The Impact of EC2000 on Mechanical Engineering Curricula: A Follow-up Study

Abstract

The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) is recognized by the US Department of Education as the sole agency responsible for accreditation of educational programs leading to degrees in engineering, engineering technology, and related engineering areas. A new set of criteria for accreditation was established by ABET in the late 1990s, Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). By 2001, all engineering programs were required to be accredited under the new criteria. The philosophy of EC2000 is to allow institutions and programs to define their mission and objectives to meet the needs of their constituents and enable program differentiation. Emphasis is placed on continuous improvement of programs based on the input of constituents and a process that links outcomes and assessment to program objectives. A preliminary study was conducted by the author in 2000 that looked at the initial effects of EC2000. It examined selected mechanical engineering programs to discern the impact of EC2000 on curriculum development during the initial implementation of the new criteria. Data on the mechanical engineering curricula at nine schools with PhD programs and nine schools without PhD programs were presented. This paper looks at changes since the original study. Current results are also compared with those from a study by Robert E. Mates from the State University of New York at Buffalo entitled a ‘Survey of Undergraduate ME Programs’, conducted in 1987.