Accreditation provides an opportunity for academic institutions to demonstrate they are committed to maintaining their programs' quality and that their programs are performing at the level required by the professions they serve. Programs undergo periodic accreditation to ensure that they continue to meet quality standards set by the profession. The result provides lasting benefits to students, the institution, employers, the professions, and society as a whole.
What Accreditation Means for Your Program
When a program becomes ABET-accredited, it means that it:
- Has received international recognition of its quality
- Promotes "best practices" in education
- Directly involves faculty and staff in self-assessment and continuous quality improvement processes
- Is based on "learning outcomes," rather than "teaching inputs"
- Can more easily determine the acceptability of transfer credits
Interested in learning how ABET accreditation can foster educational innovation? ABET's presentations at the American Association of Engineering Education Annual Conference, focus upon partnerships with external organizations, competencies for new hires, and industry expectations for graduates.
Accreditation Is Voluntary
In the United States, program accreditation is voluntary. Many institutions choose ABET accreditation for their programs because it offers many benefits, such as peer-review, recognition of the program's commitment to quality, and insights from the professionals who review the programs.
Worth the Effort
There's no doubt that the ABET accreditation review process is an intensive team effort. However, the accreditation process yields a wealth of information that programs can use to deliver the very best education for their students.