VANCOUVER, Wash. — Washington State University Vancouver’s manufacturing engineering and computer science programs are now accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Accreditation recognizes a program’s quality through an extensive review of curricula, faculty, facilities and finances, as well as the performance of students and graduates.
“Accreditation is like a seal of approval that we have a quality program and are on par with other programs nationwide,” said Hakan Gurocak, director of WSU Vancouver’s engineering programs.
According to Dick Lang, coordinator of computer science, accreditation is also very important in showing a degree is recognized by industry. “Accreditation assures employers that a WSU computer science degree incorporates all the components they generally expect and our graduates are well prepared for professional practice,” he said.
Gurocak and Tim McLaren, assistant professor of manufacturing engineering, said that accreditation is also important for students planning to go to graduate school or become a state licensed Professional Engineer.
The Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering offers a course of study with roots in mechanical engineering. Students learn about product design for manufacture, manufacturing process design and layout and the mechanical elements of a manufacturing process including tooling, metrology, and machine integration and control. Students also learn to work in teams using frameworks such as concurrent engineering and total quality management. About 35 students are enrolled this fall and the program has nearly 30 alumni since it began in 1997.
The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science program was started in 1999. Students earning this degree learn skills in software engineering, operating systems, algorithms, computer graphics and animation, computer security, networking and programming languages. This fall, about 40 students are enrolled. The program has nearly 20 alumni.
For more information on WSU Vancouver’s engineering and computer science programs visit www.vancouver.wsu.edu. For more details on ABET accreditation visit www.abet.org.
