Ohio Northern University’s bachelor’s degree programs in civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering have been re-accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.
In addition, ONU’s bachelor’s degree program in computer science has been re-accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission by ABET, and the T.J. Smull College of Engineering’s program in engineering education received its initial accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
ABET accreditation ensures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that lead the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipate the welfare and safety needs of the public.
“The faculty and staff of the College of Engineering are pleased to achieve this accreditation for our programs, which highlights our continued commitment to program assessment and improvement,” said Dr. Eric T. Baumgartner, dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering. “We are especially proud to earn initial accreditation for our unique engineering education program.”
Ohio Northern University’s engineering education program is the first program of its kind in the nation to earn ABET accreditation. The goal of the program is to produce engineers who are certified to teach mathematics in middle school and high school.
Initial graduates of ONU’s engineering education major have become STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teachers in secondary schools, an engineer within the packing industry, and a graduate student in engineering education at a major research university.
ABET’s voluntary peer-review process adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines in which quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance.
Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support and are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia and government with expertise in the ABET disciplines.
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It currently accredits almost 3,500 programs at nearly 700 colleges and universities in 28 countries.
More information about ABET, its member societies, and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.
