Undergraduate software engineering education: the body of knowledge, existing programs and accreditation

The software engineering body of knowledge being developed by the Software Engineering Institute is examined. In particular, the curricular recommendations for an undergraduate degree program as put forward by the Working Group on Software Engineering Education and Training are considered. Five undergraduate degree programs from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are then compared to the recommended curricula and each other. Accreditation requirements are discussed, and several likely candidates for accreditation are identified among the programs surveyed. Finally, some likely ways in which this area will develop over the next several years are considered.