# Engineers: How Much does ABET accreditation matter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-how-much-does-abet-accreditation-matter/583725 "2011-05-30T02:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-how-much-does-abet-accreditation-matter/583725/1 "2011-05-30T02:07:29Z")
Specifically for a Bachelor’s in Electronics/Electrical engineering? And what would the options for someone with a Bachelor’s in EE technology that is not ABET accredited be, in terms of employment, additional education? I understand that it would take longer to get your PE in this situation, but how much longer exactly, and how much would this limit potential employment opportunities? Are there master’s degrees that are ABET accredited? If yes, could you go from a non accredited BA to a, accredited masters and there by get your PE sooner? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-how-much-does-abet-accreditation-matter/583725/2 "2011-05-30T03:28:07Z")
Here’s Florida’s answer: > [@](#): > > “What are the qualifications to sit for the Fundamentals Examination to attain certification as an Engineer Intern?” > > You must be a graduate of an approved engineering curriculum in a school, college or university approved by the Board. Programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) meet the requirements of Rule 61G15-20.007, F.A.C. > > “What if my degree is from a foreign university and/or is not accredited by EAC/ABET?” > > If the above statement applies to your education, you will be required to submit, as part of your application, an evaluation by one of the Board approved educational evaluators. Josef Silny and Associates or NCEES Credentials Evaluation Services. The evaluation and any other advanced degrees will be reviewed to determine if you satisfy the criteria of Rule 61G15-20.007, F.A.C. So it depends on why your program is not ABET accredited. If it is a reputable foreign school, there probably won’t be an issue. If it is because the program isn’t rigorous enough, then you have problems. If it is because the program is new and in the process of being accredited, then it is more of a crap shoot. Problems in terms of higher education and employment isn’t because the school isn’t ABET accredited, but because it is new or not rigorous. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-how-much-does-abet-accreditation-matter/583725/3 "2011-05-30T04:08:13Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Specifically for a Bachelor’s in Electronics/Electrical engineering? > > And what would the options for someone with a Bachelor’s in EE technology that is not ABET accredited be, in terms of employment, additional education? > > I understand that it would take longer to get your PE in this situation, but how much longer exactly, and how much would this limit potential employment opportunities? > > Are there master’s degrees that are ABET accredited? > > If yes, could you go from a non accredited BA to a, accredited masters and there by get your PE sooner? Not getting an ABET-accredited degree can present a significant problem in getting your P.E. license. It likely would not significantly affect your opportunities for employment, because I wouldn’t expect most employers to be familiar with what programs are accredited or not. It may limit your chances of advancement, however, if your field is one in which getting a P.E. license is required to advance. This is primarily only the case for those fields that work on projects directly affecting the public, though, such as civil engineers. Finally, most graduate engineering programs that lead to an M.S. or a Ph.D. degree are NOT accredited, even those from major, national universities. Generally, only B.S. degree programs are accredited by the ABET. (So getting a B.A. instead of a B.S. can also present problems with getting a P.E. license.) Incidentally, I see in your OP that your refer to both a “Bachelor’s in Electronics/Electrical engineering” as well as “EE technology.” Note that engineering technology degrees are generally considered a step down from a true engineering degree, being somewhere between engineering and technician training. Engineering technology degrees do not always qualify as the requisite education necessary to get a P.E. license, depending on the state, or may require additional years of experience. The same is true for a non-ABET accredited engineering degree. Depending on the state, the number of years of additional experience required to get one’s license may be significant. –robby, P.E. ---
**Author:** ![dan1500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dan1500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan1500)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-how-much-does-abet-accreditation-matter/583725/4 "2011-05-30T11:51:57Z")
My current employer and many that I’ve interviewed at recently require an ABET degree to be hired as an engineer. As noted above those who have “technology” degrees are somewhat limited in their advancement opportunities, although it doesn’t seam to be as big of deal as what was in the past, in my experience.