In the United States, accreditation is a non-governmental, peer-review process that assures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. Educational institutions or programs volunteer to undergo this review periodically to determine if certain criteria are being met.

It is important to understand, however, that accreditation is not a ranking system. It is simply assurance that a program or institution meets established quality standards.
 
There are two types of accreditation: institutional and specialized.
 
  • Institutional accreditation evaluates overall institutional quality. One form of institutional accreditation is regional accreditation of colleges and universities.
  • Specialized accreditation examines specific programs of study, rather than an institution as a whole. This type of accreditation is granted to specific programs at specific levels. Architecture, nursing, law, medicine, and engineering programs are often evaluated through specialized accreditation.

ABET, http://www.abet.org, is responsible for the specialized accreditation of educational programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

Oregon State University

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) provides institutional accreditation for Oregon State University.

College of Engineering
School of Nuclear Science and Engineering

The Bachelor of Science & Honors Bachelor of Science degree programs in Radiation Health Physics are accredited by the Applied & Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

The Bachelor of Science & Honors Bachelor of Science degree programs in Nuclear Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

ABET Student Outcomes

Nuclear Engineering

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7.  An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Nuclear engineering program specific outcomes:

  • NE1 Ability to apply knowledge of atomic and nuclear physics to nuclear and radiological systems and processes
  • NE2 Ability to apply knowledge of transport and interaction of radiation with matter to nuclear and radiation processes
  • NE3 Ability to measure nuclear and radiation processes
  • NE4 Ability to work professionally in one or more of the nuclear or radiological fields of specialization

Radiation Health Physics

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve broadly defined technical or scientific problems by applying knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline.
  2. An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure or program to meet desired needs.
  3. An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and use scientific judgment to draw conclusions.
  4. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  5. An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  6. An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.

Radiation health physics program specific outcomes:

  • HP1 Ability to apply knowledge of atomic and nuclear physics to nuclear and radiological systems and processes
  • HP2 Ability to apply knowledge of transport and interaction of radiation with matter to nuclear and radiation processes
  • HP3 Ability to measure nuclear and radiation processes
  • HP4 Ability to apply knowledge of ionizing radiation risk in terms of decision-making and policy

Educational Objectives

Outcomes Assessment of Graduate Programs

In addition to these detailed external reviews, each graduate program assesses its students' progress and gathers additional information that allows it to improve its policies and procedures. These assessments are designed to determine whether students are achieving graduate program learning objectives and whether strategies used to assist students in reaching their learning outcomes should be modified.

Overarching Graduate Learning Outcomes for doctoral and masters programs were proposed by the Graduate Council and approved by the Faculty Senate on Jan 13, 2011 (doctoral) and April 14, 2011 (masters). The graduate outcomes, as approved by Faculty Senate, are:

Learning outcomes for PhD Degree programs state that the student shall:

(a) produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge;
(b) demonstrate mastery of subject material; and
(c) be able to conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner. 

These outcomes are to be assessed at the program level. Outcome (a) is already part of the assessment performed at the final oral exam and the GCR is specifically required to raise this metric. Outcome (b) is part of every unit's requirements for students and is assessed by course work grades and preliminary examinations. Outcome (c) is new and will require the units to be sure the students are informed/trained as to what is required to conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner. There is an array of methods the units could choose to use, such as the Graduate School course on Responsible Conduct of Research, along with other courses, instruction in research groups, etc.

Additional outcomes, the assessment of all outcomes and the specification of learning objectives related to these outcomes are to be carried out at the program level and reviewed periodically.

Learning outcomes for Master's Degree programs state that the student shall:

(a) Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work, and 
(b) Demonstrate mastery of subject material, and
(c) Be able to conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.

The assessment of these outcomes and the specification of learning objectives related to these outcomes are to be carried out at the program level.

The assessment of program-level learning outcomes is to be formative, providing guidance for students as they work toward achieving required outcomes, and summative, determining satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Students are to be informed of the additional outcomes and the strategies used to assess progress toward achieving the outcomes. The current Graduate assessment plans, submitted to the Director of Assessment, were implemented beginning in January 2012.