IEEE’s Role in ABET Accreditation Explained

There is a mistaken belief amongst some that IEEE approves design programs in the USA, yet that is the obligation of ABET.

The international, not-for-profit company approves scholastic programs causing levels in details self-controls. It does not recognize the establishment, college, university, division, centers, training courses, or professors– just details scholastic programs.

IEEE and various other specialist companies aid review programs for ABET, yet they do not have the authority to recognize programs themselves.

There are 34 companies, consisting of IEEE, that are ABET participants and aid the not-for-profit with establishing plan, establishing technique, and carrying out certification tasks worldwide.

IEEE’s collaboration with ABET started in 1932 with an IEEE precursor culture, theAmerican Institute of Electrical Engineers AIEE, in addition to 6 various other design companies, established the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development, which developed right into ABET.

Today greater than 4,770 programs at 930 institution of higher learnings in 42 nations and areas are approved by ABET. IEEE functions as the lead culture for 877 of the programs.

The examination framework

IEEE and the various other specialist cultures offer ABET with volunteerprogram evaluators The critics are designated to see schools that look for certification. The critics offer evaluations based upon details requirements created in cooperation with ABET and the cultures. Critics should have experience in market, academic community, or federal government.

When IEEE volunteers have 5 or even more years of experience acting as a program critic, they might be chosen to offer on the IEEE Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) or the IEEE Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities (CEAA). IEEE Educational Activities sustains these boards, and all of IEEE’s obligations with ABET. After investing 2 to 4 years on among the boards, a volunteer might be chosen to offer on among ABET’s payments, providing the chance to act as a group chair.

“Years of establishing and leading undergraduate electric and computer system design programs, consisting of planning for ABET certification evaluations, led me to think that coming to be an ABET program critic would certainly be a terrific means to discover brand-new methods to boost the high quality of our very own programs while likewise aiding others.” — Victor Nelson

Each certification check out is led by a group chair, that is the main factor of call for an establishment whose programs are being reviewed. The term for the setting is generally 5 years, with the choice to offer a three-year term on the exec board of ABET’s Design Certification Compensation (EAC) and Design Modern Technology Certification Compensation (ETAC).

There have to do with 380 IEEE critics, 26 of whom are presently acting as IEEE commissioners on ABET’s EAC and ETAC.

Come to be a program critic

The CETAA and CEAA select brand-new program critics every year. The variety of candidates picked differs from year to year to make sure there suffice critics offered for future certification sees.

For the 2025– 2026 school year, IEEE obtained 126 applications for the EAC and the ETAC. Applications were gotten from 24 nations, with 105 from academic community and 21 from market or federal government.

Victor Nelson, an IEEE life elderly participant, has actually been a program critic for greater than twenty years. He is a teacher emeritus of electric and computer system design at the Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University, in Alabama. Nelson’s solution as a critic was acknowledged with the 2024 IEEEEAB Meritorious Achievement Award in Accreditation Activities The honor was developed in 1984 to acknowledge “initiatives to cultivate the upkeep and enhancement of education and learning with the procedure of certification.”

“Years of establishing and leading undergraduate electric and computer system design programs, consisting of planning for ABET certification evaluations, led me to think that coming to be an ABET program critic would certainly be a terrific means to discover brand-new methods to boost the high quality of our very own programs while likewise aiding others,” Nelson claims. “My 23 years of carrying out ABET evaluations have greater than verified that idea and have actually been exceptionally satisfying.

“As a program critic, I have had the advantage of researching and checking out programs worldwide, and I never ever fall short to be thrilled with and pick up from the initiatives and success of the lots of trainees and professors in those programs.

“I constantly really feel a feeling of satisfaction in having the ability to make moderate payments to enhancing the high quality of design education and learning with the certification evaluation procedure.”

To get more information regarding why certification issues, check out “How IEEE Ensures Quality in Engineering Education,” released in 2014 in The Institute.

To come to be an IEEE program critic, apply here.