LATROBE, PA—Saint Vincent College’s bachelor’s degree program in engineering has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
“Receiving ABET accreditation affirms the quality of our engineering program,” stated Dr. Stacy Birmingham, Professor of Engineering and current James F. Will Endowed Chair of Engineering in the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing. “Our engineering program, which offers concentrations in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering and mechanical engineering, provides students with significant project and design opportunities starting with the first-year courses. Our graduates are well-prepared to launch their engineering careers or to attend a top-ranked graduate school, as evidenced by the 98% placement rate. Grounded in the Catholic, Benedictine and liberal arts heritage of Saint Vincent College, our engineering program instills students with innovation, leadership and a commitment to the greater good.”
“This is very exciting news,” commented Dr. Stephen Jodis, Dean of the Boyer School. “ABET accreditation requires a significant amount of work, and I am very thankful for all the efforts of our engineering faculty and especially Dr. Stacy Birmingham. This recognition is a testament to the quality of their work with our students in our classrooms and laboratories and also reflects the support for Engineering at the College.”
Rev. Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., President of Saint Vincent College, has worked alongside Drs. Birmingham and Jodis as they moved through the accreditation process. “The achievement of ABET accreditation is one more signal of the ongoing progress at Saint Vincent to enhance our program offerings at the highest quality,” he remarked. “We appreciate this objective, peer-reviewed affirmation of academic excellence at Saint Vincent College. I am grateful to the faculty and staff for their work to secure accreditation and am excited for all our engineering students.”
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 with ISO 9001:2015 certification. It currently accredits 4,564 programs at 895 colleges and universities in 40 countries and areas.
More information about ABET, its member societies and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.
For more information about Saint Vincent College’s bachelor’s degree program in engineering, visit https://www.stvincent.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/programs/engineering.html.