USM Programs Earn National ABET Accreditation

Tue, 09/19/2023 - 11:26am | By: Ivonne Kawas

The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Computer Engineering, Information Technology, and Ocean Engineering undergraduate programs — offered through the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering and School of Ocean Science and Engineering — are the latest to earn the sought after national ABET accreditation.

ABET is the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

The programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET include Computer Engineering (BS) and Ocean Engineering (BS); and the program accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) is the Information Technology (BS).

ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies.

Dr. Chris Winstead, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, emphasizes the significance of ABET accreditation for these programs, stating, “ABET accreditation affirms that their curricula and assessments are aligned with national and industry expectations and standards. This recognition empowers our graduates to compete at the highest levels for career and graduate school opportunities.”

Winstead commends program leadership and faculty for their dedicated and intensive efforts in pursuing accreditation.This endeavor demonstrates their unwavering commitment to advancing the programs to meet and exceed the most rigorous standards.

“Achieving ABET accreditation requires a significant effort undertaken by program leadership and faculty, and serves as validation of the efforts that faculty, staff and students have made in advancing the three programs to meet the highest standards.”

Why Accreditation Matters to Students?

Earning a degree is a significant achievement and an important investment for the future of our students. Since so much of their future success depends on their educational foundation, the quality of the education they receive makes a big difference.

Earning a degree from an ABET-accredited program:

• Verifies that the quality of the educational experience they receive meets the standards of the profession.
• Enhances employment opportunities—multinational corporations require graduation from an accredited program.
• Supports their entry to a technical profession through licensure, registration and certification—all of which often require graduation from an ABET-accredited program as a minimum qualification.
• Establishes their eligibility for many federal student loans, grants, and/or scholarships.
• Paves the way for working globally, because ABET accreditation is recognized worldwide through international agreements, and many other countries’ national accrediting systems are based on the ABET model.

Search thousands of jobs requiring graduation from an ABET-accredited program.

About ABET

Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where 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 that currently accredits 4,564 programs at 895 colleges and universities in 40 countries and areas.

Learn more about ABET, its member societies and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs.