ABET Accreditation

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Iowa has two accredited degree programs: Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). The CSE degree program is one of 14 programs nationwide that is accredited in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science. The international association that confers accreditation to the ECE degree programs is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support and are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia and government, with expertise in the ABET disciplines.

The EE degree program was established in 1890, was first accredited by ABET in 1936, and has been reaccredited each successive six-year period. The CSE degree program was established in 2016 and has been ABET accredited since 2018.

Iowa’s EE and CSE accreditations were most recently affirmed in 2021. A current statement of program accreditation appears on the ABET website.

The next institution accreditation visit for Iowa ECE is scheduled for 2026-27.

EE Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) & Student Outcomes

The undergraduate program in Electrical Engineering (EE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Electrical Engineering. Read on to learn about our Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and student outcomes.

Program Educational Objectives

The PEOs describe what students are expected to attain within a few years after graduation.

  • Graduates will demonstrate initiative and perseverance to successfully apply the knowledge and skills gained in the EE program in their chosen technical, business, or academic careers.
  • Graduates will exhibit ethical leadership and vision in contributing to the technical and policy decisions of industry, government, and research enterprises.
  • Graduates will thrive in diverse, global, and multidisciplinary environments.
  • Graduates will excel at constructive communication and collaborative engagement with other engineers and professionals.
  • Graduates will actively engage in lifelong-learning and mentoring activities that enhance their professional and personal development.
EAC Student Outcomes

Student Outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. The Electrical Engineering Program has adopted the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) outcomes 1–7:

  1. Problem solving: An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. Design thinking: An ability to 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. Communication: An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. Ethics: An ability to 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. Collaboration: An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. Experimentation: An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. Life-long learning: An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

CSE Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) & Student Outcomes

The undergraduate program in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) for Computer Engineering and the ABET Computing Accreditation Council (CAC) for Computer Science. Read on to learn about our Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and student outcomes.

Program Educational Objectives

  • Graduates will demonstrate initiative and perseverance to successfully apply the knowledge and skills gained in the CSE program in their chosen computing-related technical, business, or academic careers.
  • Graduates will exhibit ethical leadership and vision in contributing to the technical and policy decisions of industry, government, and research enterprises.
  • Graduates will thrive in diverse, global, and multidisciplinary environments.
  • Graduates will excel at constructive communication and collaborative engagement with other computer engineers and professionals.
  • Graduates will actively engage in lifelong-learning and mentoring activities that enhance their professional and personal development.
EAC Student Outcomes

Student Outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time they graduate. Our program has adopted the Student Outcomes stipulated by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET. 

  1. Problem solving: An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. Design thinking: An ability to 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. Communication: An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. Ethics: An ability to 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. Collaboration: An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. Experimentation: An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. Life-long learning: An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
CAC Student Outcomes
  1. Problem Solving. Ability to analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
  2. Design Thinking. Ability to design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
  3. Communication. Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  4. Ethics. Ability to recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  5. Collaboration. Ability to function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
  6. Apply Theory and Develop Software. Ability to apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.