TORONTO, July 9, 2007 -- York University’s engineering program has been granted accreditation by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, enabling graduates to apply directly for a professional engineering licence.
Graduates previously had to undergo additional testing in order to receive accreditation.
York’s engineering program focuses on three key strengths: space, geomatics and computer engineering.
“Our program speaks to society’s future needs,” says Richard Hornsey, the associate dean of York’s School of Engineering. He says members of the CEAB were impressed by the professionalism they saw during a whirlwind site visit, which involved 65 meetings over three days. The result was a three-year accreditation – the maximum given to a new program.
Nick Cercone, dean of York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, couldn’t be happier with the successful accreditation. "In the heart of engineering country, York decided to pursue a non-traditional approach rather than duplicate existing programs. The unique ‘at-York’ solution means our space engineering is one of the strongest in the country, geomatics is offered only by a handful of universities in Canada, and computer engineering, which suffered from the dot-com bubble, is poised to grow as the industry recovers."
What’s next for the program? "We have a bright future, we’ve had good luck in hiring new talent, our new president is very excited about the program and our reputation is very good,” says Cercone. “Perhaps there will be a Faculty of Engineering in York’s future.”
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 24 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
Media contact:
Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22097 / mehughes@yorku.ca
