The Necessity of Accreditation of Engineering Programs Offered by Iranian Universities: A Critical and Technical Analysis within Global Frameworks

Accreditation of engineering programs is universally accepted as a cornerstone for quality assurance, professional competence, and international mobility. Iran follows a system of nationally "recognized" degrees, but lacks a formal, outcome-based accreditation process aligned with international standards. In contrast, countries such as South Africa, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia have adopted rigorous accreditation processes through organizations such as the Engineering Council of South Africa, ABET, the Engineering Council UK, and Engineers Canada. These processes are in line with international standards through the International Engineering Alliance for accords like the Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, and Dublin Accord. The current research aims to provide a critical and technical evaluation of the current accreditation processes, focusing on Outcome-Based Education, graduate attributes, methodologies for assessment, and Continuous Quality Improvement. A synthesis of the state-of-the-art literature is provided to highlight the current debates and limitations of the current accreditation processes. The Iranian engineering education system is critically evaluated in relation to international standards. A roadmap for implementation is provided. The results show that accreditation is a strategic necessity for quality improvement.

کلیدواژه ها:

Engineering Accreditation ، Outcome-Based Education (OBE) ، Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) ، Engineering Education Reform ، International Engineering Standards