The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has successfully received full accreditation of all six of its undergraduate programs to June 30, 2023.

The faculty receives accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), the national accrediting body of Engineers Canada for Canada’s engineering education system.

With recent changes to the accreditation system, in 2017 the faculty received accreditation to June 2020 with a report required in June 2019 to demonstrate progress on graduate attributes and continual improvement processes. Recently this report was approved by CEAB and the overall outcome was a full six-year accreditation to 2023 for all six programs.

Graduate attributes and continual improvement requirements were new elements added in the accreditation system. It was the first time the faculty was assessed using this new accreditation model.

National standards

“The new elements of the accreditation process required a significant effort to track the development of graduate attributes throughout the curriculum, align these attributes with learning outcomes and indicators and establish processes of continual improvement that use feedback from various stakeholders, including students and employers,” said Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

“We created a deputy head in each department to help manage these new accreditation requirements.”

Accredited programs demonstrate the academic requirements for licensure as a professional engineer in Canada. The accreditation board sets the national standards for engineering education. Memorial’s engineering programs have been accredited continuously since 1975.

Regular accreditation also means that programs continue to meet the highest standards necessary for graduates of such programs to become licensed and employable all over the world and in countries with different engineering regulatory bodies.

Rigorous standards

For the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, accreditation has made programs more desirable to students.

Accredited programs coupled with a unique co-operative education model that provides hands-on learning experiences make graduates of the program exceptionally skilled and sought after by employers.

The accreditation outcome is also important internally. An accreditation process not only focuses on the quality of programs but also on morale, the commitment and dedication of faculty, administrative and technical staff and their ability to foster an excellent working environment.

“Special thanks to Prof. Andy Fisher, former associate dean, undergraduate studies, and all the engineering faculty and staff for their important contributions toward our collective success,” said Dr. Naterer.

“The recent CEAB accreditation decision confirms the rigorous quality standards, exceptional student-learning experience and high calibre of our undergraduate programs.”