Washington Accord (credentials)

The Washington Accord is an international accreditation agreement for undergraduate professional engineering academic degrees and postgraduate professional engineering academic degrees between the bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries. The full signatories as of January 2024 are Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.[1]

Overview

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The Washington Accord recognizes that there is substantial equivalence of programs accredited by those signatories. Graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries are recognized by the other signatory countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering. Recognition of accredited programs is not retroactive but takes effect only from the date of admission of the country to signatory status.

Scope

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The Washington Accord covers both undergraduate and postgraduate engineering degrees.[2] Engineering technology programs are not covered by the accord. Engineering technology programs are covered under the Sydney Accord and Dublin Accord. Only qualifications awarded after the signatory country or region became part of the Washington Accord are recognized. The accord is not directly responsible for the licensing of professional engineers and the registration of chartered engineers but it does cover the academic requirements that are part of the licensing processes in signatory countries.

Signatories

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Signatory status: (2023)
  Full signatory
  Partial signatory
  Territory of a signatory without membership of local accreditation organization

The following are the signatory countries and territories of the Washington Accord, their respective accreditation bodies and years of admission:[1]

Flag Member State Member Institution Year of admission
  Australia Engineers Australia 1989
  Bangladesh Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh 2023
  Canada Engineers Canada 1989
  China China Association for Science and Technology 2016
  Costa Rica Association of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica 2020
  Hong Kong The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers 1995
  India National Board of Accreditation 2014
  Indonesia Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia (PII) 2022
  Ireland Engineers Ireland 1989
  Japan Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education 2005
  Malaysia Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) 2009
  Mexico Consejo de Acreditación de la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería (CACEI) 2022
  New Zealand Engineering New Zealand 1989
  Pakistan Pakistan Engineering Council 2017
  Philippines Philippine Technological Council 2023
  Peru ICACIT 2018
  Russia Association for Engineering Education of Russia 2012
  Singapore Institution of Engineers Singapore 2006
  South Africa Engineering Council of South Africa 1999
  South Korea Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea 2007
  Sri Lanka Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka 2014
  Taiwan Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan 2007
  Turkey MÜDEK 2011
  United Kingdom Engineering Council 1989
  United States ABET 1989

The following countries have provisional signatory status and may become full signatory members in the future:

Flag State Institution Provisional Status Approved
  Chile Acredita CI 2018
  Mauritius Institution of Engineers Mauritius (IEM) 2024
  Myanmar Myanmar Engineering Council 2019
  Nigeria Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria 2023
  Saudi Arabia Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) 2022
  Thailand Thailand Accreditation Board of Engineering Education 2019

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Washington Accord Signatories". International Engineering Alliance. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Outcome Based Education" (PDF). 18 June 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010.
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