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Desired Program Outcomes

Engineering education seeks to develop a capacity for objective analysis, synthesis, and design to obtain a practical solution. The engineering programs at Iowa State University are designed to develop the professional competence of a diverse student body and, by breadth of study, to prepare students to solve the technical problems of society while considering the ethical, social, and economic implications of their work. Each of the engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have:

1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
3. 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
4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. an ability to communicate effectively
8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
10. a knowledge of contemporary issues
11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
    

These outcomes includes ABET’s Criterion 3 Learning Outcomes and any program specific outcomes required by the program’s professional society or by the program constituency. The curricula in the College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). A comprehensive evaluation of all the programs is conducted simultaneously every six years. All ten programs were accredited for six year in the fall of 2000. The next accreditation visit will take place in the fall of 2006.

Engineering Accreditation Commission
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
111 Market Place, Suite 1050
Baltimore, MD 21202-4012
Phone: 410-347-7700
www:http://www.abet.org

Process to achieve outcomes

All ten curricula in engineering are designed as four-year programs. They are structured in two phases: a basic program and a professional program. The basic program consists primarily of subjects fundamental and common to all branches of engineering and includes chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering computations, and English. The professional phase of a curriculum includes intensive study in a particular branch of engineering, as well as a continuation of supporting work in mathematics, basic sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Students must complete the requirements of the basic program before proceeding to a professional program. Each engineering program is responsible for achieving their specific program outcomes.