Student Info > Undergraduate > Curriculum

Undergraduate Program Mission, Objectives & Outcomes

The Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET http://www.abet.org/. ABET accrediting criteria state 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; and 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 Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington 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 academe to which electrical 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 (CIP) 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 on-going evaluation, assessment and improvement. More information on the CIP, as well as on-going activities, can be found on our web site.

Student Outcomes

By graduation, we expect our graduates to have demonstrated abilities in:
  1. Problems An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. 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
  3. Communication An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. 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
  5. Teams 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. Experiment An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. Learning An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

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