SWEBOK Compared to the
University of Ottawa
Undergraduate SE Program
CSEET
March, 2000
Timothy C. Lethbridge
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
1
The U of O program
 Established 1997
Students completing 3rd year now
 Accreditation visit later this year
Informal word is that we are OK
But we will be the first in Canada
 Student feedback about the program:
Not enough programming
Too much high-level analysis and project management
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
2
Overview - First Year
 Engineering computation, software design 1
Problem solving (in an engineering context)
C and Java programming, representation of data
Basic data structures and algorithms
 Intro to electrical and computer engineering
Digital logic and basic circuit concepts
 Calculus 1 & 2, Logic
 Engineering mechanics, chemistry, physics
 Technical report writing
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
3
Overview - Second Year
 Software design 2 and 3
UML, OO analysis, requirements, design principles
Concurrency, client-server, parsing and languages
Basic UI principles
 Data structures and algorithms, file systems
 Computer organization and assembly programming
 Linear algebra, prob. & stats., discrete math
 Economics, business management
 Electives
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
4
Overview - Third Year
 Four SE courses
Large-scale design, basic project mgmt., advanced OO
Distributed computing, UI design, telecom software
 Algorithm analysis, databases, operating systems
 Microprocessor systems, telecommunications
 Professional SE practice
Professional engineering, codes of ethics, important laws
Privacy, right to information, intellectual property
Workplace equity, health (e.g. RSI) and safety
Software’s effects on safety, environment & the economy
Responsibilities when estimating costs, establishing contracts
Resolving ethical dilemmas
 Electives
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
5
Overview - Fourth year
 Three SE courses + full year project
Project management, maintenance, quality engineering
 Computer security
 Real-time systems, e-commerce and other applications
 Technology in society
 Electives
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
6
Coverage of SWEBOK - 1
 SW Requirements
Covered in detail in several courses
Perhaps weak on requirements management
 SW Design
Strong - covered in several courses
 SW Construction
Strong- in several courses
 SW Testing
Strong - in several courses
 SW Maintenance
Strong - dedicated course
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
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Coverage of SWEBOK - 2
 SE Management
Mostly covered
Some aspects may be weak (e.g. close-out)
 SE Process
In several courses
 SW Quality
Dedicated course
 SW Configuration Management
Partial coverage in maintenance and PM courses
 SE Infrastructure
Mostly covered in several courses
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
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Coverage of ‘Related
Disciplines’ - 1
 Based on the March 31, 2000 document
 Computer Science
-- All covered except intelligent systems, graphics, vision,
supercomputing, computational sciences
(There is some overlap with computer engineering and with
cognitive science and human factors)
++ Ethics and professionalism covers more areas than listed
++ Computer security covered in a full course
 Mathematics
Covered in 6 courses
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
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Coverage of ‘Related
Disciplines’ - 2
 Project Management
Covered in one course
 Computer Engineering
-- Most covered except electronics (minimal coverage), controls
(minimal coverage)
Covered in a first, a second and a third-year course
++ Two extra courses in telecommunications theory, systems
and services as a special emphasis of our program
 Systems Engineering
-- Some coverage under other areas
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
10
Coverage of ‘Related
Disciplines’ - 3
 Management and Management Science
-- All except accounting and optimization methods
In one second year course
We formerly also had a compulsory small business
management course
We now have an engineering management option that includes
accounting
 Cognitive Sciences and Human Factors
-- All except AI and computer graphics
In one 3rd year course
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
11
Topics we teach that are not
explicitly in SWEBOK
 Engineering economics
 Technical report writing
 Are these topics not as relevant as the other related
areas?
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
12
Areas of controversy
 Numerical methods
We only give it passing reference
 Control systems
Considered essential by Professional Engineers Ontario
SWEBOK & U. Ottawa SE
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