What is ABET Accreditation? ABET Accreditation Process, Criteria & Benefits

“Accreditation” – is just not a review process, it is a foolproof way for educators to offer quality education to students.

It helps them to meet & create new standards of education.

Thus, accreditation can be thought of as a mandate to ensure the best practices in an institution, keeping the goal of maximizing student learning outcomes.

As an educational institution’s administrator, you might have got suggestions to apply for accreditation, right?

If you have been come across the term – “ABET Accreditation” and wondering

“What is ABET?”

“How can it be beneficial for your institution?”

“What benefits it has to offer?”

“What are the accreditation criteria?”

This blog will serve as a simple guide & answer all your queries related to ABET accreditation.

Let’s begin with understanding what does ABET-accredited mean…

As a matter of fact, students who have successfully completed the ABET-accredited programs are given Professional Engineering License.

What are the Programs Accredited by ABET?

The ABET accreditation offers accreditation for the following programs.

• ANSAC - Applied & Natural Science Programs
• CAC - Computing Programs
• EAC - Engineering Accreditation Commission
• ETAC - Engineering Technology Programs
• Distance Learning Programs
• Some Alternative Programs

The ABET-accredited program must have -

• Long Term Objectives- Educational objectives set for the long term based on the standards set by alumni batch students and the constituency requirements.
• Measurable Goals - The student outcomes must be mapped throughout the graduation & need to be determined in advance. In simple words, the goals must be measurable.
• Sustainable Process - The evaluation & assessment process must be sustainable.

How Can Programs Offered by Your Institution Attain ABET Accreditation Successfully?

Here is the ABET accreditation process that would help you understand how your programs can successfully attain ABET accreditation.

Time Frame

The ABET accreditation process takes around 18 months to get completed. However, the time frame enables a window for completing all the formalities & meeting the standards of education.

Checking the Eligibility of Program

You need to check the eligibility requirements of your program before you proceed. Your program may or may not fall under the ABET accreditation criteria.

Request Application

Once you are sure that the program is eligible, you can proceed with the accreditation process and make a request for the same. Submit the SSR reports for the next process.

ABET Review Process

The committee members will evaluate the SSR reports & conduct an on-site visit for the complete evaluation & final decision.

ABET Accreditation Criteria & Eligibility

Here is the step-by-step explanation of the ABET accreditation criteria and their eligibility.

1. Understand the Eligible Programs

Encircling my previous point, I would like to again explain that not every program is eligible for ABET accreditation. Nationally accredited institutions & regionally accredited educational institutions in the USA can apply for the accreditation process.

It strictly doesn’t accredit any doctoral program or any certification.

2. Be Associated with a Degree-Granting Educational Organization

ABET accreditation accepts requests for evaluation from degree-granting educational institutions.

3.Minimum of One Graduate is a Must

Programs must have at least one graduate before they proceed with the ABET accreditation. Otherwise, they may have to face rejection afterward.

4.Requirements for Name of Program

The name of the program must clearly depict the objective & content of the program. It shouldn’t be misleading. It should be apt and anyone must be able to understand its nature just by reading the title.

5.Included Programs

ANSAC - Applied & Natural Science Programs, CAC - Computing Programs, EAC - Engineering Accreditation Commission, ETAC - Engineering Technology Programs, Distance Learning Programs, and Alternative Programs.

6.Preliminary SSR Reports

Every program needs to submit SSR reports before requesting the final on-site visit peer review. These SSR reports must be highly accurate and free from any kinds of data error. Once the SSR reports are approved, the ABET committee members will reach out for further proceedings.

ABET Accreditation Process

The 18 months of ABET is divided into the following steps-

Stage 1: Readiness Review - October 1

To complete the readiness review, institutions need to collect samples of assignments, syllabus, curriculum and get ready by October 1.

Stage 2: Evaluation Request by January 31

RFE needs to be submitted by January 31. A review team is assigned by the month of April and May depending on the review.

Stage 3: Submit SSR Report by July 1

The review of SSR begins by the month of July.

Stage 4: Onsite Visit by September-December

An onsite visit can be arranged between September-December. Institutions need to be well prepared with documents & faculty will need to face interviews of the panel.

Stage 5: Decision-Making Process

• Any corrections in the documents are asked within 1 week
• Formal communication about findings is done in 2-3 months after the onsite visit
• Institutions need to clarify within 30 days regarding the shortcomings
• ABET commission takes a decision in the month of July
• The final statement regarding the decision is notified to institute by August 31

Best Benefits of ABET Accreditation Program for Students

Students who have graduated by learning ABET-accredited programs experience the following benefits.

#1: Global Standard of Education

Students who take ABET-accredited programs can easily meet the global standard of education.

#2: Loan Facility

Students who take ABET-accredited programs can easily apply for various types of student loans, scholarships & grants.

#3: Continuous Assessment

Peers can continuously evaluate students’ performance throughout their learning journey. This in return will help in identifying, assessing & improving the learning gaps.

#4: Ensures Best Learning Outcomes

With continuous evaluation & assessment, students are bound to get the best learning outcomes.

#5: Career Opportunities

ABET-accredited programs offer the best employment & career opportunities to students. They can learn skills par excellence and lead a good life ahead.

Best Benefits of ABET Accreditation to Program & Institute

#1: International Recognition

ABET accreditation is internationally acclaimed for its quality. So the programs that fall under its category have more value across the globe.

#2: Promotes Best Practices

ABET undoubtedly promotes the best practices in the education field and can help educationalists to create a new ecosystem with the highest standards effortlessly.

#3: Learning Outcomes

The ABET accreditation focuses on “learning outcomes” and not just the “inputs of teaching methods” and thus ensures better institutional growth.

#4: Continuous Assessment

It allows teachers & educators to continuously assess & improve their processes to obtain the best ROI.

#5: Transfer Credits

Acceptability of transfer credits is the best aspect of ABET accreditation!

Cost of ABET Accreditation

To understand the fees structure for ABET accreditation, you can visit - https://www.abet.org/However, if you want to save the additional cost of ABET accreditation required to ensure the best practices, you must speak to the experts at MASTERSOFT.

The next section will help you understand the services of MasterSoft.