MSE Accreditation Program Outcomes & Review Process Flowchart

MSE Review Process

MSE Program Criteria

The MSE Program Criteria identify the following topics that are distinctive to materials related engineering programs:

0.   Nanostructure
1.   Microstructure
2.   Properties
3.   Processing
4.   Cost/Performance
5.   Metals
6.   Ceramics
7.   Polymers
8.   Electronic Materials
9.   Composites
10.  Biomaterials
11.  Experimental
12.  Computational
13.  Statistics

Student Outcomes

In addition, outcomes of student learning identified by ABET are assessed:

1.  an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2.  an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3.  an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4.  an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5.  an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6.  an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7.  an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Curriculum and Processes to Ensure Achievement of Objectives

Students who progress through the MSE curriculum at MSU learn the core of knowledge that distinguishes MSE students from other engineers as identified in topics 0-13. Each course generates student learning that satisfies the 0-13 topics and the (1)–(7) program outcomes. The ABET course learning goals indicate which outcomes are assessed in each class.  The course learning goals are not written explicitly in terms of the 0-13 topics or (1)–(7) outcomes, though examples of how these links are developed in student learning are provided in the ABET course syllabi.

Results Used to Improve Effectiveness of the Program

Student learning and attainment of the outcomes (1)–(7) are assessed periodically.

Feedback systems for the MSE Program

The Course Evaluation Form (CEF) based feedback system illustrated in the flow chart above takes place according to the schedule outlined below.  

Timing of MSE Curriculum/ABET Committee and Faculty Assessment of Outcomes

 

Timing	Activity	Purpose
End of Fall Finals week	Faculty meet for two hours to enter information into the CEFs and discuss assessed outcomes and other matters.  Action items for subcommittees are identified for making changes. Student assessment from SIRS responses to prior Spring courses are reveiwed, and course evaluation forms are finalized.	All faculty become aware of successes and challenges that take place in alll courses of the curriculum, which provides opportunity for prerequisite tree pedagogy to become understood by all
January-February	Action items are addressed from fall meeting.	Only relevant faculty are involved
March	MSE faculty meets for 2 hours to review any curriculum based action items, and to discuss teaching assignments for the following academic year	Provides opportunity for discussion and voting on any needed changes.  Faculty own the teaching assignment process.
End of Spring Finals week	Faculty meet for two hours to enter information from Spring courses into the CEFs and discuss assessed outcomes and other matters.  Action items for subcommittees are identified for making changes. Student assessment from SIRS responses to prior Fall courses are reveiwed, and course evaluation forms are finalized.	All faculty become aware of successes and challenges that take place in alll courses of the curriculum, which provides opportunity for prerequisite tree pedagogy to become understood by all
September	Action items identified in prior meeting that need subcommittee efforts are worked out.	Not all faculty need to be involved
Sometime in Fall	External Alumni Board meets with students at lunch to ask questions and hear about student's perspective.  Board debriefs faculty later in the afternoon	External board gains understanding of student experience
About every other year	Student forum in MSE Society meeting to obtain program scale feedback from students on various topics provided by faculty.	This is collected without faculty presence to obtain student perspectives