What is the difference between a programmer and a software engineer?

  

Is it necessary to have taken an advanced course to be considered a software engineer?

In Brazil there is no regulation of the profession, which I am supportive, done in the right way, so everyone can do whatever they want.

There are no standards that determine the names of positions, functions or other denominations. It means that everyone calls whatever they want. So it's possible to be anything.

It does not have clearly defined activities of what each job does, even because it is common for the same people to do several of these things. One thing is a real function, another is the position it occupies. If she is a manager, if she programs, it does not matter. It is not a bureaucratic thing that must be followed. It's what makes sense for the work of that team.

That's why I asked in my post there about functions in general, speaking of activities and not of charges. Cargo is only nomenclature. Unless you regulate and precisely define what each job is, what I am against.

In the linked question I did, I hope you have good answers that tell about the activities of each of the functions.

  

Is it possible to be a software engineer without being a programmer?

The role and even the function often has to do with experience, with the ability to perform certain tasks, even if it does not always occur in practice.

  

Does the software engineer still program or is he the project manager run by the programmers?

I "know" first-rate scientist who never programmed, never used a computer. It has a project manager who is more product-oriented and not development-oriented. There are engineers who program everything, others just the basics. Anyone who is good at one thing is not necessarily good at another, something that looks hierarchically above or below.

From this comes the conflict that the bosses find their employees very weak and they think that the bosses do not understand anything. This occurs, but it is less common than people realize. Almost always because of the Dunning-Krugger effect .

To be an engineer requires deep understanding and an engineer's thinking. You need to understand the whole thing very clearly. The programmer has to worry more about the details. In general he should be very good with the lowest level. What I see is that this rarely occurs, the programmer is often only a less qualified person. While the actual engineer (not just a title on paper) usually schedules and well. The real engineer is not just a project engineer, often nothing.

The programmer should be more of a mason or master builder. But in practice what we see is just someone less qualified. The engineer is the former systems analyst. Someone who only plays cake recipes and fills gaps is programmer. For me the programmer has (many) days counted. I think we will still use the term for the brute activity of the software development process.

  

Is it necessary to have taken an advanced course to be considered a software engineer?

Well, to hold the title of Engineer, yes, it is necessary. But knowledge is free, if you study and master enough computing and mathematics, you can work on the role of software engineer in some solution.

  

Does the software engineer still program or is he the project manager run by the programmers?

Engineer is a Technical position, while Manager is a position of Management, have no relation. In my answer I quote this: the software engineer is the guy who uses mathematical skills to develop a program.

Imagine software that simulates DNA sequence calculations. We are not talking about a LOB - Line of Business system, but a program that performs computations with intense processing, only solving mathematical equations. The Software Engineer is the ideal guy to pick up the equations that a biomedical engineer - I think - created and transforms into a program, taking into account all computer and mathematical knowledge in order to create this program with maximum performance and error proof.

The same occurs in the fields of sciences, artificial intelligence, games, etc.

  

Is it possible to be a software engineer without being a programmer?

If you say you have the title - higher education - and not work in the area? Yes, it is possible. But if the professional was dedicated and prepared to perform the function with excellence, I see no reason to give up, after all there was passion involved and etc. But then he had seen another conversation.