Software Engineering as a Profession: Industry and Academia Working Together
The question of Software Engineering (SE) as a "profession" is really a complex question-several questions in one. There are at least two sets of questions embedded here; one set is related to "profession" and the other set is related to the "maturity" of the practice of SE. DEFINING THE QUESTIONS Two relevant senses of "profession" are confused in this discussion. There is a generic sense of "professional approach to work" seen in the concern to produce the highest quality product, to produce a safe, durable, usable product which meets stakeholder needs. The second sense of "Profession" includes the first sense of profession along with a series of criteria specified by statute. For example, the legal use of the title "Professional Engineer" in the United States requires the practitioner to have completed a prescribed curriculum at an accredited institution, passed tests, completed an apprenticeship, and passed further tests. The end result of this process is a license. From discussions I have heard about SE as a profession, I believe there is another confusion about the question. The question is sometimes interpreted as "Can SE become a profession? Is it capable of becoming a profession?" and the question is sometimes interpreted as "Should SE become a profession?" Some answer the first version of the question by saying, "SE cannot become a profession because it is immature." Some answer the second version of the question by saying "Becoming a profession will freeze technology and not guarantee quality software." The discussion is made clearer by distinguishing the four