Identifying Obstacles to Master’s Level ABET EAC Accreditation

Norb Delatte; Camilla Saviz; Audra Morse; Brock Barry

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Civil Engineering Division ASCE Liaison Committee - Accreditation and Curriculums - What Changes Are Occurring?
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--40502
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/40502
Download Count: 359

Paper Authors

biography

Norb Delatte Oklahoma State University

visit author page

Dr. Norbert J. Delatte, Jr., P.E., is the M.R. Lohmann Endowed Professor of Engineering and the Head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Delatte is the author of Beyond Failure: Forensic Case Studies for Civil Engineers (ASCE Press, 2009) and Concrete Pavement Design, Construction, and Performance, 2nd Edition (Taylor and Francis, 2014).
In addition, he is the Editor of ASCE’s Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities. Dr. Delatte is a registered professional engineer in the States of Ohio and Alabama and in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

visit author page

biography

Camilla Saviz University of the Pacific

visit author page

Camilla Saviz is Professor and Chair of the Civil Engineering Department at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA where she has happily taught since 1999. She received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis in the area of hydrodynamic and water quality modeling. She is a registered Professional Engineer (California), an Envision Sustainability Professional, was elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2017, and was honored to receive the Thomas A. Lenox ASCE ExCEEd Leadership Award in 2020. Her teaching, research, and professional interests include water resources engineering, sustainability, and engineering education.

visit author page

biography

Audra Morse Michigan Technological University

visit author page

Audra Morse, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE is Professor and Chair of the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Department at Michigan Technological University.

visit author page

biography

Brock Barry United States Military Academy

visit author page

Dr. Brock E. Barry is the Director of Civil Engineering and Professor of Engineering Education in the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy, West Point where he has been part of the faculty since 2009. Dr. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Master of Science degree from University of Colorado at Boulder, and a PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Prior to pursuing a career in academics, Dr. Barry spent 10 years as a senior geotechnical engineer and project manager on projects throughout the United States. He is a licensed professional engineer. Dr. Barry's passion is teaching the Army's future engineers. He was recognized for his remarkable teaching with the American Society for Engineering Education 2020 National Outstanding Teaching Award.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Over five hundred bachelor’s-level engineering programs in the United States are currently accredited under the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET-EAC) and others are pursuing accreditation [1]. Therefore, it can be said that the ABET-EAC bachelor’s level general criteria exercise a great degree of influence over accredited undergraduate engineering programs in the U.S.

In contrast, very few U.S. engineering master’s degrees are ABET-EAC accredited. As of 3, October 2021, 27 U.S. and 16 international master’s degree programs have attained ABET-EAC master's level accreditation. Only three of these programs are classified as civil engineering. Of the three, two are international programs and one is domestic. Two domestic programs have accredited their architectural master’s degrees and only one international program has obtained accreditation of their master’s degree [1]. Therefore, arguably, ABET-EAC currently has little influence on graduate education in the U.S., especially for programs for which ASCE serves as the lead society.

As licensure as a professional engineer generally requires graduation from an accredited program, barriers to master's level accreditation can negatively impact a graduate’s pursuit of licensure. However, accreditation is perceived to be a sign of quality, indicating that graduates meet a minimum competency as engineers. Accreditation can benefit the graduates of the program and serve as a differentiator between the program and other graduate programs, especially if recruiting international students. Thus, quality, in addition to opportunities created through licensure, are reasons why master's level accreditation may be helpful to a program.

Programs seeking master's level accreditation must comply with five elements: students and curriculum, faculty, quality program, facilities and institutional support. Although many of these elements align with undergraduate accreditation requirements, the elements pertaining to students and curriculum are unique and pose additional efforts required by the program to obtain master's level programs to achieve accreditation.

As presented in ABET-EAC Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2021 – 2022 [2], a master’s program must “have and enforce procedures for verifying that each student has completed a set of post-secondary educational and professional experiences that: a. Supports the attainment of student outcomes of Criterion 3 of the general criteria for baccalaureate level engineering programs, and b. Includes at least 30 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of math and basic science (basic science includes the biological, chemical, and physical sciences), as well as at least 45 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of engineering topics and a major design experience that meets the requirements of Criterion 5 of the general criteria for baccalaureate level engineering programs.”

The program may assume that graduates of ABET-EAC bachelor of science (BS) program satisfy (a) and (b) above [2].”

Items (a) and (b) can pose a significant constraint on admissions for graduate programs. According to data provided by the Migration Policy Institute in 2018, 14% of immigrant college graduates held professional or doctoral degrees, which is 4% higher than U.S.- born counterparts [3]. Additionally, 70 percent of college-educated immigrant adults in 2018 were married to people with bachelor’s degrees or higher as compared to 63 percent of their U.S.-born counterparts. As international students often make up a significant portion of enrollment in engineering graduate programs in the U.S., items (a) and (b) create additional hurdles for graduate programs and may deter U.S. graduate programs from seeking Master's Level accreditation.

The Master’s Level Accreditation Criteria also require that “Each student’s overall program of post-secondary study must satisfy the curricular components of the baccalaureate level program criteria relevant to the master's level program name [2].” In essence, students must meet the Baccalaureate Level Criterion 3 student outcomes and Criterion 5 mathematics, basic science, and engineering topic requirements or be graduates of ABET-EAC accredited baccalaureate programs. This requirement may serve as an additional barrier to accreditation. Most graduate programs require students to complete approximately 30 credits. Requiring students to complete additional coursework can deter some students from seeking the graduate degree.

The purpose of this paper is to: ● Examine perceived barriers to pursuing ABET-EAC master's level accreditation, and ● Recommend changes to ABET-EAC to facilitate program attainment of master’s level accreditation

Citation
Format

Delatte, N., & Saviz, C., & Morse, A., & Barry, B. (2022, August), Identifying Obstacles to Master’s Level ABET EAC Accreditation Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40502

TY - CPAPER
AB - Over five hundred bachelor’s-level engineering programs in the United States are currently accredited under the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET-EAC) and others are pursuing accreditation [1]. Therefore, it can be said that the ABET-EAC bachelor’s level general criteria exercise a great degree of influence over accredited undergraduate engineering programs in the U.S.

In contrast, very few U.S. engineering master’s degrees are ABET-EAC accredited. As of 3, October 2021, 27 U.S. and 16 international master’s degree programs have attained ABET-EAC master's level accreditation. Only three of these programs are classified as civil engineering. Of the three, two are international programs and one is domestic. Two domestic programs have accredited their architectural master’s degrees and only one international program has obtained accreditation of their master’s degree [1]. Therefore, arguably, ABET-EAC currently has little influence on graduate education in the U.S., especially for programs for which ASCE serves as the lead society.

As licensure as a professional engineer generally requires graduation from an accredited program, barriers to master's level accreditation can negatively impact a graduate’s pursuit of licensure. However, accreditation is perceived to be a sign of quality, indicating that graduates meet a minimum competency as engineers. Accreditation can benefit the graduates of the program and serve as a differentiator between the program and other graduate programs, especially if recruiting international students. Thus, quality, in addition to opportunities created through licensure, are reasons why master's level accreditation may be helpful to a program.

Programs seeking master's level accreditation must comply with five elements: students and curriculum, faculty, quality program, facilities and institutional support. Although many of these elements align with undergraduate accreditation requirements, the elements pertaining to students and curriculum are unique and pose additional efforts required by the program to obtain master's level programs to achieve accreditation.

As presented in ABET-EAC Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2021 – 2022 [2], a master’s program must “have and enforce procedures for verifying that each student has completed a set of post-secondary educational and professional experiences that:
a. Supports the attainment of student outcomes of Criterion 3 of the general criteria for baccalaureate level engineering programs, and
b. Includes at least 30 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of math and basic science (basic science includes the biological, chemical, and physical sciences), as well as at least 45 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of engineering topics and a major design experience that meets the requirements of Criterion 5 of the general criteria for baccalaureate level engineering programs.”

The program may assume that graduates of ABET-EAC bachelor of science (BS) program satisfy (a) and (b) above [2].”

Items (a) and (b) can pose a significant constraint on admissions for graduate programs. According to data provided by the Migration Policy Institute in 2018, 14% of immigrant college graduates held professional or doctoral degrees, which is 4% higher than U.S.- born counterparts [3]. Additionally, 70 percent of college-educated immigrant adults in 2018 were married to people with bachelor’s degrees or higher as compared to 63 percent of their U.S.-born counterparts. As international students often make up a significant portion of enrollment in engineering graduate programs in the U.S., items (a) and (b) create additional hurdles for graduate programs and may deter U.S. graduate programs from seeking Master's Level accreditation.

The Master’s Level Accreditation Criteria also require that “Each student’s overall program of post-secondary study must satisfy the curricular components of the baccalaureate level program criteria relevant to the master's level program name [2].” In essence, students must meet the Baccalaureate Level Criterion 3 student outcomes and Criterion 5 mathematics, basic science, and engineering topic requirements or be graduates of ABET-EAC accredited baccalaureate programs. This requirement may serve as an additional barrier to accreditation. Most graduate programs require students to complete approximately 30 credits. Requiring students to complete additional coursework can deter some students from seeking the graduate degree.

The purpose of this paper is to:
● Examine perceived barriers to pursuing ABET-EAC master's level accreditation, and
● Recommend changes to ABET-EAC to facilitate program attainment of master’s level accreditation
AU - Norb Delatte
AU - Camilla Saviz
AU - Audra Morse
AU - Brock Barry
CY - Minneapolis, MN
DA - 2022/08/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Identifying Obstacles to Master’s Level ABET EAC Accreditation
UR - https://peer.asee.org/40502
DO - 10.18260/1-2--40502
ER -