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>CS and SWE are really quite different disciplines, as much as say Math is from Physics...perhaps a better analogy is Physics and Civil Engineering. I really a

by cube13 16y ago

>CS and SWE are really quite different disciplines, as much as say Math is from Physics...perhaps a better analogy is Physics and Civil Engineering. I really am not sure about this. Software Engineering really is the process or craft of creating software. Computer Science is the theory behind how computers work. A good SE program should really be teaching more topics on top of a good CS program, because a good theory base can make a huge difference in creating good software. The main problem is that Software Engineering, as a vocation, is just too large to really be taught. A developer that works in scripting languages only doesn't really need to be concerned about specific architectures or even most data structures because they don't really use them. However, a kernel developer needs to know all of that, and be extremely proficient in using those topics for their work. So while a Civil Engineer only needs a subset of all the Physics topics, it's not really possible to do the same with CS and SE.

numbchuckskills 16y ago
I did a Software Engineering degree in Canada and it was opposite to what you describe. SE was all about the theory, computer design, OS architecture etc. while on the flip side, CS students got their hands dirtier with creating software based on theory exposure.
bane 16y ago
I have a feeling that in 10-20 years, SE will split into several independent disciplines. There's quite a bit different in building say, an e-commerce system from hacking code on a robotics kit. Civil engineering is quite different from EE or CE in the same sort of ways. Sure there's some overlap, but they are different disciplines. I'm afraid that schools that haven't even thought about differentiating CS from SE at this date are really doing themselves a disservice and in my opinion shows how little the faculty understands about the applied arts and crafts of modern computing. Again, in my opinion, it's shocking to me every time I hear of a school that doesn't differentiate these disciplines. It's like lumping accounting and math into the same major because "it's all numbers anyway".

by cube13 16y ago

numbchuckskills 16y ago

I did a Software Engineering degree in Canada and it was opposite to what you describe. SE was all about the theory, computer design, OS architecture etc. while on the flip side, CS students got their hands dirtier with creating software based on theory exposure.

bane 16y ago

I have a feeling that in 10-20 years, SE will split into several independent disciplines. There's quite a bit different in building say, an e-commerce system from hacking code on a robotics kit. Civil engineering is quite different from EE or CE in the same sort of ways. Sure there's some overlap, but they are different disciplines. I'm afraid that schools that haven't even thought about differentiating CS from SE at this date are really doing themselves a disservice and in my opinion shows how little the faculty understands about the applied arts and crafts of modern computing. Again, in my opinion, it's shocking to me every time I hear of a school that doesn't differentiate these disciplines. It's like lumping accounting and math into the same major because "it's all numbers anyway".