Do Away with the Frankensteinian Programs! A Proposal for a Genuine SE Education

Abstract

It is widely accepted by now that the discipline of Software Engineering is distinct from both Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and that it requires bespoke higher education programs. In this paper, we argue that previous attempts at designing such programs have often failed to fully account for three essential characteristics of the discipline. We propose a design philosophy for undergraduate Software Engineering programs addressing these particularities and outline a corresponding program. Incorporating this philosophy would make Generation Alpha the first generation to receive a genuine Software Engineering education.