# 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.

## Overview

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

The Washington Accord covers both undergraduate and postgraduate engineering degrees. 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

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