The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) has expectations for programs every term. One of these expectations is that graduate attributes (measurements of the students ability in different subject matter) are collected and maintained. There are 12 graduate attributes total and collection of these attributes is pertinent in ensuring our engineering programs remain accredited. See table below for more information.
| Graduate Attribute |
Performance Indicator ("______ graduates from UWaterloo should be able to...") |
|---|---|
| 1. Knowledge Base: Demonstrated competence in university level mathematics, natural sciences, engineering fundamentals, and specialized engineering knowledge appropriate to the program. |
1a. Demonstrate understanding of concepts in mathematics 1b. Demonstrate understanding of concepts in natural science 1c. Demonstrate understanding of engineering fundamentals 1d. Demonstrate understanding of specialized engineering knowledge |
| 2. Problem Analysis: An ability to use appropriate knowledge and skills to identify, formulate, analyze, and solve complex engineering problems in order to reach substantiated conclusions. |
2a. Formulate a problem statement 2b. Develop models to solve engineering problems including identifying approximations, assumptions and constraints 2c. Critically evaluate solutions of engineering problems |
| 3. Investigation: An ability to conduct investigations of complex problems by methods that include appropriate experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and synthesis of information in order to reach valid conclusions. |
3a. Create investigative studies of complex engineering problems 3b. Gather information from relevant sources to address complex engineering problems 3c. Synthesize information from multiple sources to reach valid conclusions |
| 4. Design: The ability to perform engineering design. Engineering design is a process of making informed decisions to creatively devise products, systems, components, or processes to meet specified goals based on engineering analysis and judgement. The process is often characterized as complex, open-ended, iterative, and multidisciplinary. Solutions incorporate natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering science, using systematic and current best practices to satisfy defined objectives within identified requirements, criteria and constraints. Constraints to be considered may include (but are not limited to): health and safety, sustainability, environmental, ethical, security, economic, aesthetics and human factors, feasibility and compliance with regulatory aspects, along with universal design issues such as societal, cultural and diversification facets. |
4+. Identify a need. 4a. Define design requirements and specifications for complex, open-ended engineering problems, with appropriate attention to health and safety risks, applicable standards, and economic, environmental, cultural and societal considerations 4b. Critically evaluate and compare design choices 4c. Generate and refine potential solutions to complex, open-ended design problems 4d. Further refine and validate the design in regards to the initial need and communicate the solution |
| 5. Use of Engineering Tools: An ability to create, select, apply, adapt, and extend appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering tools to a range of engineering activities, from simple to complex, with an understanding of the associated limitations. |
5a. Select appropriate engineering tools considering their limitations 5b. Modify and/or create appropriate engineering tools, identifying their limitations 5c. Use engineering tools appropriately, including applying relevant safety protocols |
| 6. Individual and Team Work: An ability to work effectively as a member and leader in teams, preferably in a multi-disciplinary setting. |
6a. Contribute as an active team member or leader to complete individual tasks 6b. Collaborate with others to complete tasks effectively as a team |
| 7. Communication Skills: An ability to communicate complex engineering concepts within the profession and with society at large. Such ability includes reading, writing, speaking and listening, and the ability to comprehend and write effective reports and design documentation, and to give and effectively respond to clear instructions. |
7a. Orally present information within the profession and to society at large 7b. Communicate in a written format within the profession and to society at large 7c. Interpret information, including instructions |
| 8. Professionalism: An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the professional engineer in society, especially the primary role of protection of the public and the public interest. |
8a. Articulate the roles and responsibilities of the professional engineer in society with reference to the protection of the public and its interest 8b. Describe the importance of codes, standards, best practices, laws, and regulations within engineering |
| 9. Impact of Engineering: An ability to analyze social and environmental aspects of engineering activities. Such ability includes an understanding of the interactions that engineering has with the economic, social, health, safety, legal, and cultural aspects of society, the uncertainties in the prediction of such interactions; and the concepts of sustainable design and development and environmental stewardship. |
9a. Identify the relevance of and uncertainty associated with different aspects (social, cultural, economic, health, safety, legal, environmental), of an engineering project 9b. Analyze the social, health, safety, and environmental aspects of an engineering project, incorporating sustainability considerations and environmental stewardship in making decisions |
| 10. Ethics and Equity: An ability to apply professional ethics, accountability, and equity. |
10a. Identify ethical and unethical behavior in professional situations 10b. Identify how an engineer is accountable to multiple stakeholders in engineering practice 10c. Identify equitable and inequitable situations and behaviors |
| 11. Economics and Project Management: An ability to appropriately incorporate economics and business practices including project, risk, and change management into the practice of engineering and to understand their limitations. |
11a. Apply project management techniques and other business practices in engineering projects, with attention to risk and change 11b. Perform economic analyses of engineering projects with attention to uncertainty and limitations |
| 12. Life-long Learning: An ability to identify and to address their own educational needs in a changing world in ways sufficient to maintain their competence and to allow them to contribute to the advancement of knowledge. |
12a. Identify gaps in their knowledge, skills and abilities 12b. Obtain and evaluate information or training from appropriate sources 12c. Reflect on the use of information or training received |