There’s a false impression amongst some that IEEE accredits engineering packages within the United States, however that’s the accountability of ABET.
The worldwide, nonprofit company accredits educational packages resulting in levels in particular disciplines. It doesn’t accredit the establishment, faculty, school, division, services, programs, or college—solely particular educational packages.
IEEE and different skilled organizations assist consider packages for ABET, however they don’t have the authority to accredit packages themselves.
There are 34 organizations, together with IEEE, which can be ABET members and help the nonprofit with setting coverage, growing technique, and conducting accreditation actions worldwide.
IEEE’s partnership with ABET started in 1932 with an IEEE predecessor society, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. AIEE, together with six different engineering organizations, based the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development, which developed into ABET.
In the present day greater than 4,770 packages at 930 schools and universities in 42 nations and areas are accredited by ABET. IEEE serves because the lead society for 877 of the packages.
The analysis construction
IEEE and the opposite skilled societies present ABET with volunteer program evaluators. The evaluators are assigned to go to academic establishments that search accreditation. The evaluators present assessments based mostly on particular standards developed in collaboration with ABET and the societies. Evaluators should have expertise in business, academia, or authorities.
As soon as IEEE volunteers have 5 or extra years of expertise serving as a program evaluator, they might be nominated to serve on the IEEE Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) or the IEEE Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities (CEAA). IEEE Educational Activities helps these committees, and all of IEEE’s obligations with ABET. After spending two to 4 years on one of many committees, a volunteer could also be nominated to serve on certainly one of ABET’s commissions, giving them the chance to function a group chair.
“Years of growing and main undergraduate electrical and computer engineering packages, together with making ready for ABET accreditation opinions, led me to consider that turning into an ABET program evaluator can be an effective way to study new methods to enhance the standard of our personal packages whereas additionally helping others.” —Victor Nelson
Every accreditation go to is led by a group chair, who’s the first level of contact for an establishment whose packages are being evaluated. The time period for the place is usually 5 years, with the choice to serve a three-year time period on the manager committee of ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Fee (EAC) and Engineering Know-how Accreditation Fee (ETAC).
There are about 380 IEEE evaluators, 26 of whom are at the moment serving as IEEE commissioners on ABET’s EAC and ETAC.
Grow to be a program evaluator
The CETAA and CEAA select new program evaluators yearly. The variety of candidates chosen varies from 12 months to 12 months to make sure there are sufficient evaluators obtainable for future accreditation visits.
For the 2025–2026 educational 12 months, IEEE obtained 126 purposes for the EAC and the ETAC. Purposes had been obtained from 24 nations, with 105 from academia and 21 from business or authorities.
Victor Nelson, an IEEE life senior member, has been a program evaluator for greater than 20 years. He’s a professor emeritus {of electrical} and laptop engineering on the Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University, in Alabama. Nelson’s service as an evaluator was acknowledged with the 2024 IEEE EAB Meritorious Achievement Award in Accreditation Activities. The award was established in 1984 to acknowledge “efforts to foster the upkeep and enchancment of schooling via the method of accreditation.”
“Years of growing and main undergraduate electrical and laptop engineering packages, together with making ready for ABET accreditation opinions, led me to consider that turning into an ABET program evaluator can be an effective way to study new methods to enhance the standard of our personal packages whereas additionally helping others,” Nelson says. “My 23 years of conducting ABET opinions have greater than confirmed that perception and have been extremely rewarding.
“As a program evaluator, I’ve had the privilege of learning and visiting packages world wide, and I by no means fail to be impressed with and study from the efforts and achievements of the numerous college students and school in these packages.
“I at all times really feel a way of pleasure in having the ability to make modest contributions to bettering the standard of engineering education via the accreditation evaluate course of.”
To study extra about why accreditation issues, learn “How IEEE Ensures Quality in Engineering Education,” printed final 12 months in The Institute.
To change into an IEEE program evaluator, apply here.
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