EED-Newsletter-Vol-2-Issue-1-2017

PAGE 2
Shaping the Future of EE Students
at QU: ABET Accreditation
Dr. Ahmed Massoud.
Associate Professor &
Program Coordinator
of EE Program
The Electrical Engineering (EE)
program at Qatar University is
a general EE program structured
to address the industrial
and societal needs of the State
of Qatar. The program was
first offered in 1980 and the
first student cohort graduated
in 1985 [1]. Our first request
for Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology
(ABET) accreditation through
the Engineering Accreditation
Commission (EAC) was made
in January 2004, with a visit in
February 2005 resulting in
“Substantial Equivalency Accreditation”.
“ABET accreditation
provides assurance that a
college or university program
meets the quality standards of
the profession for which that
program prepares graduates
[2]”.
Then, another EAC of ABET
general review was held from
November 6-8, 2010 and the
EE program was accredited
since October 1st, 2009. Continuing
these milestones, the
EE program has been reaccredited
by the EAC of
ABET this year (2017) with a
visit from December 3-5,
2016. The program has currently
a study plan built around
131 credit hours. The curriculum
had initially 162 credit
hours, which was reduced to
139 credit hours when the
curriculum was revised in
1997. The number of credit
hours was further reduced to
131 credit hours when the
curriculum was revised in
2003.
The students of the EE program,
graduating with a Bachelor
of Science (B.Sc.) in EE, are
prepared for engineering practice
or further graduate studies.
The curriculum of the
program is designed to achieve
the following Student Outcomes
(SOs):
a) An ability to apply
knowledge of mathematics,
science, and engineering
b) An ability to design and
conduct experiments, as
well as to analyze and interpret
data
c) An ability to design a system,
component, or process
to meet desired needs
within realistic constraints
such as economic, environmental,
social, political,
ethical, health and safety,
manufacturability, and sustainability
d) An ability to function on
multi-disciplinary teams
e) An ability to identify, formulate,
and solve engineering
problems
f) An understanding of professional
and ethical responsibility
g) An ability to communicate
effectively
h) The broad education necessary
to understand the impact
of engineering solutions
in a global, economic,
environmental, and societal
context
i) A recognition of the need
for, and an ability to engage
in lifelong learning
j) A knowledge of contemporary
issues
k) An ability to use the techniques,
skills, and modern
engineering tools necessary
for engineering practice.
These SOs ultimately contribute
to the achievement of the
Program Educational Objectives
(PEOs), which are based
on the following three main
pillars [3]:
1) Apply effectively their
technical, communication,
and teamwork skills in
modern work environment
as well as graduate studies.
It has to be noticed that technical
skills that are essential for
a successful career in EE arena,
in industry as well as academia,
should include a good theoretical
background (mathematics
and basic science skills, experimental
skills, and design skills.
In addition, engineering is all
about utilizing new tools in
problem solving. Moreover,
modern work environment
requires engineers to work in
multidisciplinary teams. Nonetheless,
productive teamwork
in general demands effective
communication skills.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.
The most certain way to succeed is always
to try just one more time.
Thomas Edison
EED NEWSLETTER
VOL. 2, ISSUE 1