HUNTSVILLE, AL – The College of Engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has been notified that that the seven UAH engineering undergraduate programs under review had received a “Next General Review” from the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This review is the highest accreditation result and will remain in place for the next six years until the departments are up for their next review.

ABET is a nonprofit, ISO9000-certified non-governmental agency that accredits programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. The organization comprises a federation of 34 professional and technical societies representing these fields that accredit postsecondary, degree-granting programs offered by regionally accredited institutions in the United States and nationally accredited institutions outside the U.S.

“Having all our engineering degree programs accredited since their date of inception is very important for our former, current and future engineering graduates,” says UAH Dean of the College of Engineering, Shankar Mahalingam. “Employers in the region and across our country are reassured that our graduates have met the standards set by ABET.”

ABET accreditation demonstrates that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which the program prepares its students. The organization accredits programs, rather than institutions, and provides specialized accreditation for post-secondary programs within degree-granting institutions already recognized by national or regional institutional accreditation agencies or national education authorities worldwide.

“The exhaustive accreditation review that occurred in 2021 was particularly challenging since the ‘site visit’ was conducted virtually,” notes Dr. Mahalingam. “Our faculty had to prepare videos of all our teaching laboratories and other instructional facilities for our reviewers. The NGR outcome was a huge team effort, for which I am truly grateful.”

The following undergraduate engineering programs in UAH’s College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET:

ABET is comprised of more than 2,200 technical professionals from its member societies from industry, academia and government. Its mission is to set standards that play a fundamental role and become the basis of quality for STEM disciplines around the world to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability through these fields, while helping to ensure college and university programs produce graduates prepared to enter the global workforce.

Established in 1932, ABET accreditation is voluntary and supports entry into a technical profession through licensure, registration and certification which frequently require graduation from an ABET-accredited program as a minimum qualification. Over 175,000 students graduate from ABET-accredited programs each year.