This article reviews the purpose of ABET accreditation, the associated criteria, the volunteers that provide the accreditation reviews, and the role of AIChE in the accreditation process.
Most chemical engineers reading this article will have graduated from an ABET-accredited chemical engineering program, yet few know much about the accreditation process. Unless they were students during a review, many industry practitioners may not have even heard of ABET accreditation. While some academics see ABET as a way to improve their programs, others experience accreditation through a visit by an accreditor every six years, along with the rubrics and the student data they provide their program’s ABET coordinator between reviews.
Accreditation ensures that a program meets minimum standards (as outlined in a set of criteria) so that employers, parents, students, graduate schools, and the public can have confidence in the quality of the education graduates receive from an ABET-accredited program. In addition, a degree from a program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET meets the education component specified in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Engineering Education Standard for engineering registration (1). In most states and territories, this means that those graduates can pursue engineering registration (P.E. license) with four years of supervised experience rather than 8–10 years (unless their educational credentials are evaluated by NCEES or the state board and determined to meet the academic requirements).
This article reviews ABET accreditation criteria, discusses the accreditation review timeline, and examines the role of AIChE in the accreditation process. This article also describes the various volunteer opportunities for AIChE members from industry, government, and academia to serve as accreditation evaluators...
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