ABET - Dept of Engineering and Physics

What is ABET accreditation?

The Department of Engineering and Physics, the College of Mathematics and Science, and the University of Central Oklahoma have committed to the process of pursuing ABET accreditation for the BS in Engineering Physics and the BS in Biomedical Engineering degree programs.

ABET stands for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. From the ABET website:

ABET, Inc., the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 31 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for over 70 years. ABET currently accredits some 2,500 programs at over 550 colleges and universities nationwide. Over 1,500 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET activities. ABET also provides leadership internationally through agreements such as the Washington Accord, and offers educational credentials evaluation services to those educated abroad through ECEI. ABET is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

ABET provides a list of all current ABET accredited programs. Separate lists of accredited ENGINEERING PHYSICS and BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING programs can be generated from this list by selecting "Engineering Physics/Engineering Science" and "Bioengineering" respectively in the "Search by Discipline" selection box.

Again, from the ABET website:

Accreditation serves to notify: Parents and prospective students that a program has met minimum standards; Faculty, deans and administrators of a program’s strengths and weaknesses and of ways to improve the program; Employers that graduates are prepared to begin professional practice; Taxpayers that their funds are spent well; and The public that graduates are aware of public health and safety considerations.

State licensing boards and certification programs may require graduation from an ABET-accredited program as the first step in the registration or certification process for professional practice. In some instances, ABET accreditation may permit students to receive federal funds in the form of scholarships, loans and grants.

How will the ABET accreditation process work?

ABET is a a professional accrediting organization that accredits programs (not departments, colleges, or institutions). A team of ABET reviewers will visit the department to review the two programs and make a recommendation. The results of that visit will be a recommendation to:

Accredit until the next general review (a period of six years)
Accredit until the next general review but require an interim visit or report after three years to determine whether identified deficiencies have been resolved
Not accredit

The department's target date for the accreditation visit is FALL 2007. While accreditation at this time is not guaranteed, the Department of Engineering and Physics (strongly supported by the College of Mathematics and Science and the UCO administration) is committed to achieving this objective.

ABET has a so-called "grandfather clause" that allows students that have graduated in the year prior to the granting of accreditation to be included as having graduated under an ABET accredited program.

There remains a great deal of work ahead of the department in readying itself for this visit. This site will provide information about the progress the department is making in developing its ABET process.

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