Engineering is the application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge in order

to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. It
may encompass using insights to conceive, model and scale an appropriate solution to a problem
or objective. The discipline of engineering is extremely broad, and encompasses a range of more
specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of
technology and types of application.
The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD, the predecessor of
ABET)[1] has defined "engineering" as:
The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines,
apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to
construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior
under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation
or safety to life and property.[2][3]
One who practices engineering is called an engineer, and those licensed to do so may have more
formal designations such as Professional Engineer, FAA Designated Engineering Representative,
Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Ingenieur or European Engineer.

Software engineering (SE) is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach

to the design, development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these
approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software.[1][2][3] In layman's terms, it is the
act of using insights to conceive, model and scale a solution to a problem. The first reference to
the term is the 1968 NATO Software Engineering Conference and was meant to provoke thought
regarding the perceived "software crisis" at the time.[4][5][6] Software development, a much used
and more generic term, does not necessarily subsume the engineering paradigm. The generally
accepted concepts of Software Engineering as an engineering discipline have been specified in
the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK). The SWEBOK has
become an internationally accepted standard ISO/IEC TR 19759:2005.[7]
For those who wish to become recognized as professional software engineers, the IEEE offers
two certifications (Certified Software Development Associate and Certified Software
Development Professional). The IEEE certifications do not use the term Engineer in their title for
compatibility reasons. In some parts of the US such as Texas, the use of the term Engineer is
regulated only to those who have a Professional Engineer license. Further, in the United States
starting from 2013, the NCEES Professional Engineer exam will be available for Software
Engineering.[8]