OSU Institute of Technology’s Civil Engineering Technology program has been granted accreditation for its Bachelor of Technology program from ABET, the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

Dr. Abul Hasan, division chair for Engineering Technologies, said after a lengthy and thorough evaluation, the program’s curriculum and learning spaces have met ABET’s standards.

“Receiving the accreditation is a testament to the excellence of our instructors, the quality of the curriculum they are teaching and the caliber of our facilities and labs,” Hasan said. “It benefits our students, our program and our university.”

With the accreditation, students in the Bachelor of Technology program are eligible for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the first step toward becoming a licensed professional engineer. Students can also now be considered for certain local, state and federal jobs that require or prefer a degree from an ABET-accredited program.

Jennifer Butler, instructor of Civil Engineering Technology, said aside from the recognition that OSUIT has an outstanding academic program, accreditation also means graduates may have more employment opportunities.

“Accreditation is a seal of approval that our degree is of the highest quality and recognized by a nationally known board,” Butler said. “We stand next to any other civil engineering technology program in the country knowing that we have a quality program.”

The whole ABET accreditation process can take 18 months, and Butler said OSUIT was laying the foundation for accreditation even before she started teaching at the university in 2008.

For consideration of accreditation, many processes were implemented including an official evaluation request, extensive self-study report, and an on-site visit conducted by ABET evaluators.

“By getting this recognition, our program is being noticed by employers, engineers and professional organizations around the country,” said Gayan Herath, instructor of Civil Engineering Technology. “Being accredited by ABET is a valuable achievement.”