Electrical engineering receives accreditation
Robert Adams, a faculty member in the Department of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University, works with students Stefani Ries and Jamez Ellis in an electrical engineering lab. WCU’s electrical engineering program recently received a big boost with recognition from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
The electrical engineering program at Western Carolina University has received new accreditation from a widely recognized accrediting body for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology.
The accreditation, coming seven years after the program was established, is a significant achievement for students, the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology and the university, said James Zhang, the Kimmel School’s interim dean.
“This accreditation recognizes that our students will graduate from a program that meets or exceeds the rigorous standards set by the profession,” Zhang said.
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredits more than 3,100 programs at more than 600 institutions worldwide.
Recognition by ABET not only imposes uniform and measurable standards on WCU’s electrical engineering program, but it also increases possibilities for students after they leave school. Graduation from an accredited program is a minimum requirement for some employers, graduate schools and licensing and certification entities, Zhang said. “It makes the degree that much more valuable and robust,” he said. He looks forward to sharing information about the program and its new accreditation with visitors to WCU’s next open house, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29.
Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment. WCU’s electrical engineering program began in 2004 in partnership with the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Part of WCU’s of the Department of Engineering and Technology, it has since matured into an independent program, and the accreditation was granted as such. Currently, WCU’s electrical engineering program has approximately 60 students. The accreditation is retroactive to October 2008.
To learn more about WCU’s electrical engineering program, contact Chip W. Ferguson, interim head of the Department of Engineering and Technology, at 828-227-2153 or cferguson@wcu.edu. For more information about the Kimmel School, visit kimmelschool.wcu.edu.
