Software engineering programs are not computer science programs (Reprinted from Annals of Software Engineering, vol 6, pg 19, 1999)

Software Engineering programs have become a source of contention in many universities. Computer Science departments, many of which have used that phrase to describe individual courses for decades, claim SE as part of their discipline. Yet some engineering faculties claim it as a new specialty among the engineering disciplines. This article discusses the differences between traditional CS programs and most engineering programs, and argues that we need SE programs that follow the traditional engineering approach to professional education.