For Aspiring Engineers: Understanding the Value of ABET Accreditation

Students, parents, and other college consultants often ask me about the value of an ABET vs. a non-ABET accredited degree. While this article is detailed and technical, I hope it is helpful to families and students who plan to study engineering and those who guide them.

What is ABET accreditation? 

ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit, non-government organization from which colleges and universities may choose to seek accreditation for their applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology programs. An ABET-accredited program has met rigorous standards through a formal intensive review process, including ongoing self-study and periodic evaluation by academic, government, and industry experts. With its focus on specific learning outcomes and program improvement, ABET provides a standard for high-quality engineering programs. ABET typically reviews accredited programs every six years. 

Are there other types of accreditation? 

More generally, colleges and universities are regionally accredited through the accreditation process of organizations like the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), among others. ABET accreditation is an additional voluntary level of accreditation that is specifically for engineering and applied science programs. For instance, Boston University is accredited by NECHE, and its biomedical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering programs are further accredited by ABET. 

Case Study: Tufts University 

Like Boston University, all undergraduate degrees at Tufts University are accredited by NECHE. As of this writing*, the School of Engineering at Tufts offers 16 degrees to undergraduate students enrolled in the School, half of which are ABET accredited: 

• Biomedical engineering (BSBME)

• Chemical engineering (BSCHE)

• Civil engineering (BSCE)

• Environmental engineering (BSEVE)

• Computer science (BSCS)

• Electrical engineering (BSEE)

• Computer engineering (BSCPE)

• Mechanical engineering (BSME)

And half of which are not ABET-accredited:

• Architectural studies (BSE)

• Environmental health (BSE)

• Data science (BSDS)

• Engineering physics (BSEP)

• Human factors engineering (BSHFE)

• Engineering (BSE)

• Engineering Science (BSES)

• No major (BS)

Tufts School of Engineering also offers majors available to all undergraduate students enrolled in both the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. These majors are not degrees and, as such, are not ABET-accredited:

• Biomedical engineering (through the biomedical engineering department)

• Biotechnology (through the chemical engineering department)

• Computer science (through the computer science department)

Computer science is the largest major at Tufts, with roughly a third of students majoring in CS doing so by earning a BSCS degree through the School of Engineering and the other two-thirds of students earning a BS or BA degree with a major in computer science from the School of Arts and Sciences. That is, roughly two-thirds of the students who earn a CS major at Tufts earn a non-ABET degree. 

At this time, while just half of the engineering degrees offered at Tufts are ABET-accredited, most Tufts engineering students choose to earn ABET-accredited degrees. And the vast majority start their Tufts academic careers pursuing one of the ABET degrees. 

Do Liberal Arts Colleges Offer ABET-accreditation?

Amherst College is another New England institution accredited by NECHE. Amherst College offers BA degrees with a range of majors, including computer science. As a liberal arts college without an engineering program, it does not provide any ABET degrees. Degrees with a computer science major from a small liberal arts college or a School of Arts and Sciences at a university are not ABET-accredited. 

How important is it to earn an ABET-accredited degree? 

When I support students exploring the curriculum and their academic interests as they make their way through their undergraduate career, they often express interest in some of the non-ABET degrees. In this context, students wonder how important it is to earn an ABET degree. I always tell them that it depends on what they plan to do with their future and degree. 

Do I need an ABET-accredited degree for my career? 

For some disciplines and careers, think civil engineering and bridge inspection, the ABET-accredited degree is paramount. ABET plays an essential role in licensing professional engineers (PEs), with many states requiring that an engineer have an ABET degree to be licensed. You must be a PE to sign and seal engineering drawings, be in charge of an engineering firm in private practice, or serve as a fully qualified expert witness. Students with these career goals should pursue an ABET-accredited degree.

ABET accreditation is less important for some engineering fields and careers, including newer ones like computer science. After all, many CS programs are not ABET-accredited. Not only those at outstanding liberal arts colleges like Amherst College but also those at CS powerhouses like Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University. Indeed, Stanford’s "Consider CS?" website states, “While (ABET) accreditation is useful in certain disciplines such as civil engineering, it has no practical significance whatsoever in computer science.” Also, if a student plans to go to law or business school or use their engineering degree “non-traditionally,” ABET tends to be less needed. 

Jennifer’s Personal Experience

I hold an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. I also have master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. ABET accredits programs at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. I don’t know if my master’s degree from CMU is ABET-accredited. I am also not a licensed PE. No one has ever asked me about these credentials, which are not required for the roles I’ve held in my career: professor and academic dean. 

What are the Pros and Cons of an ABET degree?

While ABET degrees provide rigorous standards for high-quality engineering programs, non-ABET degrees can be more flexible and offer exciting academic options for students. At Tufts, I serve as the faculty advisor for students who pursue the most flexible non-ABET degrees: BSE, BSES, and BS no major. Few students earn these degrees, but those who do, do so creatively to pursue their individual interests. The BSES degree focuses on natural sciences courses and is a good match for students who are interested in medical school. Several students have used the BSE degree to cluster classes in an academic discipline such as music engineering. And the BS no major provides the most flexibility, with students having significant freedom to design their path through their degree. Most recently, I advised a student who started out pursuing the BSCS degree but switched to the BS no major to enable herself to prepare for a career in STEM education. She took computer science, engineering, education, child studies and human development, and sociology courses to create a comprehensive academic program. She is now a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in education. 

ABET-accredited degree or not, how can a student enhance their undergraduate experience and increase their chances for post-graduation success?

Whether a student is pursuing an ABET-accredited degree or not, or any other specific credential such as a minor, what is most important is what they achieve while earning their degree. What courses does the student take? What projects does the student participate in, and does the student have a portfolio to showcase their skills? Does the student engage in extracurricular activities connected to their major? What major-related work experiences does the student have? Internships? Co-ops?

Student Case Study 1

One Tufts senior was highly frustrated by not being able to have the official CS minor because they were double-counting too many courses between their primary major and the minor. That is, while they had taken the courses required for the minor, they would not receive the official minor because there was too much overlap between their minor and major. This student had just a few months until graduation, so I asked him what his plans were post-Tufts. He had a fantastic software engineering job lined up - one he earned based on his academic preparation, skills, and strong interview (cs job interviews often involve coding exercises). When I asked the student why he needed the official minor credential, he paused and then laughed out loud as he realized he didn't. 

Student Case Study 2

Another student I advised through one of Tufts non-ABET degrees, the BS degree with no major, landed a job at Amazon with a significant signing bonus based on his undergraduate coursework and experiences, including several software engineering internships. When he arrived in Seattle to start his job, he proudly sent me an email with the body consisting of simply: “Waddup from Seattle :)” and a photo of his Amazon employee ID. The non-ABET-accredited BS no major degree did not limit him.

Will ABET accreditation affect your ability to get a reputable job?

I recently had the honor of talking with Boston Dynamics CEO Dr. Rob Playter. During our conversation, I asked him how much he cares or doesn’t care about or factor in the ranking of a student’s undergraduate school or engineering program. He responded: “Candidates need to stand out for one reason or another. That might be a school or a program that you are a part of, or that could be this interesting project work that you did. So, it's not limited to that school or that program. We hire widely. We hire from everywhere. Yes, we hire from the MITs and Carnegie Mellons, but we also hire from Worcester Polytechnic Institution and local trade schools. We’ve hired people out of high school who we’ve now given the label of engineer because they’ve simply learned so much on the job.” He then says: “We’ve hired people out of the bike-building business. We have about fifteen people out of the custom bike-building business because they are good fabricators. They know how to weld. They know how to work with their hands. And we’ve hired a lot of people out of automotive racing and repair. We’ve hired a lot of people out of that industry. We think we can get good people from everywhere.” From his comments, it is clear that employers like Boston Dynamics seek skills that may or may not be developed in the context of an ABET-accredited degree.

What does this mean for high school students applying to college?

A successful college application process requires students to develop a strong sense of themselves and the schools they are applying to. In this context, aspiring engineering students should consider their academic and professional interests and closely examine the educational options available at schools. Students interested in civil or mechanical engineering, for instance, will invariably find that schools offering these majors do so through ABET-accredited degree programs. Students interested in other fields, such as biomedical engineering, will likely find that some schools provide ABET-accredited programs and others do not. For instance, Boston University’s biomedical engineering degree is ABET-accredited, while Stanford University’s bioengineering, biomechanical engineering, and biomedical computation degrees are not. Does this mean Stanford’s biomedical engineering-related programs are inferior to BU’s? Not at all. 

Why do Institutions Choose or Forego ABET accreditation?

Students should trust an institution’s many stakeholders to have made thoughtful decisions about its academic programs. In some cases, that will include ABET accreditation. In other instances, foregoing ABET accreditation may give an institution more flexibility to better align with its curricular goals. Students should proceed with confidence that not all applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology programs require ABET accreditation and educational leaders have thought deeply about the decision to engage, or not, in the ABET-accreditation process.

* Tufts School of Engineering announced in September 2022 the decision to sunset the ABET accreditation for the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BSBME) and the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) programs. Starting with the Class of 2027, the BSBME and BSCS programs will no longer have ABET accreditation. The announcement reads: It is important to point out that many highly respected CS and BME programs choose to forgo ABET accreditation. Some have never been ABET accredited, while others were accredited but have withdrawn within the last ten years. After recently receiving full ABET accreditation through 2024, discussions with our alumni, current students, and faculty indicate that they do not consider ABET accreditation necessary for CS and BME programs. The CS and BME faculty believe that withdrawing from ABET will allow both departments the flexibility to provide an educational experience that better aligns with the departments’ curricular goals and will prepare students well for future success in the workforce and/or graduate school.