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Mastering Software Management at CMU


Academic program bridges IT, business

By Alan Zeichick
May 1, 2007 — 
The old military building that Carnegie Mellon University calls its Mountain View, Calif., campus is dwarfed by a nearby zeppelin hanger. But the building, housed in the Moffett Federal Airfield, formerly a naval air station and currently operated by NASA, northwest of San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley, offers one of the most modern educational programs: the new Masters of Science in Software Management.

Carnegie Mellon, based in Pittsburgh, has been offering courses in Northern California since 2002. The cornerstone of the small, 150-student extension campus, formally called Carnegie Mellon West, has been its traditional Masters of Computer Engineering course. However, CMU says that the new Masters of Software Management program, which launches this fall, is one of the first programs of its sort in the world.

The intent of the program, explained Diane Dimeff, associate dean, is to serve working software professionals. “We talked to hiring managers and executives in Silicon Valley,” she said. “We want techies who can talk to executives, marketing professionals and financial experts. We want them to think like executives, marketing professionals and financial experts.” In other words, groom the next generation of business leaders, who can apply computer science and software development both for entrepreneurial startups and Silicon Valley’s largest behemoths.

To be part of the Masters in Software Management program, the prerequisite is that students already be working as software engineers, project managers or as senior software developers or software architects. In many ways, the new program can be thought of as a specialized Masters of Business Administration program for software managers. It’s not a true MBA, since it doesn’t have the classic foundation in finance and other hard-core business fundamentals, but it’s focused on business. In class, said Jim Morris, professor of computer science and dean at Carnegie Mellon West, it’s all about software engineering in a business context.

The Masters of Software Management course is also less expensive than an MBA program. Tuition runs about US$60,000 for the two-year, six-semester program. By contrast, Dimeff said, a typical MBA program from a top university can cost between $70,000 and $120,000. CMU’s Masters of Software Engineering program costs $55,000, she added. Fellowships and financial aid are available.

The course is entirely project-based, explained Martin Griss, associate dean for the program. Students, who meet weekly, team up in groups to simulate working for software companies, making reports for executive committees, making recommendations on methodologies, researching outsourcing programs, making business plans, handling patents and inventions. “You can be excellent in software, but for this program you have to be more. You have to be excellent as a software businessperson,” he said.

“There’s a tremendous need for people who can face this type of organizational challenge,” Morris added. “It’s perfect for career acceleration.” CMU hopes for about 50 students to take part in the first year’s program, with about one-third coming from outside the Bay Area.

The Masters of Software Management program director is Tony Wasserman, formerly vice president of middleware maker Bluestone Software, and then director of the Mobile Middleware Labs for Hewlett-Packard.

The Masters of Software Management program is taking applications through June 1.


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