The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is recognized in the United States as the sole agency responsible for accreditation of educational programs leading to degrees in engineering. The first statement of the Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD, now ABET) relating to accreditation of engineering educational programs was proposed by the Committee on Engineering Schools and approved by the Council in 1933. The original statement, with subsequent amendments, was the basis for accreditation until 2000. The statement presented here is required of programs beginning in 2001. These criteria are called Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000).
Engineering education programs may be accredited at the basic or the advanced level; however, a program may be accredited at only one level in a particular curriculum at a particular institution. All accredited engineering programs must include "engineering" in the program title. To be considered for accreditation, engineering programs must prepare graduates for the practice of engineering at a professional level.
The ABET accreditation process is a voluntary system of accreditation that:
- assures that graduates of an accredited program are prepared adequately to enter and continue the practice of engineering
- stimulates the improvement of engineering education
- encourages new and innovative approaches to engineering education
- identifies these programs to the public.
The undergraduate Environmental Engineering degree program will undergo its initial accreditation visit in Fall 2020.