Wang Institute of Graduate Studies

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The Wang Institute of Graduate Studies was an independent educational institution founded in 1979 by computer entrepreneur An Wang. Its purpose was to provide professional and continuing studies in the nascent field of Software Engineering. It was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in 1983.

The Institute acquired its 200-acre campus from the Marist Brothers who had operated a seminary on the site since 1924. Located in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, it housed two divisions: The School of Information Technology and a fellowship program in East Asian studies.

The Institute never grew beyond a dozen or so faculty, and, facing declining enrollment as well as declining business fortunes, Dr. Wang closed the Institute, graduating the last class on August 27, 1988[1]. The campus was transferred to Boston University where it serves as a corporate education center today.[2]

[edit] Software engineering curriculum

The Institute graduated five classes in its Master of Software Engineering program, requiring study in eleven three-credit courses. Two project courses involved students in team-based analysis, specification, design, implementation, testing, and integration of software products.[3]

The six core courses were:

Course Topics
Computing systems architecture
  • Logical design of computing systems
  • Interaction of major system components
  • Software levels: microcode to operating system
  • Architectural features pertinent to specific design goals
  • Current issues and trends
Applications of formal methods
  • Abstraction techniques
  • Analytical models of software
  • Operational and definitional specifications
  • Verification techniques
  • State-oriented and applicative models of computation
Management concepts
  • Structure of organizations
  • Planning and finance
  • Software contracts
  • Business psychology
  • Group motivation and leadership styles
  • Business tools
Project management
  • Tools and techniques for planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling software projects
  • Managerial structures, policies, and procedures
  • Quantitative tools for project scheduling, cost estimation, and software metrics
  • Work breakdown structures, milestones, and reporting mechanisms
  • Social and psychological aspects of project management
  • Structure of programming teams
Programming methodology
  • Fundamental principles of design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of software products
  • Automated tools and analytic techniques for software development and maintenance
  • Software design methodologies
  • Testing techniques
  • Maintenance considerations
Software engineering
  • Planning and defining a software product
  • Software lifecycle models
  • Documentation and validation of project phases
  • Languages and automated tools for requirements specification
  • Software product acquisition
  • Reuseability of software
  • Project notebooks and program support libraries
  • Configuration management

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ McKeeman, William, "Graduation Talk at Wang Institute," Computer, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 78-80 (1989)
  2. ^ About the Boston University Conference Center
  3. ^ Fairley, Richard and Martin, Nancy. "Software engineering programs at the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies," Proceedings of the 1983 annual conference on Computers (1983)