02/13/2007

As globalization, outsourcing, and world-flattening advances in technology continue to rock the discipline of software engineering, Carnegie Mellon West today announced its Master of Science (MS) program in Software Management. Offered as a part-time program, the unique, pragmatic, inter-disciplinary curriculum addresses these and other trends essential to preparing leaders for the challenges facing software organizations in the 21st century.

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“The rise of the global economy has shifted the emphasis of software engineering,” said James Morris, dean of Carnegie Mellon West. “Our students – and their employers – want a curriculum that more accurately and fully addresses the business issues of software. This technical, business, and organizational cross-training gives our students the perspective and contextual understanding they need to see and seize opportunities in the global market.”

Developing future software leaders, the new Carnegie Mellon West program offers students a hands-on, team-oriented education that both bolsters and breaks with tradition. In its technical components, the program builds upon the rich heritage of Carnegie Mellon’s software engineering curriculum. In its business and organizational components, however, Carnegie Mellon West breaks with tradition by giving students the broader perspective needed to collaborate with and lead the global, distributed teams that are defining next-generation software organizations. Graduates enjoy accelerated career advancement and a master's degree from one of the world's top engineering schools.

Ray Lane, general partner of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, said, “I can't overstate the importance of the direction Carnegie Mellon West is taking its new MS program. The software management program aligns with the changing employment demands of typical software companies, where the business of software and the management of development teams are becoming paramount to success.”

“Taking my career to the next level requires an understanding of software business issues that transcend engineering,” explained Jaroslaw Wilkiewicz, a senior software engineer at BEA Systems planning to enter the Carnegie Mellon West program in the fall. “I was looking for a graduate program that integrates advanced technical education in software engineering with management courses offered by a top-tier university. That's exactly what I found at Carnegie Mellon West.”

Software Engineering's State of Transition

Today, companies can reach across the globe to tap the world's best software engineering talent, regardless of where those engineers reside. For many, the emergence of a readily accessible, global pool of engineers competing for the same positions raises concerns about job security, stability, and sustainable competitive advantage. Meanwhile, enterprises face a shortage of software management leaders capable of managing distributed and remote teams that can be working on offshore projects from anywhere in the world.

“Globalization and outsourcing are facts of life,” said Martin Griss, associate dean of education at Carnegie Mellon West. “They're not good or bad. Our educational system simply has to recognize these facts and fold them into the curriculum. Overall, the system is evolving to reflect our new, global reality. The goal of Carnegie Mellon West is to lead that evolution, helping to ensure that organizations have access to technology education that will help them thrive today and tomorrow.”

Inside the Inter-disciplinary Offerings

For its part, Carnegie Mellon West has entered the 21st century by supplementing its established MS in Software Engineering program with the new MS in Software Management program. While the software engineering degree prepares graduates for positions as senior software engineers, architects, technical project leads, and software development managers, the software management degree is for students pursuing careers as program managers, product managers, directors of software development, and software executives. Over a six-semester (two-year) period, students in the software management program learn strategies for developing and delivering software products and services.