Improving electrical engineering education at the American University of Sharjah through continuous assessment

Abstract

The electrical engineering (ELE) program at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) is designed to fulfill the ABET criteria. Several assessment tools are used to qualitatively and quantitatively measure the level of achievement of the program's educational objectives and outcomes. These tools include alumni, employer, and graduate advisor surveys. Results of such surveys are used to continuously improve the program curriculum, design activities, and the overall educational experience of the students. We believe that the techniques utilised in this process are crucial to the level of success that the ELE program at AUS has achieved over a relatively short-time frame. This has been reflected in the excellent academic reputation of AUS in the Middle East. Furthermore, the ELE program at AUS has received ABET accreditation in 2006 for a period of six years, which makes it the first ELE program to be fully accredited by ABET outside the USA.