OCTOBER 6, 2023 — UTSA announced today that its undergraduate engineering programs in biomedical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering have been re-accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) through 2029. The programs, offered by the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College), serve more than 4,200
ABET is the global accreditor of higher education programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET accreditation assures that programs meet high standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, with the welfare and safety needs of the public in mind.
ABET has also accredited, for the first time, UTSA’s new bachelor’s program in chemical engineering. The B.S. in chemical engineering was established in Fall 2017 and designed with a rigorous curriculum and a low faculty-to-student ratio that enables close interactions between students and professors. Additionally, the program provides experiential learning opportunities to make students more competitive job candidates upon graduation and to position them for success in the workforce. Alumni are pursuing graduate degrees at elite chemical engineering programs in the nation.
“Having an ABET-accredited program will provide us with another springboard to grow connections with the chemical industries, especially in Texas,” said Nehal Abu-Lail, interim chair of the UTSA Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering. “This accreditation will also enable us to attract the most competitive students to our program. It is a testimonial to the high-quality education we are providing to our students.”
Brey added that ABET accreditation for young degree programs is a significant milestone. The B.S. in chemical engineering was retroactively accredited to 2020, ensuring that all of UTSA’s undergraduate chemical engineering students, including the inaugural graduating class, is able to hold up a degree from an ABET accredited program.
“The reviewers were particularly impressed by our facilities, specifically the Margie and Bill Klesse Unit Operations Teaching Laboratory, which offers students outstanding opportunities for hands-on application of classroom theory,” he added.
