Software Engineering for the Liberal Arts Environment

There is a compelling, but unmet need for academic programs in software engineering. We propose the introduction of software engineering as a discipline within liberal arts colleges. Many of the arguments for computer science programs in such environments are even more compelling when advanced in favor of software engineering, so we believe the new discipline is compatible with the philosophy of liberal education. We consider possible benefits to the student, to the college, and to society at large. We exhibit a possible curriculum, based on published recommendations for a B.A. program in computer science, and we address possible objections to such a curriculum.

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