Students collaborating on engineering project.
Engineering, BS

Accreditation

The USF engineering program is designed to meet the requirements for professional accreditation by ABET, the agency which oversees accreditation of engineering programs.

On this page, you will find a statement of outcomes for the program, required by ABET. This includes Program Educational Objectives, which describe our future graduates three to five years after graduating, and provide a link between USF's Mission, Vision, and Values, and those of our program, and Student Outcomes, which are skills and mindsets to be achieved by graduation, and prescribed by ABET.

Program Educational Objectives

USF Engineering succeeds in its mission by graduating students who meet our four Program Educational Objectives to:

  • Demonstrate fluency with design thinking, systems thinking, creative problem solving, and self-directed scholarship as modes of approaching the engineering process.
  • Implement a holistic approach to engineering which values context, integrates multiple perspectives through collaborative teamwork, questions need, and considers impacts on both individuals and society at large.
  • Lead responsibly through a fusion of engineering judgment, practice, and entrepreneurship, while representing the engineer’s critical role in projects, organizations, the environment, and society.
  • Exhibit a professional and personal identity which upholds values of social justice, environmental sustainability, and respectful service even under unknown and challenging conditions.

Student Outcomes

Our degree program will be meeting the requirements for professional accreditation by ABET, the agency which oversees accreditation of engineering programs. ABET requires a two-part statement of outcomes – in addition to the Program Educational Objectives stated above as part of the Mission, we will meet the following Student Outcomes.

Students will achieve an ability to:

  1. Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

How We're Preparing for Accreditation

Our accreditor, ABET, requires all new engineering programs to conduct their entire four-year curriculum and produce at least one graduate before applying for accreditation. Therefore, in 2024 (the fifth year of the program), the USF engineering program is undergoing a complete initial accreditation review, including a site visit by ABET Program Evaluators in the fall of 2024. After the program achieves accreditation, engineering alumni will receive the accreditation of their degrees retroactively.

As of spring of 2024, we have passed the Readiness Review stage and have been given a green light by ABET to pursue the full review.

Engineering professors conversing in a meeting room