Creation of an information and communication infrastructure of the digital economy requires specialists capable of initiating, developing, and implementing projects the necessary software products, information resources and technologies. In Russia there is still no scientific specialty exactly named Software Engineering for the training of post-graduate students and doctoral candi-dates. Moreover, such a specialty is missing in the list of scientific specialties on which the degrees of the candidate and the doctor of sciences are defend-ed. The article provides an analysis of the status of Russian higher education in the field of bachelor's and master's training in Software Engineering and related specialties and formulates a proposal to include Software Engineering in the Nomenclature of Specialties of Scientists of the Russian Federation. To solve this problem, it is necessary to organize training for specialists in this area at the third level of higher professional education, namely the training of PhDs - candidates and doctors of sciences - in the field of Software Engineering. The research is partially supported by the grant RFBR 13.15.202.2016.