IT program at UAE University wins accreditation
The accreditation has been granted by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Board for Engineering and Technology
Al Ain: The Bachelor's degree program in information technology at UAE University (UAEU) has won accreditation from a leading US institution, opening up more educational and career opportunities for the graduates around the world.
The accreditation has been granted by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The success is the culmination of years of careful program development according to international standards, and an 18 month review process by ABET that took place during 2010 and 2011.
The decision also extends retroactively to degrees completed starting in Fall 2009, said Professor Eyad Abed, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology at the UAEU, at a press conference. "We hope this will give our students and alumni further pride in their degree and added confidence in their skills as they pursue their chosen careers," said added.
He said Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the UAE University, has directed all professional programs within the UAE higher education system to seek international accreditation.
"ABET accreditation certifies that our educational program is equipped with mechanisms for continuous monitoring and improvement, and assures that our curriculum model includes the core knowledge areas and experiential learning expected in an IT program, said Professor Abed. Graduates from the ABET accredited program, he said, will also more easily be able to obtain admission in Master's and PhD programs worldwide.
Dr Abdullah Al Khanbashi, Vice Chancellor of the UAEU, said the ABET accreditation was another indicator of quality academic programs and the University's commitment to thoughtful planning and continuous improvement.
"I am pleased that the degree program of the university's youngest Faculty, the Faculty of Information Technology, has received accreditation the first time it was reviewed by the ABET," he added.
The ABET is a federation of 30 professional engineering societies in the USA. It is an independent non-profit organisation, responsible for the specialised accreditation of educational programmes in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.
The UAEU's Faculty of IT curriculum follows standard computing curricula models of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The ACM is the largest professional computing institution in the world. One of its services is tailoring curriculum recommendations to the rapidly changing IT landscape.
