EC-2000 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs
(Effective for Evaluations during the 2005-2006 Accreditation Cycle )
These criteria are intended to assure quality and to foster the
systematic pursuit of improvement in the quality of engineering
education that satisfies the needs of constituencies in a dynamic and
competitive environment. It is the responsibility of the institution
seeking accreditation of an engineering program to demonstrate clearly
that the program meets the following criteria.
Criterion 1. Students
The quality and performance of the students and graduates are
important considerations in the evaluation of an engineering program.
The institution must evaluate student performance, advise students
regarding curricular and career matters, and monitor student's
progress to foster their success in achieving program outcomes,
thereby enabling them as graduates to attain program objectives.
The institution must have and enforce policies for the acceptance of
transfer students and for the validation of courses taken for credit
elsewhere. The institution must also have and enforce procedures to
assure that all students meet all program requirements.
Criterion 2. Program Educational Objectives
Although institutions may use different terminology, for purposes of
Criterion 2, program educational objectives are broad statements that
describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program
is preparing graduates to achieve.
Each engineering program for which an institution seeks accreditation
or reaccreditation must have in place:
- detailed published educational objectives that are consistent with the
mission of the institution and these criteria
-
a process based on the needs of the program's various constituencies
in which the objectives are determined and periodically evaluated
-
an educational program, including a curriculum that prepares students
to attain program outcomes and that fosters accomplishments of
graduates that are consistent with these objectives
-
a process of ongoing evaluation of the extent to which these
objectives are attained, the result of which shall be used to develop
and improve the program outcomes so that graduates are better prepared
to attain the objectives.
Criterion 3. Program Outcomes and Assessment
Although institutions may use different terminology, for purposes of
Criterion 3, program outcomes are statements that describe what
students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of
graduation. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that
student acquire in their matriculation through the program.
Each program must formulate program outcomes that foster attainment of
the program objectives articulated in satisfaction of Criterion 2 of
these criteria. There must be processes to produce these outcomes and
an assessment process, with documented results, that demonstrates that
these program outcomes are being measured and indicates the degree to
which the outcomes are achieved. There must be evidence that the
results of this assessment process are applied to the further
development of the program.
Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain:
-
an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
-
an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze
and interpret data
-
an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired
needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental,
social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and
sustainability
-
an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
-
an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
-
an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
-
an ability to communicate effectively
-
the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering
solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
-
a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long
learning
-
a knowledge of contemporary issues
-
an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools
necessary for engineering practice.
In addition, an engineering
program must demonstrate that its students attain any additional
outcomes articulated by the program to foster achievement of its
education objectives.
Criterion 4. Professional Component
The professional component requirements specify subject areas
appropriate to engineering but do not prescribe specific courses. The
faculty must ensure that the program curriculum devotes adequate
attention and time to each component, consistent with the outcomes and
objectives of the program and institution. The professional component
must include:
-
one year of a combination of college level mathematics and basic
sciences (some with experimental experience) appropriate to the
discipline
-
one and one-half years of engineering topics, consisting of
engineering sciences and engineering design appropriate to the
student's field of study. The engineering sciences have their roots
in mathematics and basic sciences but carry knowledge further toward
creative application. These studies provide a bridge between
mathematics and basic sciences on the one hand and engineering
practice on the other. Engineering design is the process of devising a
system, component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a
decision-making process (often iterative), in which the basic
sciences, mathematics, and the engineering sciences are applied to
convert resources optimally to meet these stated needs.
-
a general education component that complements the technical content
of the curriculum and is consistent with the program and institution
objectives.
Students must be prepared for engineering practice through the
curriculum culminating in a major design experience based on the
knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating
appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.
Criterion 5. Faculty
The faculty is the heart of any educational program. The faculty must
be of sufficient number; and must have the competencies to cover all
of the curricular areas of the program. There must be sufficient
faculty to accommodate adequate levels of student-faculty interaction,
student advising and counseling, university service activities,
professional development, and interactions with industrial and
professional practitioners, as well as employers of students.
The program faculty must have appropriate qualifications and must have
and demonstrate sufficient authority to ensure the proper guidance of
the program and to develop and implement processes for the evaluation,
assessment, and continuing improvement of the program, its educational
objectives and outcomes. The overall competence of the faculty may be
judged by such factors as education, diversity of backgrounds,
engineering experience, teaching experience, ability to communicate,
enthusiasm for developing more effective programs, level of
scholarship, participation in professional societies, and licensure as
Professional Engineers.
Criterion 6. Facilities
Classrooms, laboratories, and associated equipment must be adequate to
accomplish the program objectives and provide an atmosphere conducive
to learning. Appropriate facilities must be available to foster
faculty-student interaction and to create a climate that encourages
professional development and professional activities. Programs must
provide opportunities for students to learn the use of modern
engineering tools. Computing and information infrastructures must be
in place to support the scholarly activities of the students and
faculty and the educational objectives of the program and institution.
Criterion 7. Institutional Support and Financial Resources
Institutional support, financial resources, and constructive
leadership must be adequate to assure the quality and continuity of
the engineering program. Resources must be sufficient to attract,
retain, and provide for the continued professional development of a
well-qualified faculty. Resources also must be sufficient to acquire,
maintain, and operate facilities and equipment appropriate for the
engineering program. In addition, support personnel and institutional
services must be adequate to meet program needs.
Criterion 8. Program Criteria
Each program must satisfy applicable Program Criteria (if any).
Program Criteria provide the specificity needed for interpretation of
the basic level criteria as applicable to a given
discipline. Requirements stipulated in the Program Criteria are
limited to the areas of curricular topics and faculty
qualifications. If a program, by virtue of its title, becomes subject
to two or more sets of Program Criteria, then that program must
satisfy each set of Program Criteria; however, overlapping
requirements need to be satisfied only once.
Program criteria for electrical, computer, and similarly named
engineering programs:
- Curriculum:
The structure of the curriculum must provide both breadth and depth
across the range of engineering topics implied by the title of the
program. The program must demonstrate that graduates have: knowledge
of probability and statistics, including applications appropriate to
the program name and objectives; and knowledge of mathematics through
differential and integral calculus, basic sciences, computer science,
and engineering sciences necessary to analyze and design complex
electrical and electronic devices, software, and systems containing
hardware and software components, as appropriate to program
objectives.
-
Programs containing the modifier "computer" in the title must also
demonstrate that graduates have a knowledge of discrete mathematics.
Last modified: Fri Feb 17 14:54:27 EST 2006