Thursday, November 10, 2011

The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Systems Option) degree was recently awarded accreditation by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which the program prepares its students. The accreditation validates the credentials of UNCW's program and places it in a select group of accredited programs from around the world.

The accreditation benefits the students and faculty of the department as well as UNCW as an institution. Students can be confident they are receiving a high quality education, faculty receive recognition for their credentials and expertise, and employers and graduate schools will know that students who come to them with a UNCW computer science degree are well prepared for professional work or graduate study.

The accreditation process was a three-year process. Computer Science professor Gene Tagliarini led a department-wide effort, which included crafting a self-study document of more than 400 pages.

An ABET accredited school must meet 9 major criteria, which are established and evaluated by ABET, in order to be approved The categories include students, program educational objectives, program outcomes, continuous improvement, curriculum, faculty, facilities, support and program criteria.

UNCW's B.S. Computer Science (Systems Option) program received formal accreditation at ABET's annual meeting in July 2011.

"This represents a big 'thumbs up' for the program, our department and indeed all the entities at UNCW that support our activities," said Sridhar Narayan, computer science department chair. He noted that prospective students often compare programs on the state and national level, and many view accreditation as an assurance of program quality. As a result, accreditation will assist UNCW in recruiting high-achieving students into its program.

ABET considers the accreditation a "major accomplishment" for any program and university. Like all ABET accredited schools and programs, UNCW's program will undergo periodic evaluation for re-accreditation to affirm that it continues to uphold its high standards of quality.

ABET is a non-profit and non-governmental accrediting agency for academic programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET is a recognized accreditor in the United States (US) by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

For more information on the UNCW Department of Computer Science and ABET Accreditation, go to http://uncw.edu/csc/

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 or fischettid@uncw.edu