Has computer architecture exceeded its teach-by date?

Computer architecture, a subject area that was once one of the pillars of computer science, is under attack from those who argue that it has outlived its usefulness and could be omitted from the curriculum. Although course-validating bodies continue to regard computer architecture as a core subject, pressure is increasing within some CS departments to downgrade it to make room for new material such as netcentric and web-based computing, and multimedia-based disciplines. This paper examines the issues surrounding the birth, life, and death of this core topic, and explores alternative futures for computer architecture; that is, downgrading, incorporation of its key features in to other parts of the curriculum, and metamorphosis into a new area that better reflects the current state of computing. We concentrate on the notion of metamorphosis and examine how the computer architecture curriculum can be modified to give students a better overview of the relationship between hardware and software; to underpin key concepts in computer science; and to provide a background for students on programs that emphasize some of the more modern offshoots of computer science such as multimedia