Software engineering is defined as "the application of a systematic,
disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and
maintenance of software" (IEEE 1991).

Software engineering (SE) being relatively young, it is only recently
that SE undergraduate programs have started to appear.  As a number of
these programs are now producing their first graduates, many are now
applying for "accreditation".

The goal of accreditation of an undergraduate program is to ensure
that the program meets or exceeds educational standards acceptable for
professional practice.  Among the dozen of SE undergraduate programs
which have been accreditated so far, about half of these have been
accreditated by the Computer Science Accreditation Council (CSAC) of
the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), whereas the others
have been accreditated by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board
(CEAB) of the CCPE (Canadian Council of Professional Engineers?).
Such a situation stems from the dual nature of SE, whose roots are in
computer science, but which aims at being an "engineering approach" to
the development of software.

The recent creation of SE undergraduate programs is a sign of the
evolution and maturation of the field of software engineering.  This
evolution can also be seen in various efforts made, in recent years,
toward defining the core body of knowledge for software engineering.
Such efforts have resulted in a better understanding of the goal and
scope of software engineering.

In this talk, we will first give an overview of what is emerging to be
the core body of knowledge for software engineering, showing that
software engineering cannot, at this stage, be divorced from computer
science.  Next, we will present the current criteria used by the CSAC
to accredit software engineering programs. Finally, we will discuss
some concerns regarding the current criteria being considered by CSAC
(based on the better understanding we now have of the core SE body of
knowledge) and which may lead to their revision,