ABET accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington is not currently accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. HCDE is preparing to seek ABET accreditation for the Bachelor of Science program.

Program educational objectives

Program educational objectives describe what graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering are expected to achieve within a few years after graduation.

HCDE BS graduates contribute to society by applying design and engineering processes to solve problems through a deep understanding of people and their contexts. In particular, they are leaders in:

• Investigating people and systems, using quantitative and qualitative methods, to identify opportunities for new systems and strengths and weaknesses of existing systems.
  
• Designing, building, and evaluating systems according to a variety of perspectives, with an emphasis on understanding the relationships between social and technical elements of systems.
  
• Bringing ideas to actualization through expertise in design strategy and processes, effective communication and collaboration skills, and ethical perspectives.
  
• Identifying and learning new skills, perspectives, and tools that help them and others accomplish their goals.

Student outcomes

Student outcomes describe the knowledge and skills students are expected to have acquired by the time they graduate from the Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering.

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