Engineering Degree Programme Accreditation and the

Award of the EUR-ACE® Label

Denis McGrath, Vice-President European Network for the Accreditation of Engineering

Education (ENAEE)www.enaee.eu

• IQA Workshop: “Quality in Higher Education”

• 28-29 May 2015, Nicosia, North Cyprus

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Accreditation Agencies

Bachelor & Master Engineering

Degree Programmes

EUR-ACE® Label

ENAEE authorizes accreditation agencies to award the EUR-ACE® Label to engineering degree programmes they accredit, at Bachelor and Master degree level.

The origins of ENAEE …

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• 2000 - ESOEPE: European Standing Observatory …• 2004 -“EUR-ACE®” project, jointly funded on two EU-programmes (LLP

programme, EU countries; TEMPUS programme, Russia)• 2006 - Establishment of ENAEE; launch of the “EUR-ACE®” label; start

of “EUR-ACE® Implementation” (LLP) and “PRO-EAST” (TEMPUS) projects

• 2007 - First six agencies authorized to award the EUR-ACE® Label• 2008 - “EUR-ACE® Spread” Project• 2009 - Seventh agency authorized• 2012 - Eighth and ninth agency authorized; “QUEECA” project to

spread EUR-ACE® standards to Central Asia• 2013 - Tenth agency authorized. Also, three “Candidate Agencies”• 2014 – Three further agencies authorised• 2014 - The EUR-ACE® Accord, a mutual recognition agreement, signed

by 13 authorised agencies.

Members of ENAEE

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ENAEE has currently 17 full members and 3 associate members, includingEngineering Organizations , Accreditation Agencies and others

Full members

FEANI- Belgium - http://www.feani.orgENGINEERING COUNCIL - United Kingdom - http://www.engc.org.ukCTI – Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur –France - http://www.cti-commission.frASIIN – Germany - http://www.asiin-ev.de/pages/de/asiin-e.-v.phpORDEM DOS ENGENHEIROS -Portugal - http://www.ordemdosengenheiros.pt CoPI – Conferenza dei Presidi delle Facolta’ di Ingegneria Italiane – Italy - http://www.confpresing.it ENGINEERS IRELAND - Ireland -http://www.engineersireland.ie AEER – Association for Engineering Education in Russia - Russia - http://aeer.ru/enEUROCADRES – Conseil des Cadres Européens - Belgium - http://www.eurocadres.euUNIFI – Scuola di Ingegneria dell’Universita degli Studi di Firenze - Italy - http://www.unifi.itIDA – The Danish Society of Engineers - Denmark -http://www.ida.dkBBT – Switzerland - http://www.bbt.admin.ch MÜDEK – Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs - Turkey - http://www.mudek.org.tr IIE – Instituto de la Ingenieria de Espana - Spain - http://www.iies.esARACIS – The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education - Romania - http://www.aracis.roTEK – Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers - Finland - http://www.tek.fi QUACING – Italy - http://www.quacing.it

Associate Members

CLAIU- Belgium - http://www.claiu.orgSEFI – Société Européenne pour la Formation d’Ingénieur - Belgium - http://www.sefi.be IGIP – International Society for Engineering Education - Austria - http://www.igip.org

Agencies authorised to award the EUR-ACE® label should be located in countries within the European Higher Education Area,

principally because,

The educational environment in which programme accreditation can best function should include quality assurance policies and procedures as described in the European Standards and Guidelines.

European Higher Education Area

List of Authorized Agencies (December 2014)

FRANCE – CTI – Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur - www.cti-commission.fr.GERMANY – ASIIN – Fachakkreditierungsagentur für Studiengänge der

Ingenieurwissenschaften, der Informatik, der Naturwissenschaften, und der Mathematik e.V. - www.asiin.deIRELAND – Engineers Ireland– www.engineersireland.ieITALY – QUACING – Agenzia per la Certificazione di Qualità e l’ Accreditamento EUR-ACE dei Corsi di Studio in Ingegneria – www.quacing.itPOLAND – KAUT - Komisja Akredytacyjna Uczelni Technicznych [Accreditation Commission of universities of Technology] – www.kaut.agh.edu.pl PORTUGAL – Ordem dos Engenheiros – www.ordemengenheiros.ptRUSSIA – AEER – Association for Engineering Education in Russia - www.aeer.ru.ROMANIA – ARACIS – The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher

Education - www.aracis.roTURKEY – MÜDEK – Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programmes - www.mudek.tr UK – Engineering Council – www.engc.org.ukSwitzerland: OAQ - Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education- www.oaq.chFINLAND: FINHEEC - Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council – www.finheec.fiSPAIN: ANECA – Agencia Nacional de Evaluation de la Calidad y Acreditation, www.aneca.es jointly with IIE – Instituto de la Ingenierìa de España, www.iies.es

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Moreover• BELGIUM: CTI and AEQES, French-Belgian HE Accreditation Agency,

accredit jointly and award the EUR-ACE® label to engineering programmes in French-language Belgian HEIs

Note that, contrary to the other EUR-ACE®-authorized Agencies, ARACIS, OAQ, FINHEEC and ANECA are “general” agencies, i.e. evaluate and accredit programmes in all fields, not only engineering

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Countries (yellow) with authorised accreditation agencies

EUROPE AND THE EUR-ACE® SYSTEM

In order to be granted the authority to award the EUR-ACE® Label, an accreditation agency must satisfy ENAEE that it carries out programme accreditation in accordance with the EUR-ACE® Framework Standards and Guidelines (EAFSG) of ENAEE.

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Accreditation Agency

Compliance with EUR-ACE® Framework Standards and Guidelines

Authority to award the EUR-ACE® Label

Engineering Degree Programmes

• Student Workload

• Programme Outcomes for Bachelor and Master Degree Programmes

• Programme Management

Accreditation Agencies

• Programme Evaluation and Accreditation

• Quality Assurance of Accreditation Agency

EUR-ACE® Framework Standards and Guidelines

Engineering Degree Programme for Accreditation

EUR-ACE® Framework Standards and Guidelines

ENAEE describes the Programme Outcomes for Bachelor and Master Degree programmes normally structured as follows:

• Bachelor Degree programmes, of a minimum of 180 ECTS credits.

• Master Degree programmes, of a minimum of 90 ECTS credits (60 in some educational systems).

Student Workload

Learning outcomes are statements of what the individual knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process.

• The achievement of learning outcomes has to be assessed through procedures based on clear and transparent criteria.

• Learning outcomes are attributed to individual educational components and to programmes at a whole.

• They are also used in European and national qualifications frameworks to describe the level of the individual qualification.

ECTS Draft Users’ Guide, 2015

Definition of a Learning Outcome

Sum of Learning Outcomes for all modules

Programme Outcomes

Programme Outcomes

Engineering Mechanics 2

• Apply equations for straight-line motion to solve problems with variable acceleration.

• Solve plane curvilinear motion problems in three different co-ordinate systems.

• Analyse dynamic problems using work/energy and impulse/momentum techniques.

Examples of Learning Outcomes for a Module

Master Degree in Engineering

(Second Cycle degree)

Graduates should be able to demonstrate,

• The ability to identify, formulate, analyse and solve complex and ill-defined engineering problems.

• The ability to design and conduct experiments and to apply a range of standard and specialised research tools and techniques.

Examples of Programme Outcomes

• Knowledge and Understanding

• Engineering Analysis

• Engineering Design

• Investigations

• Engineering Practice

• Making Judgements

• Communication and Team-working

• Lifelong Learning

Programme Outcomes Learning Areas

Knowledge and Understanding

The learning process should enable Bachelor Degree graduates to demonstrate:

• knowledge and understanding of the mathematics and sciences underlying their engineering specialisation, at a level necessary to achieve the other programme outcomes;

• knowledge and understanding of engineering disciplines underlying their specialisation, at a level necessary to achieve the other programme outcomes, including some awareness at their forefront;

• awareness of the wider multidisciplinary context of engineering.

Example: Bachelor Degree Programme

Knowledge and Understanding

The learning process should enable Master Degree graduates to demonstrate:

• in-depth knowledge and understanding of mathematics and sciences underlying their engineering specialisation, at a level necessary to achieve the other programme outcomes;

• in-depth knowledge and understanding of engineering disciplines underlying their specialisation, at a level necessary to achieve the other programme outcomes;

• critical awareness of the forefront of their specialisation;

• critical awareness of the wider multidisciplinary context of engineering and of knowledge issues at the interface between different fields.

Example: Master Degree Programme

• Programme Aims

• Teaching and Learning Process

• Resources

• Student Admission, Transfer, Progression and Graduation

• Internal Quality Assurance

Programme Management

• The aims of accredited programmes must reflect the needs of employers and other stakeholders. The programme outcomes must be demonstrably consistent with the aims.

Programme Aims

The teaching and learning process must enable engineering graduates to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities specified in the Programme Outcomes. The programme curriculum must specify how this is to be achieved.

Teaching and Learning Process

• The resources to deliver the programme must be sufficient to enable the students to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities specified in the Programme Outcomes

Resources

• The criteria for student admission, transfer, progression and graduation must be clearly specified and published, and the results monitored.

Student Admission, Transfer, Progression and Graduation

• Accredited engineering degree programmes must be supported by effective quality assurance policies and procedures.

Internal Quality Assurance

Accreditation Agencies for Authorisation

EUR-ACE Framework Standards and Guidelines

• Methods and Procedures

• Documentation

• Accreditation Process

• Decision-making

• Publication

• Administration

• Status and Resources

Standards for Accreditation Agencies

• The methods and procedures of the agency must ensure that engineering degree programmes are accredited accurately in accordance with the agency’s established standards.

Methods and Procedures

• The accreditation standards and procedures must be publicly available in an accessible format.

Documentation

• The accreditation process must be effective in acquiring all the evidence necessary to make decisions.

Accreditation Process

• Accreditation decisions must be demonstrably accurate, consistent and unbiased

Decision-making

• The agency must publish the outcome of the accreditation evaluation.

Publication

• The management, organisation and administration of the agency must ensure that the accreditation functions of the agency are implemented accurately and reliably.

Administration

• The agency must be independent of outside influences and have adequate resources to undertake accreditation.

Status and Resources

Structure, development and processes of ENAEE

Structure of ENAEE

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General Assembly (20 members)

President

• Administrative Council (10 elected members, including the President, two Vice-Presidents and the Treasurer)

• Standing Committee (4 members of Administrative Council and the Chair of the Label Committee.)

• Label Committee (qualified representatives, one from each authorized agency)

• First EUR-ACE® labels awarded in 2007; today more than 1800, listed on the ENAEE website

www.enaee.eu or www.eur-ace.eu

• Up to 2012/13, the label distinguished between “First Cycle” and “Second Cycle” Degrees in Engineering.

• Replaced in 2013/14 with “EUR-ACE® Bachelor” and “EUR-ACE® Master” (i.e. “EURopean ACcredited Engineering Bachelor/Master).

• “EUR-ACE® Master” includes the so-called “Integrated Master” programmes, which do not include the award of a Bachelor degree.

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1. Mentoring Process (optional)

2. Application submitted to ENAEE by the agency

3. ENAEE Label Committee appoints three person Review Team. Committee member acts as Chair. Other members appointed on nomination of authorised agencies.

4. Application studied by Review Team to consider if agency satisfies EUR-ACE® Framework Standards and Guidelines.

5. Review Team conducts site visit to country of applicant agency, including the observance of two accreditation visits and a meeting of the decision making council of the agency.

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EUR-ACE® Label Authorization Process for applicant accreditation agencies (1)

6. Review Team makes recommendation to Label Committee

7. Label Committee makes recommendation to ENAEE Administrative Council

8. ENAEE Administrative Council makes decision to accept or reject Label Committee recommendation.

9. If successful, ENAEE issues certificate to authorized agency.

Total duration of process: approx. 12 months

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EUR-ACE® Label Authorization Process for applicant accreditation agencies (2)

On 19th November 2014, the 13 authorised agencies signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement, known as the EUR-ACE® Accord, whereby they accept each other’s accreditation decisions in respect of Bachelor and Master of Engineering degree programmes which they accredit.

EUR-ACE ® Accord

Benefits of awarding the EUR-ACE® Label

The EUR-ACE® label, listed by the European Commission among the “European

Quality Labels”,

guarantees the quality of an engineering degree programme and its suitability as an an

entry route to the engineering profession

(pre-professional accreditation)

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While at the same time assuring: scientific and academic quality relevance for the “engineering” job

Benefits of EUR-ACE® label for Students/Graduates

• Assurance that the EUR-ACE® programmes they graduated from meet high European and international standards• Being enrolled in a EUR-ACE® programme facilitates horizontal and

vertical mobility, e.g. application to Bachelor and Masters programmes in another HEI• International recognition of degrees through the EUR-ACE® Accord• Professional Recognition: Graduates from “EUR-ACE®” labelled

programmes have their academic qualifications recognised by all authorised agencies through the EUR-ACE® Accord.

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Benefits for HEIs

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• Assurance that programme meets quality standards set by the European engineering community, useful marketing tool

• In some cases the EUR-ACE® accreditation might develop the capacity to substitute state recognition of programs; automatic inclusion of EUR-ACE®-accredited courses in the FEANI index; integral first step for the European professional card

• Benchmarked against other European programmes, basis for QA of joint/double degree programs

• Reliable information on quality of Bachelor programmes for admission for Master programmes

• Incentives for students to choose EUR-ACE® labelled programmes; The European Commission has identified “EUR-ACE®” as best practice

Benefits for employers

Successful completion of EUR-ACE labelled programme assures:

• Competences of graduates: Candidate‘s knowledge, understanding and practical capabilities meet international standards

• Reliable information on quality of degree program

• Not only academic standard of programme checked but also relevance for profession

• Complement to Diploma Supplement

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Benefits for accreditation agencies

• Offering additional quality label to customers (HEIs)

• Certification of quality of accreditation agency according to ESG and employers’ requirements

• Alternative Route into the EQAR (1)

• Integration into European network of engineering professionals

• Possibility to accredit in other European countries and beyond in which no authorized agency is yet operating

(1) European Quality Assurance Register in Higher Education46

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Benefits for professional engineers’ organizations

• Guarantee that graduates meet educational requirements for entering into their registers (if organisation has set its educational standard at EUR-ACE® level)

• FEANI automatically includes the EUR-ACE® accredited programmes in its Index of European recognized engineering programmes; EUR-ACE® automatically recognized as first step in the professional card for Engineers

Thank you for your attention.