Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board
The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, a committee of the Engineers Canada Board, is tasked with reviewing engineering programs across the nation. Being accredited essentially means the education provided is adequate for licensure as a professional engineer in Canada.
There's a wide array of groups lobbying the CEAB to reevaluate it's accreditation process, from QCESO to the Dean of Engineering. It's tough stuff.
How are we accredited
Evaluation of a program is based on an array of accreditation attributes. Each course at McGill is independently quantified through these attributes, all contributing to the programs overall weight. The curriculum content for each course can normally found in a course syllabus at the beginning of the semester.
The accreditation attributes all are intended to contribute to the overall graduate attributes the CEAB wants each student to have at the end of their academic career.
For example:
- MIME456 is deemed to teach students:
- 8 AUs in Mathematics
- 5 AUs in Natural Sciences
- 5 AUs in Complementary Studies
- 16 AUs in Engineering Sciences
- 10 AUs in Engineering Design
- Therefore, MIME456 contributes to the retention of KB, PA, IN, IT, and CS (see below)
- MIME456 is deemed to teach students:
There's a whole hullaballoo of information out there on this, from Engineers Canadas robust document, to McGill's own breakdown. This version is far shorter
Criteria
- Mathematics: Minimum 195 AU
- Natural sciences: Minimum 195 AU
- Mathematics and natural sciences combined: Minimum 420 AU
- Engineering science: Minimum 225 AU
- Engineering design: Minimum 225 AU
- Engineering science and engineering design combined: Minimum 900 AU
- Complementary Studies: Minimum 225 AU
- Laboratory experience and safety procedures instruction
Graduate Attributes
Knowledgebase for engineering (KB): Demonstrated competence in university level mathematics, natural sciences, engineering fundamentals, and specialized engineering knowledge appropriate to the program.
Problem analysis (PA): An ability to use appropriate knowledge and skills to identify, formulate, analyze, and solve complex engineering problems in order to reach substantiated conclusions.
Investigation (IN): An ability to conduct investigations of complex problems by methods that include appropriate experiments, analysis and interpretation of data and synthesis of information in order to reach valid conclusions.
Design (DE): An ability to design solutions for complex, open-ended engineering problems and to design systems, components or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate attention to health and safety risks, applicable standards, economic, environmental, cultural and societal considerations.
Use of engineering tools (ET): An ability to create, select, adapt, and extend appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering tools to a range of engineering activities, from simple to complex, with an understanding of the associated limitations.
Individual and team work (IT): An ability to work effectively as a member and leader in teams, preferably in a multi-disciplinary setting.
Communication skills (CS): An ability to communicate complex engineering concepts within the profession and with society at large. Such abilities include reading, writing, speaking and listening, and the ability to comprehend and write effective reports and design documentation, and to give and effectively respond to clear instructions.
Professionalism (PR): An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the professional engineer in society, especially the primary role of protection of the public and the public interest.
Impact of engineering on society and the environment (IE): An ability to analyse social and environmental aspects of engineering activities. Such abilities include an understanding of the interactions that engineering has with the economic, social, health, safety, legal, and cultural aspects of society; the uncertainties in the prediction of such interactions; and the concepts of sustainable design and development and environmental stewardship.
Ethics and equity (EE): An ability to apply professional ethics, accountability, and equity.
Economics and project management (EP): An ability to appropriately incorporate economics and business practices including project, risk and change management into the practice of engineering, and to understand their limitations.
Life-long learning (LL): An ability to identify and to address their own educational needs in a changing world, sufficiently to maintain their competence and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.