UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering receives CEAB accreditation for degree program
The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) at UPEI has been granted accreditation for a three-year term from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering. This term may be extended to the maximum six-year accreditation period following the submission of a status report at the end of two years.
The CEAB—a body of Engineers Canada—accredits undergraduate engineering programs to ensure they provide the academic requirements for licensure as a professional engineer in Canada. The CEAB exists to ensure Canada’s engineering education system remains among the best in the world by setting national standards for engineering education and providing expertise in assessing engineering education on behalf of the provincial and territorial engineering regulatory bodies.
UPEI delivers the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering at both the Charlottetown and Cairo campuses. Because CEAB accredits “programs,” rather than campuses, the accreditation process included evaluation of the program on both campuses, making it a unique undertaking. The first class of graduates from the Cairo campus will receive their degrees during a Convocation ceremony in August.
“Receiving a three-year accreditation for our program delivered both in Canada and Egypt is a tremendous accomplishment. We potentially won't have to go through another full site visit until the spring of 2028 should our status report be favourably received by the CEAB,” said Dr. Wayne Peters, interim dean of the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering. “This stamp of approval confirms that program delivery at the UPEI Cairo Campus meets Canadian standards. Not only is UPEI’s sustainable design engineering degree the first and only such accredited program in Canada, but also it includes program delivery at an international campus.” The potential for extension in three years without additional site visits is an endorsement of the program and the excellent faculty and staff who deliver it.
The Egyptian Supreme Council has also deemed UPEI’s program to be equivalent to engineering degrees delivered by Egyptian universities. This means that graduates from the UPEI Cairo Campus will be eligible to be qualified to practice engineering in both Canada and Egypt.
“Congratulations to the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering on achieving this accreditation under the leadership of Dr. Wayne Peters, interim dean,” said Dr. Greg Keefe, interim UPEI president and vice-chancellor. “It is the result of the exemplary dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff in building this strong project-based degree program that it is now recognized in Canada and Egypt.”
The UPEI Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering is for students who are eager to put their skills and knowledge to work. Students are part of a unique learning experience that is hands-on, team-focused, project-based, and industry-linked. UPEI’s first accreditation review was in the fall of 2016 when the bachelor’s degree was first reviewed as a new program; this required a full on-site visit and resulted in a two-year accreditation period, 2017–2019. UPEI was next reviewed in the fall of 2018, resulting in a three-year accreditation period, 2019–2022. This most recent review—carried out in March 2022—was a full site visit by the CEAB of both the Charlottetown and Cairo campuses and has resulted in another three-year accreditation from 2022–2025. This three-year period may be extended an additional three years upon the submission of a report by June 30, 2024, to CEAB.
