11/1/24

The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering (CPSE) program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) recently achieved a significant milestone, receiving accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) in October 2024. This accreditation makes the CPSE program the first of its kind at the undergraduate level to receive ABET accreditation in cyber-physical systems engineering. Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director of USG, highlighted the program’s many strengths:

  • Career-Ready Graduates: The program prepares students for impactful careers that improve communities worldwide.
  • Exceptional Faculty: Students benefit from dedicated, hands-on faculty committed to fostering every student’s success.
  • First of Its Kind: This is the only undergraduate program in cyber-physical systems engineering to receive ABET accreditation.

ABET, a nonprofit organization known globally for quality assurance in education, evaluates programs through a rigorous peer-review process to ensure they meet standards that prepare students effectively for the workforce.

The CPSE program emphasizes a "pathway" approach to support students’ academic journeys. This includes early engagement initiatives for middle and high school students, designed to encourage their long-term success in engineering and related fields. "We are fortunate to have this partnership with UMD’s CPSE program at USG,” said Dr. Khademian.

Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering students in class

The ABET Accreditation Process 

To achieve accreditation, the CPSE program undertook a thorough self-study process to address ABET’s criteria. An ABET-assigned representative visited the campus, reviewing the program’s strengths and making recommendations to the CPSE Program Director, Dr. Romel Gomez and the UMD Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair, Dr. Sennur Ulukus, and Associate Chair, Dr. Donald Yeung. 

Ultimately, the CPSE program demonstrated its capacity and ability to create an environment and curriculum that grounds students in fundamental engineering principles, circuits, mathematics and algorithms. By combining elements of computer science, electrical engineering, control systems and mechanical engineering, the CPSE program develops students who can design, optimize and deploy systems that interact with the physical world.

“ABET is an internationally recognized and respected leader in assuring quality engineering education, and receiving its seal of approval is an important milestone for a brand new program like…Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering.” said Dr. Gomez.

In addition to its core curriculum, CPSE offers opportunities for high school and community college students to engage with engineering early on through the “Jumpstart Your Engineering Career” summer program. This initiative helps students make industry connections and strengthens the program’s focus on career readiness and innovation in design.

For more information on the CPSE program’s recent ABET accreditation, check out their article on The MoCo Show published October 14, 2024.

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