Computer science accreditation and the curriculum: a delicate partnership

The computer science accreditation standards developed jointly by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society are now in use. Computer science curriculum standards, developed separately by ACM in 1978 (and revised at the introductory level in 1984) and by the IEEE Computer Society in 1983, can play an important role in the accreditation process. The author examines the essentially complementary relationship that must be maintained between these two types of standards. Their different purposes in the broad scope of computer science education are examined. The potential impact of future curriculum standard development on the accreditation standard, and vice-versa, is also explored.<>