UW ECE Undergraduate Program Mission, Objectives and Outcomes
The University of Washington Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering undergraduate BSEE degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or ABET. The department is seeking ABET accreditation for the new BSECE during the 2025–2026 ABET review period, with an application to provide retroactive accreditation for BSECE degrees awarded beginning October 1, 2023. This organization’s accrediting criteria states that we must have the following in place:
- Detailed published educational objectives that are consistent with the mission of the institution and these criteria
- A process based on the needs of the program’s various constituencies in which the objectives are determined and periodically evaluated
- A curriculum and processes that ensure the achievement of these objectives
- A system of ongoing evaluation that demonstrates achievement of these objectives and uses the results to improve the effectiveness of the program
To these ends, the Department adopted the following mission and objectives statement in 2013:
The objective of the UW Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is to produce alumni who contribute to our society and to the economic base of our region, our nation and the world to the best of their abilities. We recognize that our students have very diverse interests and talents, and although the majority may find employment in one of the many specialties or interdisciplinary activities in industry or academia to which electrical and computer engineers traditionally gravitate, we also expect some of our alumni to build careers in business, law, health care, government or other professions. Regardless of the intended career, our educational objective is to have them use the analytical discipline, problem-solving experience and collaborative skills of their undergraduate education in creative endeavors as professionals and to avail themselves of opportunities to learn new skills and advance their careers through continuing education.
In addition to the mission and objectives outlined above, the Department adopted a revised Continuous Improvement Plan in May 2019. The CIP outlines ways in which the Department assures the achievement of the mission and objectives as well as student outcomes outlined by ABET through a system of ongoing evaluation, assessment and improvement. More information on the CIP, as well as ongoing activities, can be found on our website.
Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes
Professional Opportunities
Graduates with a degree in electrical and computer engineering find employment in industries such as computer software, embedded systems, digital design, computer manufacturing and consumer electronics. Positions can be found focusing on the research, design, and testing of new products; technical sales and marketing; business consulting; and intellectual property.
Program Educational Objectives
The program educational objectives of the BSECE degree program are to serve the needs of our students, faculty and regional industry by producing graduates who have acquired foundational knowledge and skills through a comprehensive curriculum and immersive educational and developmental experience. Within a few years post-graduation, we expect our graduates to:
- Contribute — to have successfully and smoothly transitioned into becoming a contributing member of the professional workforce
- Master — to have developed the skills, habits and professional expertise which will carry them through their life and career
- Evolve — to rapidly grow and adapt to their fast-changing world
- Innovate — to embrace change, challenge, growth, inquiry, creativity and diversity
- Lead — to rise to levels of leadership and impact in their chosen specialties
- Steward — to responsibly apply their problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and management skills to the benefit of themselves, their communities, their region and the world at large
Student Outcomes
By the time of graduation, we expect our graduates to have demonstrated abilities in:
- Problem Solving — an ability to identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics
- Design — 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
- Communication — an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- Responsibility — 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
- Teamwork — an ability to function effectively on a team in which members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives
- Experimentation — an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analysis, and interpretation of data; and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- Learning — an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies