2005-2006

News Release

REF NO.: 131

SUBJECT:

DATE: December 8, 2005

All five programs in the Faculty of Engineering at Memorial University were granted a full six-year accreditation, the maximum accreditation period possible for engineering degree programs in Canada, after a review by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). All engineering degree programs in Canada undergo rigorous assessments by the CEAB, which acts on behalf of the engineering profession in Canada to ensure that Canadian engineering graduates are among the best in the world.

“This decision by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board is a very strong endorsement of the quality of the engineering degree programs in the faculty and it places our programs among the very best in Canada,” says Dr. Ray Gosine, dean of engineering. “Our graduates, students, faculty and staff should be very proud of this achievement and it reflects an outstanding commitment to engineering education.”

Steve McLean, executive director of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEG-NL), says the PEG-NL Council was extremely pleased to hear of the accreditation of the MUN engineering programs; but the news of the CEAB’s decision didn’t really come as a surprise. “We have heard only very positive comments from employers about the quality of engineering students and grads from Memorial. This is, like accreditation, is a strong indicator of the high standard of the programs there. Our congratulations go to Dean Gosine and the faculty and staff at the engineering faculty.”

“Full accreditation for all of the faculty’s engineering programs is an outstanding accomplishment, an accomplishment rarely achieved,” said Dr. Axel Meisen, president of Memorial University. “As a former chair of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, I know how hard it is to meet the exacting standards of the CEAB. This result attests to the quality of our faculty and positions our graduates well for their professional careers.”

Accredited engineering programs must contain not only adequate mathematics, science and engineering, but they must also develop communication skills and an understanding of the environmental, cultural, economic and social impacts of engineering on society and of the concept of sustainable development. Accreditation also ensures and reinforces a commitment to educating engineers who are adaptive, creative, resourceful and responsive while fostering innovation in undergraduate students.

“Engineering is a rewarding career choice for individuals who are creative and who want to create a better world through the application of scientific principles to address challenges such as improving the quality of our lives and the health of our economy,” adds Dr. Gosine. “There is no better choice than Memorial’s engineering co-op programs for an excellent university education which opens up outstanding career opportunities through a combination of academic study and co-op work terms in industry.”

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial

Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science is at the centre of ground-breaking research for the oil and gas industry. Vital research is underway in offshore basin evolution, reservoir engineering, characterization and management, offshore environmental risk assessment, environmental monitoring with autonomous underwater vehicles, and safety, health and risk related to oil and gas activities in harsh environments. The local oil and gas industry, with this strong link to Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science research, also employs many engineering graduates.

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science offers engineering education at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as an active program in continuing engineering education with a range of short-courses, certificates and diplomas for the professional engineering community.

At the undergraduate level there are several program options including civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, and ocean and naval architectural engineering, and all programs are co-op which gives students a mix of academic and professional education. Students can also take offshore oil and gas engineering options in the last three terms of study in any of the undergraduate programs.

The faculty also offers master’s (M.Eng.) and doctoral (PhD) level degrees, as well as a master of applied science (M.A.Sc.) degree programs in computer engineering and environmental engineering and applied science and an Industrial Internship Option in the M.Eng. program, which allows students to undertake work internships within industry.

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