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Iron Ring

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191–194 of 194 posts

Re: Iron Ring

#192
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also got a BS in MechE, then got a job as a software engineer, so now my girlfriend wears my ethics ring. I guess we're exempt from programming morally!

It is illegal to wear the ring in any fashion if you are not a practicing engineer (as you should have been told when you were obligated).

I should clarify: I attended a US university, so we didn't partake in the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. Rather, we participated in a similar ceremony for an organization called the Order of the Engineer. The Wikipedia entry on the Order of the Engineer alludes to what you're saying though; it mentions that they tried to bring the Canadian ritual to the US but experienced legal troubles including some related to copyright.

Re: Iron Ring

#193
post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is what my friends in Software Engineering reported. What do they actually learn?

In regards to Rational Rose, maybe you're friends missed the point that they learned software analysis and design, and that instead of waterfall process, they learned software development methodologies. At least, that is what I learned from SE. But I must admit I haven't studied the curriculum of a CS program. Am I wrong to say you can do it in 3 years while SE is 4 years? If we could study a few programs from a few…

I had a very good mix of science in CEGEP that, say, a software engineer from ETS completely missed.

I think that a lot of what you learn in the SE curriculum can be learnt (and probably is better learnt) on the job, as opposed to the very theoretical courses in a CS curriculum that a) cannot be learnt easily by one's self or on the job and b) will last a lifetime.

In 2006-7, it would have been much more useful nowadays for someone to learn about machine learning in an AI class than about rational rose and the waterfall process, and I suspect the same applies now in the CS vs SE debate, except with updated technologies.

Re: Iron Ring

#194
post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In regards to Rational Rose, maybe you're friends missed the point that they learned software analysis and design, and that instead of waterfall process, they learned software development methodologies. At least, that is what I learned from SE. But I must admit I haven't studied the curriculum of a CS program. Am I wrong to say you can do it in 3 years while SE is 4 years? If we could study a few programs from a few…

I had a very good mix of science in CEGEP that, say, a software engineer from ETS completely missed. I think that a lot of what you learn in the SE curriculum can be learnt (and probably is better learnt) on the job, as opposed to the very theoretical courses in a CS curriculum that a) cannot be learnt easily by one's self or on the job and b) will last a lifetime. In 2006-7, it would have been much more useful nowad…

You obvisouly don't know what is taught in SE. Let's take McGill as an example (from http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/academic/undergrad/programs/science-...)

CS: This program is the standard Major program offered by the School of Computer Science. It provides a broad introduction to the principles of computer science and offers ample opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of several sub-disciplines. At the same time, its credit requirements allow students to take an additional minor.

SE: This program provides a broad introduction to the principles of computer science and covers in depth the design and development of software systems.

For example, I recall that my SE program had some common courses with other engineering branches (ethics and technology, entrepreneurship, communication, finances for project manager), which were common to all engineering disciplines.

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