ENGINEERING ACCREDITATION
Accredited Programs at Texas A&M
Within the Look College of Engineering, the undergraduate programs in aerospace,
agricultural, biological systems, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer,
electrical, industrial, mechanical, nuclear, ocean, petroleum and radiological
health engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission
of ABET, Inc. (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
The electronics, manufacturing, mechanical, and telecommunications engineering technology programs are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. The manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology program, a meld of the manufacturing engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology programs, will be submitted for accreditation review at the next general review of the engineering technology programs in 2006-2007.
The Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.
Accreditation Assures Quality
In the United States, accreditation is a non-governmental, peer review process
that ensures educational quality. Educational institutions or programs volunteer
to periodically undergo this review in order to determine if certain criteria
are being met. It is important to understand, however, that accreditation
is not a ranking system. It is simply assurance that a program or institution
meets established quality standards.
What Is ABET Accreditation?
ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets
the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares
its students. For example, an accredited engineering program must meet the
quality standards set by the engineering profession. An accredited computer
science program must meet the quality standards set by the computing profession.
ABET accredits postsecondary degree-granting programs housed within regionally accredited institutions. ABET accredits programs only, not degrees, departments, colleges, or institutions.
Who Sets the ABET Quality Standards?
The quality standards programs must meet to be ABET-accredited are set by
the ABET professions themselves. This is made possible by the collaborative
efforts of many different professional and technical societies. These societies
and their members work together through ABET to develop the standards, and
they provide the professionals who evaluate the programs to make sure they
meet those standards.
Why Is ABET Accreditation Important?
Accreditation helps students and their parents choose quality college programs.
Accreditation enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared.
Accreditation is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards
to screen applicants.
Accreditation gives colleges and universities a structured mechanism to
assess, evaluate, and improve the quality of their programs.
For more information on ABET accreditation, visit:
