Santa Clara University

Program Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes

ABET, the national accreditation organization for engineering programs requires that accredited programs establish and regularly update Program Educational Objectives and related Program Outcomes.Program Educational Objectives address the defining characteristics, attributes and abilities that SCU civil engineering graduates demonstrate within the first three to five years of their professional careers.Program Outcomes describe the measurable characteristics (i.e. knowledge, skills and sensitivities) that the Civil Engineering Department expects to find in its students at the completion of their undergraduate program.

The current set of Program Educational Objectives for the Civil Engineering Program at Santa Clara University was developed using an iterative process that integrated the ideas of the departmental faculty, students and the departmental Advisory Board. The Advisory Board provides representation from alumni, local employers and the professional civil engineering community. The Program Educational Objectives so developed reflect not only the professional needs of Civil Engineering Program graduate but also the parent institution’s mission statement and related aspirations for all Santa Clara University graduates. Initial versions of the departmental Educational Objectives were drafted in 2001, and revised in 2003 and 2011.  The educational objectives developed by the Department for its undergraduate program reflect our commitment to providing a program that produces graduates who, within five years of graduation, will:

• capably design, build, maintain, or improve civil engineering-based systems in the context of environmental, economic, and societal requirements
  
• serve the community as ethical and responsible professionals
  
• engage in lifelong learning for professional growth
  

The companion Program Outcomes listed below were developed specifically for the undergraduate civil engineering program to help ensure that the aforementioned Program Educational Objectives are met. The focus of these outcomes is consistent with the set of required educational outcomes identified in the ABET EC2000 accreditation guidelines. Minimum ABET requirements have been supplemented with Program/University-specific outcomes that address the uniqueness of a Santa Clara University civil engineering education.

The Civil Engineering Program Outcomes require that graduates receiving a BSCE degree from Santa Clara University demonstrate the following.

1a. Graduates will have an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.

1b. Graduates will have an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.

1c. Graduates will have an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

1d. Graduates will have an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.

1e. Graduates will have an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

1f. Graduates will have an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

1g. Graduates will have an ability to communicate effectively.

1h. Graduates will have a broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, and societal context.

1i. Graduates will recognize the need for, and the ability to engage in life-long learning.

1j. Graduates will have an understanding of contemporary issues.

1k. Graduates will have an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

2. Students will be able to explain basic concepts in management, business, public policy, and leadership and will be able to explain the importance of professional licensure.

3. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of four technical areas within the general discipline of civil engineering.

4. Graduates will develop an understanding of the mission of the University to produce graduates with competence, conscience, and compassion and its relation to professional engineering practice.

These Program Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes represent a formal manifestation of an educational philosophy and spirit that the Civil Engineering Department has operated under for many years.