Strengthening software engineering education through academic industry collaboration

A new software engineering educational model is proposed in order to more efficiently close the gap between industry software engineering needs and academic software engineering education. The model is analogous to the medical school/teaching hospital curriculum model; it is based on academic/industry collaboration using a "Software Center" as the implementation mechanism. The Software Center will provide experiential learning for students, research opportunities for faculty, and cost effective software solutions for industry. The Center was established in the Computer Science Department of Embry-Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Florida in Spring, 1996, the first industrial project is underway. This paper elaborates on the new curriculum model, past experiences with the model and the first industrial project. The project is described in terms of its goals, industry partnership, team organization, procedures and standards and project deliverables.