Software%20Engineering%20Accreditation

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Software Engineering Accreditation

• Mark Sebern
• Professor BSSE Program Director
• Milwaukee School of Engineering

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The ABET SE Accreditation Process

• Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
• Recommends general criteria
• Chooses team chairs
• CSAB (IEEE-CSACM) is lead society
• Recommends program criteria
• Chooses program evaluators
• Differs significantly from CS
• Computer science is accredited by ABET CAC
• Computing Accreditation Commission
• CSAB is lead society under CAC for CS

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EAC General Criteria

1. Students
2. Program educational objectives
3. Program outcomes and assessment
4. Professional component

1. Faculty
2. Facilities
3. Institutional support and financial resources
4. Program criteria

CAC is proposing a similar structure for CS, IS,
and IT
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Criterion 1 Students

• Student quality and performance
• Performance evaluation
• Advising curricular and career matters
• Progress monitoring
• Transfer credit policies
• Validation of transfer courses
• Procedures to ensure all students meet program
  requirements

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Criterion 2 Program Objectives

• Program educational objectives
• Broad statements of career and professional
  accomplishments program is preparing graduates to
  achieve
• Process to determine and review
• Educational program
• Foster accomplishment of objectives
• Evaluation process
• Demonstrate achievement
• Improve program effectiveness

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Criterion 3 Outcomes/Assessment

• Program outcomes
• Knowledge and skills by time of graduation
• Must foster attainment of program objectives
• Processes to produce outcomes
• Documented assessment process
• Demonstrate outcomes are being measured
• Indicate degree to which outcomes are achieved
• Results must be applied to program development
• Two classes of outcomes
• EAC-specified outcomes (a-k)
• Additional outcomes articulated by the program

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EAC-Specified Program Outcomes

• Apply math, science and engineering
• Design and conduct experiments, analyze and
  interpret data
• Design a system, component, or process to meet
  requirements within realistic constraints
• Function on multi-disciplinary teams
• Identify, formulate, and solve engineering
  problems

• Understand professional and ethical
  responsibility
• Communicate effectively
• Attain broad education necessary to understand
  implication of engineering solutions in global
  and societal context
• Recognize need for, and engage in life-long
  learning
• Know contemporary issues
• Use techniques, skills, and modern engineering
  tools needed for engineering practice

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Criterion 4 Curriculum

• Consistent with objectives, outcomes
• Bean counting specifications
• One year of math basic science
• 1.5 years of engineering topics
• Engineering sciences
• Engineering design
• General education component
• Preparation for engineering practice

One year ? 32 semester credits or 48 quarter
credits
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Criterion 4 Major Design Experience

• Normally a significant project
• Capstone or senior design
• Based on knowledge skills
• Acquired in earlier course work
• Must incorporate
• Appropriate engineering standards
• Multiple realistic constraints

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Criterion 5 Faculty

• Number, qualifications
• Competencies to cover all curricular areas
• Sufficient to accommodate
• Interaction with students and practitioners
• Service activities
• Professional development
• Must have authority to
• Ensure proper guidance of the program
• Develop/implement assessment processes

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Criterion 6 Facilities

• Adequate, conducive to learning
• Classrooms, labs, equipment
• Foster student-faculty interaction
• Climate encouraging professional development and
  professional activities
• Use of modern engineering tools
• Computing/information infrastructure
• Support scholarly activities (students/faculty)
  and educational objectives

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Criterion 7 Institutional Support

• Must have adequate
• Institutional support
• Financial resources
• Constructive leadership
• Sufficient resources for
• Faculty
• Facilities
• Equipment
• Support personnel services

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Criterion 8 SE-Specific Criteria

• Breadth and depth

across the range of engineering and computer
science topics implied by the title and
objectives of the program
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Criterion 8 SE-Specific Criteria

• Breadth and depth
• Demonstrate ability of graduates
• Skills/knowledge for complex SW systems

Analyze Design Verify Validate Implement Apply Mai
ntain
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Criterion 8 SE-Specific Criteria

• Breadth and depth
• Demonstrate ability of graduates
• Skills/knowledge for complex SW systems
• Apply
• Discrete math, probability, statistics
• Relevant topics in
• Computer science
• Supporting disciplines
• Work in one or more application domains

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To Learn More

• Attend
• ABET/EAC faculty workshop
• EAC evaluator training (modest fee if not PEV)
• ABET web site (www.abet.org)
• EAC criteria
• Program evaluation team forms
• SE education conferences
• Conference on SE Education Training
• Frontiers in Education

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Discussion
ABET EAC criteria
Faculty
Outcome assessment
Definition of SE BOK
Continuous improvement
Major design experience
EAC/CAC differences
Training/workshops
Something else
Your comments