SHU Gains Accreditation For Three Programs

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Three programs in Sacred Heart University’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT) have garnered accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). One of them―game design & development―is only the second accredited program of its kind in the world.

The programs―computer science (CS) and information technology (IT), along with game design―are housed in the WCBT’s School of Computer Science & Engineering. The accreditation will be retroactive to 2019, so alumni who graduated in the past four years can add that to their credentials.

“Everybody had a role,” said Samah Senbel, assistant professor in the School of Computer Science & Engineering and quality assurance committee chair, who shepherded the accreditation application. “[Current provost] Robin Cautin, who was dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the time—which was the college we were first in—spearheaded the application. Everyone from the faculty, administration and administrative assistants to the students worked hard to make this happen.” 

The process started in 2015 and included campus visits from accreditors, curriculum revisions and frequent updates. One of those revisions was the addition of physics classes to the computer science and game design curricula. “We needed to increase the level of math our students mastered,” said Senbel. “Some people thought we were making the course too hard, but our students rose to the occasion. 

“Coming from an accredited program will open up job opportunities for our students and alumni,” said Senbel.

“Having these three accredited programs elevates the status of the WCBT and the School of Computer Science & Engineering on a national and international level,” said Catherine McCabe, dean of the WCBT. 

“We are delighted to receive ABET accreditation for our CS, IT and game design programs,” said Cautin. “The accreditation is external and independent recognition of the high quality of our curricula and students’ educational experience. We will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do; CS, IT and game design accreditation is the most recent instantiation of this commitment. I’m so proud of our faculty and staff for achieving this milestone.”

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About Sacred Heart University

As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 387 Colleges–2022 Edition, “Best Northeastern” and Best Business Schools–2022 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu