Information engineering:: a new curriculum intersecting computer science and electrical engineering

In German universities, a gap exists between Informatik (computer science) and Technische Informatik (computer engineering), mostly due to historical reasons: informatik (the term German term is used to be precise, since it is a German phenomenon) is dominated by mathematically oriented teachers, whereas technische informatik by electrical engineers, and consequently often education, is undertaken in separate departments. To achieve a more integrated knowledge, the Department of Communication Engineering at the Fachhochschule Koln, - University of Applied Sciences Koln, Koln, Germany, constructed a new curriculum for technical software designers, which teaches knowledge and abilities in both the technical subjects from the electrical and communication field, as well as from software science. This paper shows, utilising examples from modem communication and embedded computer systems, the needs for an integrated course. Afterwards, this course, which is divided into bachelor and master parts, is presented in detail, as well as its practical orientation.