An Overview of ABET
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
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ABET Overview
• ABET is a federation of 32 professional
engineering and technical societies.
• Neither institutions nor individuals are
members of ABET.
• ABET accredits educational programs.
• ABET relies on the services of almost
2,200 volunteers supported by 33 fulltime and 5 part time-staff.
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
ABET’s 32 Member
Societies
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Organization Structure
Accreditation
Council
ABET Board
Committees
Industry Advisory
Council
Academic Advisory
Council
Global Council
Applied
Science
Accreditation
Commission
Computing
Accreditation
Commission
Engineering
Accreditation
Commission
Engineering
Technology
Accreditation
Commission
71 accredited
381 accredited
2,209 accredited
633 accredited
programs at 54
programs at 299
programs at 456
programs at 213
institutions
institutions
institutions
institutions
(* 1/1/1)
(* 31/22/15)
(* 259/53/20)
(* 33/6/4)
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
(* Programs/Institutions/Countries Outside U.S.)
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What Led to Accreditation in the early
1900s?
• Inequity of compensation between
Engineering and other professions
• Employer’s need to know the value of an
engineering education
• Organizations like AIChE attempting to
accredit by themselves
• A call to “enhance the professional
status of the engineer.”
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
6
Push for Accreditation
~1900
Inequity of
compensation
and employer
demand to
know
education
value
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
1908
AIChE committee
attempts to
standardize
chemical
engineering
education with
little consensus
1930
1932
1936
Wickendon
Report
recommends
the creation of
an organization
to standardize
and review
programs
ECPD (today
ABET) forms to
First
Programs
accredited at
35
engineering
schools
“enhance the
professional
status of the
engineer1”
1ABET
75th Anniversary Retrospective
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Becoming the Gold Standard
• ABET accreditation’s prevalence grew
through the 20th century
• Non-accredited programs recognized
the crucial role that accreditation played
in producing competitive graduates
• First international mutual recognition
agreement signed in 1980
• EC2000 changed accreditation from
installing requirements to assessing
student outcomes
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8
Engineering Criteria 2000
“EC 2000”
• Purpose
 Enhance the non-technical skills graduates
lacked
• Philosophy: “Outcomes-based”
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement
• Student, faculty, facilities, institutional
support, and financial resources linked to
Program Objectives
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General Criteria
• Fulfill ABET’s obligation to ensure
each graduate’s capacity to work as
an engineer
• Define the skills and abilities that are
required generally of any engineering
profession (math, problem solving,
teamwork)
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
10
Program Specific Criteria
• Lay out the curricular requirements
specific to a discipline
• Developed and proposed by
societies, they are an avenue for
influencing specific fields
• Bring programs under the purview of
concerned societies
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
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How ABET Serves Societies
• Program Specific Criteria
 Are designed to be a vehicle for societies
to affect the education of their profession
• ABET Structure Minimizes Cost
 By aggregating the accreditation
responsibilities of over 3,100 programs
and all 32 societies
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ABET Is Engaged Globally
Consistent with ABET’s Mission & Vision
• Assistance: MOUs with 15 national
agencies
• Mutual Recognition Agreements
 Engineers Canada
 International Engineering Alliance (IEA)
 Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, Dublin Accord
 Seoul Accord
• Membership in Global Organizations
 Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC)
 Intl Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES)
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
13
International Accreditation
Growth
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
371
268
445
324
181
33
79
2007-082008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
(est.)
(est.)
Non-U.S.: 324 programs at 64 institutions in 23 countries
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
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What Drives Global Demand?
• Corporate globalization
 Necessitates internationally
recognized degrees
 ABET is internationally
recognized as the gold
standard in technical
accreditation
• International Study
ABET accredited programs around the world
 High international demand for graduate study in the U.S.
 ABET accreditation is a benchmark for accepting
international students around the world
Copyright © 2013 by ABET
15
Takeaways
• ABET Accreditation:
 Ensures quality education to enhance the
professional status of the engineer
• General Criteria:
 Ensure the capacity of programs to produce work
ready engineers
• Program Criteria:
 Allow societies to define the curricular requirements
of their disciplines
• ABET’s international presence is continuously
expanding to meet global demand
Copyright © 2013 by ABET