A Technical History of the SEI

did not list software engineering as a fundamental subject area, the 2001 version identified software
engineering as one of the 14 core areas in the computer science body of knowledge [ACM
2001].
The Working Group on Software Engineering Education and Training was formed in 1995 with
the mission of improving the state of software engineering education and training. The WGSEET
was an ad hoc group of approximately 80 international
professionals from academia, industry, and
government, which was led by the individual who
was the SEI education director from 1991 to 1994
[Bagert 2008]. The WGSEET engaged in an extensive
set of activities in support of undergraduate education.
It developed guidance and support for the development
of undergraduate computing curricula for the
education of software engineering professionals
[Bagert 1999a]; formulated ideas and issues related to
the design and implementation of a curriculum for the
introductory part of a B.S. degree in software engineering
[Hilburn 2003]; interacted with the ACM and
IEEE-CS; provided support for the development of an
undergraduate software engineering curriculum
model; and participated in numerous workshops and
panels at CSEET conferences.
The Consequence: Undergraduate
Software Engineering Programs
Established
The View from Others
The consequence of the SEI’s work
in education—model curricula, degree
programs, accreditation criteria,
and a code of ethics—is really
impressive.
– Dr. Robert L. Cannon,
Distinguished Professor
Emeritus of Computer
Science, University of South
Carolina
Early in my career, I became involved
in the SEI’s Working Group
on Software Engineering Education
and Training via a conference
presentation. The working group
supported the birth and initial maturation
of the undergraduate software
engineering programs offered
in the U.S. by providing a venue for
software engineering educators to
collaborate to provide needed
structure and organization to the
BSSE degree. The working group
has also raised the visibility of software
engineering as a discipline
and the importance of SE education
via conference presentations and
publications.
– Dr. Heidi Ellis, Associate
Professor, Western New
England University
In the past decade, the work of the WGSEET, the
ACM and IEEE-CS, ABET, and the SEI have had a
significant influence on the quantity and quality of
undergraduate software education. ABET established
a Software Engineering Program Criteria and have
since accredited 27 programs under these criteria. The
ACM and IEEE-CS developed the Curriculum Guidelines
for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Software
Engineering (SE 2004) [ACM 2004], which
provides curriculum development and pedagogy
guidelines, a curriculum body of knowledge, example
course descriptions, and curriculum architectures. The
work of the WGSEET was a major influence on SE
2004, and several members of the WGSEET were
part of the ACM/IEEE-CS task force. Other influences
were the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge [Bourque 2004] and an
earlier SEI technical report on the software engineering body of knowledge [Hilburn 1999]. The
ACM and IEEE-CS developed a Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
[ACM 1999], which has influenced both curriculum development and accreditation planning. The
CMU/SEI-2016-SR-027 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 70
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