What is ABET Accreditation and Why Should I Care?

1. What is ABET Accreditation and Why Should I Care? W. J. Wilson Dept of Engineering and PhysicsUniversity of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK 73034 USA Website: www.physics.uco.edu/wwilson Email: wwilson@uco.edu

2. ABET REVIEW (FALL 2007) The Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering Programs were reviewed by ABET during Fall 2007 and received accreditation for 6 years.

3. UCO’s ABET Accredited Programs Accredited under Engineering Physics Program Criteria Engineering Physics – Physics Engineering Physics – Mechanical Systems Engineering Physics – Electrical Systems • Accredited under Biomedical Engineering Criteria • Biomedical Engineering • Instrumentation Option • Premedical Option

4. ABET Accreditation • The UCO Department of Engineering and Physics has two programs that have been accredited by ABET: Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering. • Once every six (6) years, ABET sends a team of evaluators and observers led by a Team Chair, to UCO to evaluate the programs for which UCO applies for accreditation. • In Fall 2007, the engineering programs at UCO were reviewed by ABET and accredited for the first time in Engineering Physics and Biomedical The next accreditation visit is scheduled for 2013-2014 • During the visit, the evaluators and observers for the Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering programs met with faculty and students, toured teaching laboratories, visited classes, and reviewed course materials and assessment data that the faculty had prepared for the visitors to show how the Department helps students acquire specific outcomes to achieve the respective program objectives, and how the Department assesses the achievement of the respective program outcomes and objectives. Program outcomesare abilities that students should possess by the time they graduate. Program objectivesare what graduates are expected to have achieved within a few years (say, five years) after graduation.

5. Importance of Accreditation In the United States, accreditation is used to assure quality in educational institutions and programs. Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process of peer review. It requires an educational institution or program to meet certain defined standards or criteria. Accreditation is sometimes confused with certification. In general, institutions and programs are accredited, and individuals are certified. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a professional accrediting organization that accredits programs, not institutions. Accreditation serves to notify: • parents and prospective students that a program has met professional standards; • faculty, deans and administrators of a program’s strengths and weaknesses and of ways to improve the program; • employers that graduates are prepared to begin professional practice; • taxpayers that their funds are spent well; and • the public that graduates are aware of public health and safety considerations. State licensing boards and certification programs may require graduation from an ABET-accredited program as the first step in the registration or certification process for professional practice. In some instances, ABET accreditation may permit students to receive federal funds in the form of scholarships, loans and grants. Source: www.abet.org

6. Why do I care about ABET accreditation? • ABET audits engineering programs on a regular basis to assure that the program maintains high standards. • In many states, having an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program is required to become a registered professional engineer. • For some jobs and companies, having an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program is required just to be considered for employment.

7. Why is ABET accreditation important? • The accreditation criteria help to define what your degree should provide you • The accreditation criteria help to define what you may market yourself as. • The accreditation process helps your department to continually analyze and improve its courses and curriculum • The accreditation process requires that your voice be heard in evaluating the program • To apply for a position, most companies require graduation from an ABET accredited program

8. What is ABET ? • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology • Organization responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and certifying the quality of engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied science education in the United States. • A federation of 31 professional and technical societies representing over 1.8 million practicing professionals these fields

9. Member Societies (These are the lead organizations) ASEE: American Society of Engineering Educations (General Engineering, Engineering Physics) ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Electrical and Computer Engineering) BMES: Biomedical Engineering Society (Biomedical Engineering)

10. ABET ORGANIZATION EAC Engineering Accreditation Commission 1787 programs at 364 schools TAC Technology Accreditation Commission 670 programs at 226 schools ASAC Applied Science Accreditation Commission 71 programs at 54 schools CAC Computing Accreditation Commission 261 programs at 220 schools

11. Objectives of Accreditation • Assure that graduates of an accredited program are adequately prepared to enter and continue the practice of the engineering profession. • Stimulate the improvement of engineering education. • Encourage new and innovative approaches to engineering education and its assessment. • Identify accredited programs to the public.

12. ABET PHILOSOPHY • Each Institution and Program define their own mission and objectives to meet the needs of their constituents. • Emphasizes outcomes that prepare graduates from the program for entry into professional practice. • Programs must demonstrate how their criteria and educational objectives are being met. • Programs must design processes leading to continuous program improvement. • Programmatic diversity is a strength of engineering education for the U.S. • ABET accredits programs – It does not certify individuals.

13. Current EAC Criteria • Students • Program Educational Objectives • Program Outcomes and Assessment • Professional Component • Faculty • Facilities • Institutional Support • Program Criteria

14. Criterion 1 - Students • Institutions must evaluate, advise, and monitor students. • Institutions must have policies for acceptance of transfer students and validation of transfer courses. • Institutions must have procedures to assure all students meet all program requirements prior to graduation

15. Criteria 2 – Program Educational Objectives Each program must have: • Detailed published educational objectives • Process based on needs of constituencies in which objectives are determined and periodically evaluated • A curriculum and process that assure achievement of the objectives • A system of on-going evaluation that demonstrates achievement of the objectives • Use evaluation results to improve the effectiveness of the program

16. Criterion 3 – Program Outcomes • Programs must demonstrate their graduates have outcomes “a” to “k” • Programs must have an assessment process with documented results • Evidence that the outcomes are being measured • Evidence that the results of the assessment process are applied to the further development and improvement of the program

17. Criterion 4 – Professional Component • Prepare students for professional practice through curriculum culminating in a major design experience • Base on knowledge/skills from earlier work • Incorporating engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints • Two semesters (32 hours) of math and basic sciences • Three semesters (48 hours) of engineering topics • General education component

18. Criterion 5 - Faculty • Sufficient number and competency to cover all curriculum • Sufficient in number to accommodate adequate levels of student-faculty interaction, advising and counseling, service, professional development, and interactions with industrial and professional practitioners and employers. • Ensure proper guidance of the program and its evaluation, development and improvement

19. Criterion 6 - Facilities • Classrooms, laboratories, and associated equipment must be adequate to accomplish program objectives and provide an atmosphere conducive to learning • Provide opportunities to learn the use of modern engineering tools • Infrastructure to support scholarly activities of the students and faculty and the educational objectives of the program

20. Criterion 7 – Institutional Support • Institutional support, financial resources and constructive leadership must be adequate to assure quality and continuity of the program • Attract, retain, and provide for professional development of a well-qualified faculty • Resource to acquire, maintain and operate equipment and facilities • Adequate support personnel • Support of quality improvement efforts

21. Criterions 8 – Program Criteria Depending on the Program it may also have • Special program criteria • Special program educational objectives • Special program outcomes NOTE: Engineering Physics *Mechanical Engineering *Electrical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Program Civil Engineering Industrial Engineering †Computer Engineering Aerospace Engineering . . . May have additional program criteria and outcomes in addition to “a” to ”k”

22. How does a degree program get accredited? • A panel of ABET experts evaluates the program: courses, curriculum, people, and facilities • The degree program must meet General Criteria that apply to all engineering degrees • The program must also meet Program Criteria, which are specific to BME Engineering • The department must demonstrate that it uses a continual process of evaluating the courses and curriculum, and makes changes when needed • The department must even show that it examines and improves its own evaluation process

23. OBJECTIVES vs. OUTCOMES Program Educational Objectives (PEOs): are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishmentsthat the program is preparing its graduates to achieve. (3 to 5 Years after graduation) Program Outcomes are narrower 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 students acquire in their matriculation through the program. (At graduation)

24. Program Outcomes Apply mathematics, science, and engineering Design and conduct experiments (analyze data) Design with realistic constraints Function on multidisciplinary teams Identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems Professional and Ethical Responsibility

25. Program Outcomes (Continued) • Communicate effectively • Impact of engineering solutions in a Global, economic, environmental, and societal context • Life-long learning • contemporary issues • Techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

26. OBJECTIVES vs. OUTCOMES Program Educational Objectives (PEOs): are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishmentsthat the program is preparing its graduates to achieve. (3 to 5 Years after graduation) Program Outcomes are narrower 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 students acquire in their matriculation through the program. (At graduation)

27. Engineering Physics Program Objectives A graduate of the UCO Engineering Physics Program should: • Have the ability to apply knowledge retained from a fundamental education in engineering and physics to solve engineering and technical problems. • Be able to learn and adapt new technologies that arise during their professional careers to solve engineering and technical problems. • Function as a productive engineering professional or successfully enter and complete graduate programs in engineering or physics. • Be prepared to assume a role of technical leadership in which they can set objectives and organize resources to accomplish assigned tasks in the workplace.

28. Biomedical Engineering Program Objectives A graduate of the UCO Biomedical Engineering Program should: • Be able to apply the fundamental principles of physics and mathematics and to adopt appropriate engineering tools to solve engineering problems. • Understand the broad social, ethical, economic and environmental consequences of their work. • Understand the importance of life-long learning and professional development. • Have a background that allows and encourages those who are qualified to pursue advanced technical and professional degrees. • Possess effective communication and team skills.

29. We need your help! • We need your assessment of how much you learn in each course, in specific topic and ability areas. • We ask you to participate in frequent evaluations and surveys. These include course evaluation, focus group, exit survey, and alumni survey. • We need your suggestions for improvement !

30. Mechanical Systems and Electrical Systems Majors Beginning in the 2010-2011 Catalog , these degrees at UCO will have the required curriculum that should allow ABET accreditation under the Mechanical Engineering and an Electrical Engineering Program Criteria. Follow the 2010-2011 Catalog degree requirements to graduate under these degree requirements. In the next general review by ABET at UCO (2013-2014) our plans are to apply for accreditation of these programs as Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.