SF State engineering programs all receive ABET Accreditation

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2018 — For the first time since the establishment of San Francisco State University’s computer engineering program in 2004, all four of the School of Engineering’s undergraduate degree programs have been accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering & Technology (ABET). The accreditation this August makes the School of Engineering the only ABET-accredited, four-year engineering school in San Francisco.

“This is a seal of approval for our degree programs,” said Associate Director of the School of Engineering Ed Cheng, who led the accreditation effort. “It’s an indication of how we’ve grown and matured as a school and will also pave the way for more growth in the future.”

ABET is a nonprofit organization that evaluates the quality of engineering degree programs, ensuring that the programs are successfully preparing students for the workforce. Programs must meet certain criteria and rigorously track the success of their students and alumni to earn and maintain accreditation. An ABET accreditation carries weight with both potential students and employers as a mark of a program’s quality.

Three of SF State’s engineering programs — in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering — have been accredited in the past, but the newer computer engineering program received its first accreditation in this year’s assessment. This recognition is valid retroactively: Any SF State computer engineering student who graduated after Oct. 1, 2016, can say their degree comes from an ABET-accredited program.

“We’re doing what we need to do to remain competitive with other engineering degree programs and to serve our students and their careers moving forward,” said Cheng.

The School of Engineering has more than doubled in size in the last two decades and now holds almost 1,500 students, making it the second-largest major on campus. Over the past decade the school has received over $9 million in grants, which support innovative engineering research while enhancing student learning through cutting-edge equipment and new classroom technology.

The newly earned accreditation will help the computer engineering program attract more students and will aid the school in its mission to train students from a diverse and multicultural population to become members of the engineering workforce. “Entering its 60th year in operation, the SF State School of Engineering is proud to have graduated a significant number of engineers who serve in both the private and public sectors and keep the Bay Area and California’s economies humming,” said Director of the School of Engineering Kwok-Siong Teh.