Sonoma State University

Accreditation

A Brief Background:

The first engineering program at Sonoma State University was a Master’s program in Computer and Engineering Science (MS-CES) which was established in about two decades ago. The local community and high-tech companies donated a substantial amount of cash and equipment to Sonoma State University for starting the program. Following construction of several advanced laboratories with millions of dollars external cash and equipment, the undergraduate program in electrical engineering was established.

ABET

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

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.

Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance.

Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. 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.

ABET Logo
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization with ISO 9001:2015 certification. It currently accredits 4,564 programs at 895 colleges and universities in 40 countries and areas. More information about ABET, its member societies and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.

Student Outcomes

The students will attain:

  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.

The following table summurizes the mapping between the Students Outcomes (SOs) and Program Educational Outcomes (PEOs).

  SO #1 SO #2 SO #3 SO #4 SO #5 SO #6 SO #7
PEO #1 X X     X X X
PEO #2   X X X      
PEO #3   X X X      
PEO #4 X X X X X X X
PEO #5   X X   X   X

Enrollment

The figure below shows the total Fall term enrollment of EE majors and minors.

The figure below shows the BSEE degrees awarded by academic year (fall and spring combined).

WASC

Sonoma State's Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) program is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The WASC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding in a number of programs, including student access to federal financial aid.