Summary of CAC+EAC Criteria applicable to BS-CSE programs
(*not official*)

[Terminology: As per EAC guidelines, program educational objectives are statements that describe the accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve in the years following graduation; program outcomes are statements that describe what students are expected to know or be able to do by the time of graduation.]

1. Students (EAC Criterion 1 + CAC Criterion 2):

  1. Must evaluate student performance, advise students regarding program requirements, and curricular & career matters; and monitor student progress to foster success in achieving program outcomes.
  2. Must have and enforce policies for the acceptance of transfer students/transfer credits.
  3. Must have and enforce procedures to assure that all students meet all program requirements.
  4. Courses must be offered with sufficient frequency.
  5. Students must have ample opportunity to interact with instructors.

2. Objectives (EAC C2 + CAC C1):

  1. Must have detailed published educational objectives;
  2. Must have a process based on the needs of the program's constituencies in which the objectives are determined and periodically evaluated;
  3. Must have 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;
  4. Must have a process of ongoing evaluation of the extent to which these objectives are attained, and uses the results to develop and improve the program outcomes so that graduates are better prepared to attain the objectives.

3. Outcomes and Assessment (EAC C3 + CAC C1):
Must have program outcomes that foster attainment of objectives. There must be processes to produce these outcomes and an assessment process, with documented results, that demonstrates that these program outcomes are being measured. There must be evidence that the results of the assessment are applied to effect continuous improvement of the program.

Must demonstrate that students attain:

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
  3. 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
  4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
  7. an ability to communicate effectively
  8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
  9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
  10. a knowledge of contemporary issues
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

4. Curriculum (EAC C4 + CAC C4 + EAC C8): (all hours are quarter-hours; 45 hours = 1 year)
Must include:

  1. 60 hours of computing:
    24 hours of broad-based core (algorithms, data structures, software design, prog. lang. concepts, computer organization/architecture);
    24 hours of advanced topics in CS to provide breadth and builds on the core to provide depth;
    theoretical foundations, problem analysis, and solution design must be stressed in the core;
    students must be exposed to a variety of prog. languages and systems.
  2. 45 hours (at least 22.5 of math, 18 of science) of a combination of math and basic sciences appropriate to discipline;
    math must include discrete math, differential and integral calculus, and prob. & stats;
    science must include the equivalent of a two-semester sequence in a lab science for science/eng. majors;
    additional science (such as social science) hours must be in courses that develop/apply the scientific method.
  3. 67.5 hours (1.5 years) of engineering topics: engineering sciences, basic sciences and computer science necessary to analyze and design electrical and electronic devices, software, and systems containing hardware and software components.
  4. 45 hours of general education (humanities, social sciences, arts and other disciplines to broaden student background);
  5. Capstone design: 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.
  6. Oral communication skills must be developed and applied in the program.
  7. Written communication skills must be developed and applied in the program.
  8. Must include sufficient coverage of social and ethical issues in computing.

5. Faculty (ECA C5 + CAC C3):

  1. Sufficient in number to ensure student-faculty interaction, student advising and counseling, university service, professional development, interaction with industrial and professional practioners, and employees of students.
  2. Sufficient in competencies to cover all curricular areas.
  3. Must ensure proper guidance of the program and to develop and implement processes for evaluation, assessment, and continuing improvement of program.
  4. Must oversee all course work.
  5. Must cover most of the total classroom instruction.
  6. All faculty must remain current.
  7. Must have the technical breadth and depth necessary to support the program.
  8. All faculty must have a level of competence normally obtained through graduate work in CS.
  9. all full-time faculty must have time for sholarly activities and professional development.

6. Labs/Computing facilities (EAC C6 + CAC C5): Classrooms, labs, and equipment must be appropriate and adequate.

7. Institutional Support and Financial Resources (EAC C7 + CAC C7): Must be adequate and appropriate.

8. Institutional facilities (CAC C8): Institutional facilities including the library, other electronic information retrieval systems, computer networks, classrooms, and offices must be adequate to support the program.