[MichaelCrawford]

In the US, it is quite common for just anyone to call themselves a "Software Engineer". This gives one an air of respectability over "Computer Programmer". There is no particular qualification required to call oneself a "Software Engineer" though it would help to read a book like "Learn Java in 21 Days".

My understanding is that in Canada, it is a civil offense to denote yourself as an engineer of any sort unless you have a license. For that reason when I was employed by an industrial control systems firms, none of the computer programmers were called engineers, they were called computer programmers. Our engineers were all the Canadian equivalent of america's Professional Engineers.

I call myself a Software Engineer because I regard my work as being of the required caliber. My degree is in physics and my software expertise is largely self-taught.