Requirements Engineering: a close look at industry needs and a model curricula

Research endeavours in software development have found that failures and deficiencies of software systems are often rooted in the requirements activities undertaken. One possible cause for poor requirements activities is the appropriateness of the education of those engaged with the requirements component of software development. This education is largely based on model curricula used as guidelines. This paper examines the requirements component of model curricula in the disciplines of computer science, information systems and software engineering. These are compared to the opinions of a small but representative group of practitioners, assembled through personal interviews. The results reveal that the model curricula address to a high degree the expectations on the formal education preparing for requirements activities practitioners have mentioned. However, the results also show that practitioners see shortcomings in formal education, particularly with respect to more generic skills, such as communication and team skills.