The Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) represents the comprehensive collection of knowledge, skills, techniques, and best practices within the field of software engineering. Its definitive guide, the SWEBOK Guide, is an ISO/IEC standard (originally recognized as ISO/IEC TR 19759:2005) published freely by the IEEE Computer Society. This essential resource, developed through extensive cooperation, outlines fundamental knowledge areas such as software requirements, design, testing, and maintenance, encompassing the discipline's evolution over decades.

An updated version, SWEBOK V3, was approved in late 2013, listing 15 key knowledge areas. Following an "Evolution" effort initiated in 2016, a further iteration, SWEBOK Guide version 4, was published in October 2024. Primarily intended to define the knowledge practitioners should possess after four years of experience, the SWEBOK Guide serves as a vital professional framework, distinguishing itself from curricula aimed at undergraduate students.