Is ABET accreditation really important?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the importance of ABET accreditation for engineering programs, particularly in the context of transferring to Benedict College. Participants explore whether accreditation is essential for career prospects and program quality, and they share insights on various institutions' accreditation statuses.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the significance of ABET accreditation for engineering programs, specifically regarding Benedict College.
  • Another participant argues that if a prestigious institution like MIT has ABET accreditation, it is likely important and suggests that lack of accreditation may indicate a lack of effort from the institution.
  • Information is provided about the accreditation status of Benedictine College and comparisons are made with other universities like Florida State University.
  • A participant emphasizes the importance of seeking accredited programs, especially for fields like civil engineering, while noting that some highly regarded schools may not have accredited computer science degrees.
  • Concerns are raised about the quality of unaccredited programs and the potential impact on job prospects.
  • One participant states that an ABET-accredited degree is required for obtaining a professional engineering license in all states, while another challenges this claim by noting exceptions based on state regulations.
  • There are requests for lists of accredited engineering firms to ensure quality in hiring practices.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity of ABET accreditation, with some advocating for its importance while others highlight exceptions and question the blanket applicability of the requirement for professional licensing.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific institutions and their accreditation statuses, but there are unresolved questions about the implications of attending unaccredited programs and the variability of licensing requirements across states.

KamenRiderTorbjorn
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I'm looking at a few schools to transfer to and one that interest me is Benedict college. I was doing some research online about the school and come to find out I haven't seen anything about the engineering programs being abet accredited. Is abet accreditation really important when it comes to engineering or it doesn't matter?
 
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I see that MIT's courses are ABET accredited. If a big-name school like that has it, it must be the thing to have. I would consider it a must because you want them to have some accreditation and that looks like the one to have. And if they aren't, why aren't they? It should be easy for them to get their program accredited. My worry is that they are lazy and haven't bothered.
 
Hmm. The ABET website lists Benedictine College as being ABET accredited for Mechanical Engineering only, whereas for example MIT has 18 accredited programs. Florida State University has 7 programs accredited: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
 
The college I'm referring to is Benedict College in Columbia, SC. It seems like their engineering programs including their CS program isn't abet accredited and I was just wondering is that a red flag or not?
 
I would strongly suggest looking for accredited programs - they should also be much easier to find than non-accredited ones.

For some fields, such as civil engineering it is absolutely essential. It can also be very important for most other fields.

Even if you don't care about getting jobs that require an accredited degree, you should be concerned about the quality of the program if it isn't accredited.

One exception to the above might be computer science. Even some highly regarded schools that have fully accredited engineering programs do not have accredited cs degrees (stanford, ucsd, cornell, u washington). In that case, though (especially since you aren't looking at a program with such stature), you should look at what kinds of jobs the graduates get.

What other options are you considering?

Jason

Edit: for what it is worth, I am an engineer who has been in industry for almost 20 years. To my knowledge, I've never worked with someone that has an unaccredited engineering degree. I have worked with folks that earned physics and math degrees that essentially work as engineers, but they have been hired for work that does not require the breadth and depth of a particular engineering discipline. If you want to do engineering work, you really should get an accredited engineering degree. There are many many schools that offer them
 
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I'm plan on getting a degree in Computer Science to be a software engineer, but thinking about getting a degree in Mech Engineering as well. As said before though the college I'm referring to offers engineering degrees, but are unaccredited (the school isn't even listed on the abet list). I'll take your advice and look for a college that is accredited.
 
A degree from an ABET accredited school is required to get a professional engineering license in all states in the US.
 
Dr Transport said:
A degree from an ABET accredited school is required to get a professional engineering license in all states in the US.

False. Depending on the state some people with an AA degree can become PEs, but it takes longer.

Obviously for an undergraduate degree ABET is better but it's wrong to say it's needed in all states.
 
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provide a list so when I have to hire an engineering firm from that state, I can bring in outside consultation to ensure that the work is correct.
 
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Dr Transport said:
provide a list so when I have to hire an engineering firm from that state, I can bring in outside consultation to ensure that the work is correct.

I'm not going to do your research for you. I just felt like correcting false information.
 
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