Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Encyclopedia
ABET, Inc., formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit organization
that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science
, computing
, engineering
, and technology
. Accreditation
is intended to certify the quality of these programs, mainly in the United States
but also internationally.
, around 3,100 programs are accredited, distributed over more than 600 universities and colleges in 21 countries.
ABET is the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET also provides leadership internationally through workshops, consultancies, memoranda of understanding, and mutual recognition agreements, such as the Washington Accord
. ABET has been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA) since 1997.
(ECPD) by seven engineering societies: The American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE), the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers - now the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
(AIME), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME), the American Institute of Electrical Engineers - now the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE), the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education - now the American Society for Engineering Education
(ASEE), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AIChE), and the National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners - now the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
(NCEES).
ECPD was originally founded to provide a "joint program for upbuilding engineering as a profession". However, it almost immediately began developing as an accreditation agency, evaluating its first engineering program in 1936 and its first engineering technology program in 1946.
ECPD changed its name to Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 1980, and changed it again to ABET, Inc. in 2005.
of 29 professional and technical societies (ABET member societies) representing the fields of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. These societies own and operate the organization.
Member Societies
Associate Member Society
The first step in securing or retaining ABET accreditation is for an institution to request an evaluation of its program(s) by January 31 of the year in which accreditation is being sought. The eligibility of the institution must be established, which can be satisfied if the institution is accredited by a regional accreditation agency. Each program is then assigned to one of four accreditation commissions within ABET:
The program is assigned to a commission based on its title (the program name shown on the transcript). Each commission has different accreditation criteria.
Each program then conducts an internal evaluation and completes a self-study report. The self-study documents how well the program is meeting the established accreditation criteria in multiple areas, such as their students, curriculum, faculty, administration, facilities, and institutional support. The self-study report must be provided to ABET by July 1.
While the program conducts its self-study, the appropriate ABET commission (Applied Science, Computing, Engineering, or Technology Commission) will choose a team chair to head the on-campus evaluation visit. A visit date (generally in the September - December time frame) is negotiated between the team chair and the institution. Once the date is set, the ABET commission will assign program evaluators (generally one per program being evaluated). The institution is provided the opportunity to reject the team chair or program evaluators if a conflict of interest is perceived. The team chair and evaluators are volunteers from academe, government, industry, and private practice.
Once the program evaluators are accepted by the institution, they are provided with the self-study report for their assigned program. This report forms the basis of their evaluation of the program, and prepares them for the campus visit.
The evaluation team (team chair and program evaluators) will normally arrive on campus on a Saturday or Sunday. During the on-campus visit, the evaluation team will review course materials from each program, as well as student projects and sample assignments. Evaluators will also interview students, faculty, and administrators, and tour the facilities to investigate any questions raised by the self-study. The visit will normally conclude the following Tuesday with an exit interview with the institution’s chief executive officer, dean, and other appropriate institution personnel as appropriate. This interview is intended to summarize the results of the evaluation for each program.
Following the campus visit, the institution has 7 days in which to correct perceived errors of fact communicated during the exit interview. Following this period, the team chair will begin preparation of a draft statement to the institution; this statement undergoes extensive editing and will typically be provided to the institution several months after the visit. On receipt of the draft statement, the institution has 30 days to respond to issues identified in the evaluation. After this response, the team chair prepares a final statement to the institution.
The final statement and recommended accreditation action is reviewed by the large annual meeting of all ABET commission members in July after the campus visit. Based on the findings, the commission members vote on the final accreditation action, and the school is notified of the decision in August.
The information the school receives identifies strengths, concerns, weaknesses, and deficiencies of the program, as well as recommendations for compliance with ABET criteria. Accreditation is granted for a maximum of six years, after which the institution must request another evaluation.
After intense discussion, in 1997, ABET adopted Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). The EC2000 criteria shifted the focus away from the inputs (what material is taught) and to the outputs (what students learned). EC2000 stresses continuous improvement, and accounts for specific missions and goals of the individual institutions and programs. The intention of this approach was to enable innovation in engineering programs rather than forcing all programs to conform to a standard, as well as to encourage new assessment processes and program improvements.
, one common prerequisite is graduation from an EAC or TAC of ABET-accredited program. Requirements for professional engineer testing for EAC and TAC accredited programs vary from state to state.
The Engineering Credential Evaluation International (ECEI) was established in 1997 as the credential evaluation service of ABET, Inc. ECEI specialized in the evaluation of degrees in engineering, engineering technology, computer science, and surveying from outside the U.S. As of October 30, 2006, ECEI stopped accepting applications for credentials evaluation; a business decision made by the ABET Board of Directors.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....
, computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. Accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
is intended to certify the quality of these programs, mainly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but also internationally.
, around 3,100 programs are accredited, distributed over more than 600 universities and colleges in 21 countries.
ABET is the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET also provides leadership internationally through workshops, consultancies, memoranda of understanding, and mutual recognition agreements, such as the Washington Accord
Washington Accord
The Washington Accord is an international accreditation agreement for professional engineering academic degrees, between the bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries...
. ABET has been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation in order to certify the quality of higher education...
(CHEA) since 1997.
History
ABET was established in 1932 as the Engineers' Council for Professional DevelopmentAmerican Engineers' Council for Professional Development
The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development or simply the Engineers' Council for Professional Development , established in June 1932, was an engineering professional body dedicated to the education, accreditation, regulation and professional development of the engineering...
(ECPD) by seven engineering societies: The American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
(ASCE), the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers - now the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers is a professional body for mining and metallurgy, with 90,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States, being one of the first national engineering societies in the...
(AIME), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
(ASME), the American Institute of Electrical Engineers - now the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
(IEEE), the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education - now the American Society for Engineering Education
American Society for Engineering Education
The American Society for Engineering Education is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education....
(ASEE), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
(AIChE), and the National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners - now the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is a national non-profit organization composed of engineering and land surveying licensing boards representing all U.S. states and territories...
(NCEES).
ECPD was originally founded to provide a "joint program for upbuilding engineering as a profession". However, it almost immediately began developing as an accreditation agency, evaluating its first engineering program in 1936 and its first engineering technology program in 1946.
ECPD changed its name to Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 1980, and changed it again to ABET, Inc. in 2005.
Members
ABET is a federationFederation (disambiguation)
-Use in political science:*Federation, a state governed under the system of federalism**Federated school, a model of governance used by some educational institutions which is also analogous to a political federation...
of 29 professional and technical societies (ABET member societies) representing the fields of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. These societies own and operate the organization.
Member Societies
- AAEE - American Academy of Environmental EngineersAmerican Academy of Environmental EngineersThe American Academy of Environmental Engineers is a society of professional engineers who have demonstrated special expertise in environmental engineering beyond that normally required for professional practice, in a process similar to what is required for medical and other professional specialty...
- ACerS/NICE - American Ceramic SocietyAmerican Ceramic SocietyThe American Ceramic Society is a non-profit professional organization for the ceramics community, with a focus on scientific research, emerging technologies, and applications in which ceramic materials are an element...
's National Institute of Ceramic Engineers - ACSM - American Congress on Surveying and MappingAmerican Congress on Surveying and MappingThe American Congress on Surveying and Mapping is an international professional association representing the interests of those engaged in measuring and communicating spatial data relating to the Earth's surface...
- AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsThe American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
- AIChE - American Institute of Chemical EngineersAmerican Institute of Chemical EngineersThe American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
- AIHA - American Industrial Hygiene AssociationAmerican Industrial Hygiene AssociationThe American Industrial Hygiene Association is a membership organization of occupational and environmental health professionals practicing industrial hygiene in industry, government, labor, academic institutions, and independent organizations....
- ANS - American Nuclear SocietyAmerican Nuclear SocietyThe American Nuclear Society is an international, not-for-profit 501 scientific and educational organization with a membership of approximately 11,000 scientists, engineers, educators, students, and other associate members. Approximately 900 members live outside the United States in 40 countries....
- ASABE - American Society of Agricultural and Biological EngineersAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological EngineersThe American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers , was founded in 1907 and is based in St. Joseph, Michigan. It is an international engineering society with about 9000 members in over 100 countries...
- ASCE - American Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Society of Civil EngineersThe American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
- ASEE - American Society for Engineering EducationAmerican Society for Engineering EducationThe American Society for Engineering Education is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education....
- ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning EngineersAmerican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning EngineersThe American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers is an international technical society for all individuals and organizations interested in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration...
- ASME - American Society of Mechanical EngineersAmerican Society of Mechanical EngineersThe American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
- ASSE - American Society of Safety EngineersAmerican Society of Safety EngineersFounded in 1911, the American Society of Safety Engineers is the oldest safety society and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 33,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members manage, supervise, research and consult on safety,...
- BMES - Biomedical Engineering Society
- CSABCSAB (professional organization)CSAB, Inc., formerly called the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, Inc., is a non-profit professional organization in the United States, focused on the quality of education in computing disciplines...
- formerly called the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board - IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersInstitute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersThe Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
- IIE - Institute of Industrial EngineersInstitute of Industrial EngineersThe Institute of Industrial Engineers is a professional society dedicated solely to the support of the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving quality and productivity...
- INCOSE - International Council on Systems EngineeringInternational Council on Systems EngineeringThe International Council on Systems Engineering is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the advancement of systems engineering and to raise the professional stature of systems engineers.- Overview :...
- ISA - International Society of Automation
- NCEES - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and SurveyingNational Council of Examiners for Engineering and SurveyingThe National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is a national non-profit organization composed of engineering and land surveying licensing boards representing all U.S. states and territories...
- NSPE - National Society of Professional EngineersNational Society of Professional EngineersThe National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...
- SAE - Society of Automotive Engineers
- SFPE - Society of Fire Protection EngineersSociety of Fire Protection EngineersThe Society of Fire Protection Engineers is a professional society for fire protection engineering established in 1950. SFPE publishes the Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, published on behalf of the society by SAGE Publications and Fire Protection Engineering magazine is published...
- SME - Society of Manufacturing EngineersSociety of Manufacturing EngineersThe Society of Manufacturing Engineers is a non-profit organization.-History of the Society:Founded in 1932 with 33 members, the organization was originally named The Society of Tool Engineers . A year later, it was renamed the American Society of Tool Engineers...
- SME-AIME - Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.
- SNAME - Society of Naval Architects and Marine EngineersSociety of Naval Architects and Marine EngineersThe Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers is a professional society that provides a forum for the advancement of the engineering profession as applied to the marine field...
- SPE - Society of Petroleum EngineersSociety of Petroleum EngineersThe Society of Petroleum Engineers is a not-for-profit professional organization whose mission is to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources and related technologies for the public benefit and to provide...
- SPIE - An international society focused on opticsOpticsOptics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
and photonicsPhotonicsThe science of photonics includes the generation, emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, detection and sensing of light. The term photonics thereby emphasizes that photons are neither particles nor waves — they are different in that they have both particle... - TMS - The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
Associate Member Society
- MRS - Materials Research Society
The ABET Accreditation Process
Accreditation of engineering programs is voluntary; the request for accreditation is initiated by the institution seeking accreditation. Accreditation is given to individual programs within an institution rather than to the institution as a whole. Accredited programs must request re-evaluation every six years to retain accreditation; if the accreditation criteria are not satisfied, additional evaluations may be required within the six-year interval. Programs without previous accreditation can apply for accreditation as long as they have produced at least one program graduate.The first step in securing or retaining ABET accreditation is for an institution to request an evaluation of its program(s) by January 31 of the year in which accreditation is being sought. The eligibility of the institution must be established, which can be satisfied if the institution is accredited by a regional accreditation agency. Each program is then assigned to one of four accreditation commissions within ABET:
- Applied Science Accreditation Commission (ASAC)
- Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC)
- Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
- Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC)
The program is assigned to a commission based on its title (the program name shown on the transcript). Each commission has different accreditation criteria.
Each program then conducts an internal evaluation and completes a self-study report. The self-study documents how well the program is meeting the established accreditation criteria in multiple areas, such as their students, curriculum, faculty, administration, facilities, and institutional support. The self-study report must be provided to ABET by July 1.
While the program conducts its self-study, the appropriate ABET commission (Applied Science, Computing, Engineering, or Technology Commission) will choose a team chair to head the on-campus evaluation visit. A visit date (generally in the September - December time frame) is negotiated between the team chair and the institution. Once the date is set, the ABET commission will assign program evaluators (generally one per program being evaluated). The institution is provided the opportunity to reject the team chair or program evaluators if a conflict of interest is perceived. The team chair and evaluators are volunteers from academe, government, industry, and private practice.
Once the program evaluators are accepted by the institution, they are provided with the self-study report for their assigned program. This report forms the basis of their evaluation of the program, and prepares them for the campus visit.
The evaluation team (team chair and program evaluators) will normally arrive on campus on a Saturday or Sunday. During the on-campus visit, the evaluation team will review course materials from each program, as well as student projects and sample assignments. Evaluators will also interview students, faculty, and administrators, and tour the facilities to investigate any questions raised by the self-study. The visit will normally conclude the following Tuesday with an exit interview with the institution’s chief executive officer, dean, and other appropriate institution personnel as appropriate. This interview is intended to summarize the results of the evaluation for each program.
Following the campus visit, the institution has 7 days in which to correct perceived errors of fact communicated during the exit interview. Following this period, the team chair will begin preparation of a draft statement to the institution; this statement undergoes extensive editing and will typically be provided to the institution several months after the visit. On receipt of the draft statement, the institution has 30 days to respond to issues identified in the evaluation. After this response, the team chair prepares a final statement to the institution.
The final statement and recommended accreditation action is reviewed by the large annual meeting of all ABET commission members in July after the campus visit. Based on the findings, the commission members vote on the final accreditation action, and the school is notified of the decision in August.
The information the school receives identifies strengths, concerns, weaknesses, and deficiencies of the program, as well as recommendations for compliance with ABET criteria. Accreditation is granted for a maximum of six years, after which the institution must request another evaluation.
Criteria
ABET specifies minimum curricula for various engineering programs. For instance, ABET requires that all engineering graduates of a baccalaureate program receive at least one year of study in the natural or physical sciences and mathematics, and requires some study within general education. ABET also requires that each student complete a capstone project or design class in their education. Because of ABET's involvement, engineering curricula are somewhat standardized at the bachelor's level, thus ensuring that graduates of any ABET-accredited program have some minimal skill set for entry into the workforce or for future education.EC 2000
For most of its history, ABET’s accreditation criteria specifically outlined the major elements that accredited engineering programs must have, including the program curricula, the faculty type, and the facilities. However, in the mid-1990s, the engineering community began to question the appropriateness of such rigid accreditation requirements.After intense discussion, in 1997, ABET adopted Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). The EC2000 criteria shifted the focus away from the inputs (what material is taught) and to the outputs (what students learned). EC2000 stresses continuous improvement, and accounts for specific missions and goals of the individual institutions and programs. The intention of this approach was to enable innovation in engineering programs rather than forcing all programs to conform to a standard, as well as to encourage new assessment processes and program improvements.
Miscellaneous
To become a licensed professional engineerProfessional Engineer
Regulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
, one common prerequisite is graduation from an EAC or TAC of ABET-accredited program. Requirements for professional engineer testing for EAC and TAC accredited programs vary from state to state.
The Engineering Credential Evaluation International (ECEI) was established in 1997 as the credential evaluation service of ABET, Inc. ECEI specialized in the evaluation of degrees in engineering, engineering technology, computer science, and surveying from outside the U.S. As of October 30, 2006, ECEI stopped accepting applications for credentials evaluation; a business decision made by the ABET Board of Directors.