ABET Accreditation

Accreditation is a non-governmental, peer-review process that assures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. Educational institutions or programs volunteer to undergo this review periodically to determine if certain criteria are being met. To employers, graduate schools, and licensure, certification, and registration boards, graduation from an accredited program signifies adequate preparation for entry into the profession.

ABET, Inc., the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 28 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for over 75 years.

In 1970, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) received its first accreditation of the Civil Engineering program by ABET. Since then, the Civil Engineering Program has maintained its ABET accredited status continuously. The last ABET visit occurred in Fall 2002, with the next visit scheduled for Fall 2008.

The current CEE Department at TTU was established in 1928 as a two-year program in Civil Engineering. The third year was added in 1931 and the fourth year in 1932. In 1949, the School of Engineering was instituted with Civil Engineering as one of the five departments. The M.S. degree program in the Department was initiated in 1967, with the first graduate degree conferred in 1969. In 1987, the first Ph.D. with an emphasis in Civil Engineering was conferred. In the fall semester of 1993, the “Environmental Engineering” extension was added to the departmental name and the Department was renamed as the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The Department has grown continually in student population over the last 60 years. It started off with an undergraduate enrollment under 50. By 1964 the enrollment stood at 100. It increased continually over the subsequent years, and in 1994 the enrollment in the program for the first time reached 300. Since then, ithas fluctuated around 250. For the Fall 2007 semester the enrollment was 277 students.

The successful accreditation history of the Civil Engineering program has been possible due to a well-rounded education that is delivered to undergraduate students. As one of the largest Civil Engineering undergraduate programs in Tennessee, the program enjoys an excellent reputation. Ever since its establishment, the Department has produced outstanding engineers, researchers, and educators. Graduates of the program are highly sought after by industry and government as well as graduate programs across the nation. The alumni have developed successful careers and served in leadership roles throughout the state, region, and nation.