Can Substantial Equivalency Can Substantial Equivalency Among Engineering Accreditation Among Engineering Accreditation Systems be Achieved Globally?Systems be Achieved Globally?

Sarah A. RajalaDean, Bagley College of Engineering,Mississippi State UniversityPresident, American Society for Engineering Education

Why is Substantial Equivalency of Accreditation Important?

A world in transitionPreviously dominated by nationally differentiated organizations and cultural identities Now increasingly characterized by transnational institutions and multicultural communities

“In the new mental geography created by the railroad, humanity mastered distance. In the mental geography of e-commerce, distance has been eliminated. There is only one economy and only one market.” -- Peter DruckerEngineers will need to be able to live, study and work globally

Why is Substantial Equivalency of Accreditation Important?

MobilityEducation

• Undergraduate• Graduate

Working professionals• Benchmarking - measure of quality of education• Professional licensure

Current Situation National accreditation systems

For example, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United StatesGovernmental or non-governmental

Current Situation

Multi-national engineering accordsWashington Accord, 1989Bologna Declaration, 1999

Other multi-national accordsSydney Accord, 2001, engineering technologistsDublin Accord, 2002, engineering technicians

Washington Accord

Substantially equivalent accreditation systems leading to recognition of substantial equivalence of programs in satisfying academic requirements for the practice of engineering at professional level

Washington Accord

SignatoriesAustralia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States

Provisional StatusGermany, India, Russia, Sri Lanka

Washington Accord – Knowledge Profile

Graduate Attributes

Engineering knowledgeProblem analysisDesign/development of solutionsInvestigationModern tool usageEngineer and society

Washington Accord – Knowledge Profile

Graduate Attributes

Environment and sustainabilityEthicsIndividual and team workCommunicationProject management and financeLifelong learning

Bologna Accord – EUR-ACE Labels

EUR-ACE LabelsASIIN – GermanyEngineers IrelandRAEE – RussiaEngineering Council –UKCTI – FranceOrder of Engineers – PortugalMUDEK - Turkey

Bologna Accord – EUR-ACE Project

Program OutcomesKnowledge and understanding

Engineering analysisEngineering designInvestigationsEngineering practiceTransferrable skills

Apply to both first and second cycle

What Makes Substantial Equivalency So Hard?

Both systems are outcomes basedBoth based on national accreditationBoth systems have similar review processesI am not really sure, but

But the length of programs are different• Washington Accord – four years for bachelors degree• EUR-ACE – first cycle is three years

Other Issues

Licensure recognitionMore than 50 different licensure systems in the U.S.Each state/territory sets criterion

Non-domestic ABET program accreditation does not guarantee substantial equivalency within the Washington Accord.