4 Accreditation

ENGINEERING ACCREDITATION                                                                                                

Most countries and provincial or state jurisdictions establish accreditation boards to ensure graduates of engineering programs meet the academic standards and requirements in their respective jurisdictions [11]. Engineers Canada is the national organization formed by the provincial and territorial engineering regulator bodies (the regulators) to act as a national and international voice for the practice of engineering in Canada, and to operate the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) [11]. The CEAB is responsible, on behalf of regulators, for reviewing the undergraduate engineering programs at Canadian Institutions. Graduates of engineering programs accredited by the CEAB meet the academic requirements for licensure of engineering regulatory bodies such as the PEO [11]. The CEAB reviews engineering programs on a regular cycle, at a minimum of every 6 years. CEAB accreditation is also recognized by the Washington Accord (see below).

Detailed information and reports related to Engineers Canada and the CEAB can be found on their respective websites:
1. Engineers Canada
2. Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)

Washington Accord

The Washington Accord was established in 1986, with  Canada as one of the initial signatories.  The Washington Accord is an agreement between different national accreditation bodies that provides recognition of undergraduate (tertiary-level) engineering qualifications within their jurisdictions [12]. The Accord outlines the mutual recognition, between the participating bodies, of accredited engineering degree programs. It also establishes and benchmarks the standard for professional engineering education across those bodies. The goal of the Accord is to work collectively across countries, to assist the mobility of professional engineers [12].

As of 2023, there are 21 signatories and 7 provisional signatories to the Washington Accord.

Signatories

Provisional Signatories

Additional information on the Washington Accord is available on the International Engineering Alliance website.

ACCREDITATION PROCESS                                                                                               

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) assesses engineering programs against a number of qualitative and quantitative criteria.  Example criteria areas that are reviewed include:

• Graduate attributes
• Continuous Improvement
• Students
• Curriculum content
• Program environment
• Additional criteria (e.g. program title)

For more information visit Engineers Canada

Accreditation procedure

1. Initiation and timing of accreditation visit: An accreditation assessment is initiated only at the invitation of an institution and with the consent of the appropriate member of Engineers Canada [13].
2. Selection of visiting team: The Accreditation Board selects a chair for the visiting team; usually, the chair is a member of the Accreditation Board [13].
3. Preparation for accreditation visit: Several months before the date of an accreditation visit, the Accreditation Board Secretariat sends to the institution documentation required for the visit [13].
4. Accreditation visit: An accreditation visit normally spans over three days [13]
   • Interviews with appropriate senior administrative officers (president, dean, and department chairs)
   • Interviews with individuals and groups of faculty members. Evaluates professional attitudes, motivations, morale, and the balance of opinions concerning theoretical and practical elements of the curriculum
   • Interviews with individuals and groups of students,
   • Tours of physical facilities such as laboratories, libraries, and computing facilities to evaluate their effectiveness
   • A review of recent examination papers, laboratory instruction sheets, student transcripts, student reports,  models or equipment constructed by students, and other evidence of student performance.
   • The visiting team meets with the dean and department chairs to review the perceived strengths and weaknesses and to indicate any areas of concern.

For more information visit the Accreditation Criteria and Procedures Handbook

GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES                                                                                                   

Graduate attributes are the high-level qualities expected of a graduate of an accredited Canadian engineering program. The twelve engineering graduate attributes are:

1. A knowledge base for engineering
2. Problem analysis
3. Investigation
4. Design
5. Use of engineering tools
6. Individual and teamwork
7. Communication skills
8. Professionalism
9. Impact of engineering on society and the environment
10. Ethics and equity
11. Economics and project management
12. Life long learning

Engineering programs must:

1. 1. Demonstrate that they assess student performance relative to expected graduate attributes
   2. Have a data-informed curriculum improvement system

To learn more about Graduate Attributes click here

Resources for Engineering Accreditation in Canada                                             

References                                                                                                                      

[11] Engineers Canada, “Accreditation Board.” engineerscanada.ca. https://www.peo.on.ca/about-peo/what-peo/learn-more-about-peo (accessed Aug. 22, 2023)

[12] International Engineering Alliance, “Washington Accord.” ieagreements.org. https://www.ieagreements.org/accords/washington/ (accessed Aug. 22, 2023)

[13] “2020 Accreditation Criteria and Procedures”, Canadian Accreditation Board, Engineers Canada, 2020. Accessed: Aug. 22, 2023 [online]. Available: https://engineerscanada.ca/sites/default/files/accreditation/2021-2022-cycle/accreditation-criteria-procedures-2020.pdf