What is ABET and is Unity ABET Accredited?
ABET accreditation is a form of quality assurance for programs in the areas of applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. A degree from a program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET meets the education component specified in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Engineering Education Standard for engineering registration. In most states and territories, this means that those graduates can pursue engineering registration (PE license) with four years of supervised experience rather than 8–10 years.
Unity environmental engineering students can take the FE exam shortly before or after graduation. From its inception, Unity’s Environmental Engineering program was designed for students to meet the ABET requirements. ABET and the FE dictate most of the topics and courses in environmental engineering programs across the country. The environmental engineering program at Unity includes coursework related to every one of the topics required by ABET and is overseen by the Director of the program, Dr. Striebig, who served as an ABET program evaluator for many years. The submission to ABET for accreditation is already being prepared, even as students take their first courses in the program!
Will Unity’s First Graduating Class Be Affected Without ABET?
Unity’s Environmental Engineering program is being designed to meet ABET accreditation standards from the ground up. While the program is not yet ABET-accredited, we are building toward that goal with a clear timeline. As a Unity student, you’ll be able to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam in Maine near graduation, and this qualification will be valid for your future PE license application regardless of which state you eventually practice in.
Our accreditation timeline aligns with student graduation: Unity will submit the formal ABET accreditation application around the time our first cohort of students takes the FE exam. The ABET review process typically takes 18-24 months to complete. This means current and incoming students will graduate from a program designed to ABET standards, with the formal accreditation expected to be finalized during this timeframe.
The program’s curriculum and faculty qualifications are being developed to exceed ABET requirements, ensuring you receive the same quality education and preparation as students in established accredited programs. Retroactive accreditation may be granted to cover students who graduated up to 2 academic years prior to receiving accreditation.
Here’s how the timeline works in your favor: After graduation, you’ll need four years of professional engineering experience under a licensed PE before you can take the PE exam. This is a standard requirement regardless of which school you attend.
During those same four years that you’re gaining work experience, Unity’s ABET accreditation process will be completed. This means by the time you’re eligible to take the PE exam (after your four years of experience), Unity will have received full ABET accreditation.
The bottom line: Starting the program now won’t delay your path to becoming a licensed Professional Engineer. The accreditation timeline and the work experience requirement run parallel to each other, so you’ll be ready to pursue your PE license on the same schedule as graduates from any established program.
