TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Engineering’s degree programs have been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc., the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology.

ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with a quality education.

“I’m extremely proud to once again receive ABET accreditation for our programs. Through our aggressive educational goals, we are not only able to offer engineering and computer science students exceptional education experiences, but also maintain the high standards established by the education and engineering industries,” said Dr. Charles L. Karr, dean of UA’s College of Engineering.

The following UA programs have been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET: aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical and metallurgical engineering, and the computer engineering option within the electrical engineering program. In addition, UA's computer science program has been accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Because UA’s construction engineering program was established in 2006, it does not yet qualify for accreditation review.

Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. The evaluations, conducted by teams of volunteer professionals working in industry, government, academe, and private practice within the ABET disciplines, focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, institutional support and other important areas.

One of the key elements of ABET accreditation is the requirement that programs continuously improve the quality of education provided. As part of this continuous improvement requirement, programs set specific, measurable goals for their students and graduates, assess their success at reaching those goals, and improve their programs based on the results of their assessment.

ABET is a not-for-profit organization, owned and operated by its more than 25 professional and technical member societies. An internationally-respected organization with some 1,500 volunteers, ABET has set the higher-educational standards in its fields for nearly 75 years. More information about ABET, its member societies, and the evaluation criteria used to accredit programs can be found at www.abet.org.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.