning to teach software engineering and continued refinement of the model
curriculum. Sponsorship of the conference was eventually transferred to the IEEE, and continues
today as the IEEE Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training. The CSEE led to
the first electronic newsletter for software engineering educators, FASE (Forum for Advancing
Software Engineering Education). The Working Group on Software Engineering Education and
Training was also an outgrowth of the CSEET. The working group met twice yearly between
1995 and 2000, producing a number of education reports and other artifacts.
Another outgrowth of the curriculum project was the development of curriculum modules and educational
materials, which helped to transition the MSE curriculum and support faculty members
who wished to offer software engineering course offerings. This mentoring relationship helped to
transition the MSE curriculum and establish many of the software engineering degree programs
that exist today. More than 50 graduate MSE programs have been created; they produced more
than 700 graduates in 2004 alone [Ardis 2005].
Feedback from the university community suggested that although the model curriculum and supporting
materials were helpful, individual colleges and universities would be more motivated to
begin their own programs if a university of CMU’s stature were to do so as well. The SEI responded
by teaming with the CMU School of Computer Science (SCS) to offer an MSE housed at
the SEI, with the degree being granted by SCS. A unique characteristic of the program was (and is
today) a design studio modeled after the design studios used in architecture. Under the guidance
of a senior faculty member, students undertake realistic design projects offered by industry and
government organizations. The CMU Master of Software Engineering Program [Gibbs 1990] continued
as a joint program for several years, graduating professional engineers who were highly recruited
by industry. The MSE program was eventually transferred to SCS where it continues today.
SEI staff members continue to be involved, serving as studio mentors and occasionally
teaching courses.
When the SEI and SCS joined to create the MSE program, the SEI recognized the opportunity to
increase its support to other universities by videotaping the CMU courses and offering them to
other colleges and universities. The SEI recruited the retiring manager of the IBM Software Engineering
Institute. Recognizing that it was neither practical for SEI people to travel to other universities
nor for university faculty from other universities to spend significant time at the SEI, the
SEI embarked on the construction of a video studio. Courses were taped live with CMU students
in the classroom and provided to other universities. Some universities showed the videos as a
CMU/SEI-2016-SR-027 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 62
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