Accreditation and Objectives

ABET Accreditation

ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET is a federation of 35 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the United States, ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for over 90 years.

ABET accredits over 4,500 programs at 895 colleges and universities in 40 countries. Over 2,200 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET evaluation activities.

Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.


Department of Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics

Mission

To Prepare Engineering Students for Successful Careers

Vision

"Be a nationally recognized mechanical engineering department that attracts, rewards, and retains outstanding faculty, students, and staff"

Vision Metric

Be a Department of Choice Nationally

The Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics will be nationally recognized as having one of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in the nation. Based on the quality and balance of its undergraduate and graduate programs and research it will be a department of choice by prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, corporate donors, and corporate employers worldwide.

Mechanical Engineering Educational Objectives

Our mechanical engineering program will have prepared graduates to apply skills and knowledge to achieve professional and personal growth. Our Program Educational Objectives are as follows:

Our graduates will attain recognition as engineers who, within 5 years following graduation, are committed to:

  • Make innovative contributions that positively impact society and the world
  • Foster work environments that value diverse viewpoints and enable everyone to work at their highest potential
  • Make good engineering, ethical, and financial decisions
  • Pursue advanced studies in engineering or other fields
  • Take on increasing responsibilities such as managing projects and leading teams

Student Outcomes

The ME-EM faculty have adopted the seven Student Outcomes (designated 1 through 7 in the ABET terminology) that support its program’s two Program Educational Objectives.

Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have (1-7):

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Criteria

The Michigan Tech mechanical engineering program satisfies the two mechanical engineering program criteria as described below.

Curriculum

The curriculum must require students to apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics (including multivariate calculus and differential equations); to model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components or processes; and prepare students to work professionally in either thermal or mechanical systems while requiring topics in each area.

Faculty

The program must demonstrate that faculty members responsible for the upper-level professional program are maintaining currency in their specialty area.