Development of Engineering Profession Through Engineering Educational Programs of Kogakuin University Accredited by the JABEE

The Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE) established in 1999 is a nongovernmental organization that examines and accredits the college and university programs in engineering education. “The Basic Engineering in Global Environment” of Kogakuin University is an engineering program, leading to bachelor’s degree, accredited in the field of “General Engineering” by JABEE in 2001, one of the first three programs accredited in Japan. Since the accreditation is valid for five years, the program recently went through an examination again by JABEE for another 5 years from 2006. The JABEE criteria as well as the procedures and methods of accreditation and examination were not quite well defined in details for a couple of years after 2001. The authors have investigated whether the accreditation system really could help educational improvements for students, faculties and industries. Most of senior students in Japanese technical colleges have to complete graduation thesis work. They will be trained to be researchers rather than engineers, because those themes with a strong scientific aspect belong to their professors. Unlike the graduation thesis work, in the program of the Basic Engineering in Global Environment accredited by JABEE, are offered the subjects like ethics, engineering design, management skills and communication skills, which are required and essential for the engineer. The students can be trained to become true and useful engineers or embryos demanded by industrial companies through these curricula. Furthermore, the graduates of the accredited engineering programs are exempted from Primary Examination for Professional Engineer, since the fundamental capability as an entry-level engineer is assured by the program itself. Basic specialized knowledge is examined in the Primary Examination for PE. In the Final Examination for PE practical engineering experience and skill are examined. The graduates of the program of Basic Engineering in Global Environment will possibly pass the Final Examination without much difficulty, since they learn the management ability, creativity, communication ability and so on with the industry-university co-operational education in the program.