Misunderstandings persist regarding the accreditation of engineering programs in the United States. While the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) plays a significant role in this process, it does not have the authority to grant accreditation. Instead, the responsibility lies with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), a global nonprofit organization that evaluates academic programs in specific disciplines.
Founded in 1932 by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and six other engineering organizations, ABET primarily accredits programs rather than entire institutions or departments. Currently, it oversees the accreditation of more than 4,770 programs across 930 colleges and universities in 42 countries. IEEE contributes as one of 34 professional organizations that assist ABET in setting policies, developing strategies, and conducting accreditation activities worldwide.
IEEE’s Contribution to Accreditation Evaluations
Among its many responsibilities, IEEE provides volunteer program evaluators who assess educational institutions seeking ABET accreditation. These evaluators, who must have experience in industry, academia, or government, are crucial to the accreditation process. They visit institutions and evaluate programs based on criteria developed collaboratively with ABET and participating societies.
Once an IEEE volunteer has accumulated a minimum of five years of experience as a program evaluator, they may be nominated to serve on one of two IEEE committees: the Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) or the Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities (CEAA). These committees are supported by IEEE Educational Activities and are integral to the organization’s responsibilities regarding ABET.
Victor Nelson, a professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at Auburn University in Alabama and an IEEE life senior member, reflects on his experience as a program evaluator. He has dedicated over two decades to this role and was recently honored with the 2024 IEEE EAB Meritorious Achievement Award in Accreditation Activities. He stated, “Years of developing and leading undergraduate electrical and computer engineering programs…led me to believe that becoming an ABET program evaluator would be a great way to learn new ways to improve the quality of our own programs while also assisting others.”
Application Process and Global Reach
The CETAA and CEAA select new program evaluators annually. The number of applicants varies each year to ensure that there are sufficient evaluators for upcoming accreditation visits. For the 2025–2026 academic year, IEEE received 126 applications from 24 countries, with 105 from academia and 21 from industry or government.
Each accreditation visit is led by a team chair, who serves as the primary contact for the institution being evaluated. The typical term for this position is five years, with the possibility of serving a three-year term on ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). Currently, there are about 380 IEEE evaluators, with 26 serving as IEEE commissioners on ABET’s EAC and ETAC.
Nelson emphasizes the value of this work, stating, “I have had the privilege of studying and visiting programs around the world… I always feel a sense of pride in being able to make modest contributions to improving the quality of engineering education through the accreditation review process.”
For those interested in understanding the significance of accreditation, IEEE has published resources such as “How IEEE Ensures Quality in Engineering Education,” which delves deeper into the organization’s commitment to enhancing engineering education standards.
