Someone who has passed 6 or 7 long multiple choice exams relating to microsoft products and networking in general. (though, to my chagrin, the curriculum has been changing lately to remove vital networking concepts, like how TCP/IP works, in favour of concentrating on forcing MCSEs to buy and learn the most recent microsoft products. see Windows 2000 MCSE track and its short short timeline for recertifying - given the caution with which companies have been approaching deploying win2k, it is unlikely that proclaiming Windows 2000 the stand-alone standard is anything more than a marketing ploy aimed to put pressure on companies through their MCSE employees, especially when you see that the NT 3.51 track, which HAS been dead for years and years as a viable option in the marketplace, was only very recently retired. Dorks.) While the designation is of dubious quality in determining whether someone has enough practical experience in run a network, the rigor (to the extent that multiple choice can be rigorous) of the exams themselves guarantees at least that the MCSE possesses theoretical knowledge and significant computer literacy.