SEMO engineering, technology programs secure full six-year reaccreditation from ABET

Multiple Southeast Missouri State University Engineering and Technology programs earned reaccreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), marking nearly 50 years of accreditation for the department.

Each of SEMO's previously accredited programs, including the Engineering Physics, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Engineering Technology programs, was granted a full six-year reaccreditation. The university first received ABET accreditation in 1976, and the Industrial and Systems Engineering program was the most recent to receive initial certification, doing so in 2021.

“We are thrilled that ABET has granted our Engineering and Engineering Technology programs a full, six-year reaccreditation,” Brad Deken, Department of Engineering and Technology chairman, said in a news release. “We were confident going into the accreditation process because we see first-hand the significant successes our students have had in their careers. We know how important their education was in achieving that.”

The accreditation process requires an "extensive" self-assessment, an external evaluation that includes a formal visit from an ABET accreditation team, regular curriculum assessments by faculty members, and collaboration between the department and an industrial advisory board to monitor student learning outcomes and the effectiveness of the curriculum.

ABET accreditation is "recognized as a benchmark of quality in both engineering and technology education." Engineers often must graduate from an ABET-accredited program to receive their license.