WVU Tech’s Computer Science program received its initial accreditation from the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET earlier this month. The approval lifts the number of specially accredited programs in WVU Tech’s Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences to nine, which were all re-accredited during this review. There are only two ABET-accredited computer science programs in the state and both are in the West Virginia University system.
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards that produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies. ABET 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 accreditation is very important because it proves to employers that our graduates have a solid educational foundation and are ready to enter the field of computing,” said Dr. Ranjith Munasinghe, Chair and Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems. “It is international recognition of program quality and assurance that we continuously improve the Computer Science program and promote best educational practices.”
“ABET is a rigorous accrediting body, and its stamp of approval shows that our curriculum is globally competitive. I applaud the faculty who have worked tirelessly to give our students yet another reason to be proud of the education they are earning here – another reason to go out into the workforce with confidence,” said Dr. Zeljko “Z” Torbica, Dean of the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences at WVU Tech.
In addition to computer science, WVU Tech’s chemical, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The University’s civil, electronic and mechanical engineering technology programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission.
ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology, is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It currently accredits almost 3,500 programs at nearly 700 colleges and universities in 28 countries. More information about ABET, its member societies and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.
Read more about WVU Tech’s programs and accreditation at academics.wvutech.edu.