Accreditation of engineering and computing programs ensures that the programs produce graduates who are prepared to meet the expectations of employers, the public, or pursue further study in engineering or other fields.
Computing, engineering, applied and natural science, and engineering technology programs are accredited by ABET, www.abet.org. ABET in conjunction with the various professional societies develop the criteria for accrediting the programs.
Currently, the aerospace, architectural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering undergraduate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
One component of the accreditation criteria requires each program pursuing accreditation to formulate Program Educational Objectives in consultation with their program-defined constituents. ABET defines Program Educational Objectives as “broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation.”
Another component of ABET accreditation requires that programs specify Student Outcomes, which “describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the program.”
ABET is committed to continuous improvement and all programs must assess and evaluate the extent to which their student outcomes are being attained and use the results of these evaluations for the continuous improvement of the program.
ABET requires that each program make available to the public certain information, namely their program educational objectives, student outcomes, accreditation status, and data on their student enrollments and degrees granted. This information for the accredited programs offered by Illinois Institute of Technology’s Armour College of Engineering are published in the following locations: