My son was accepted late December into Mines and is extremely happy. It’s one of his top picks. He is interested in computer engineering, but Mines does not have a dedicated computer engineering program. Instead they have a CS + Computer Engineering program, which looks very similar to other computer engineering curriculums at ABET accredited schools. Mines’ computer science program is not ABET accredited (the rest of the engineering degrees are). How important is ABET accreditation for a computer science degree with a focus on computer engineering? In researching the importance of ABET for CS, it appears it’s not crucial since schools like Stanford does not have the accreditation, but how critical is the accreditation for computer engineering? Thoughts please. Thanks in advance.
ABET accreditation is helpful if the goal involves PE licensing (uncommon for computer engineering) or the patent exam.
Otherwise, it is mainly an indication of meeting a standard of quality, but many good quality programs do not have it.
Thanks for the reply. My son isn’t 100% certain at this point if computer engineering is what he wants a degree in. I figured, if he decides to move to EE, Mines’s program is ABET accredited. I didn’t know if companies are looking for ABET accreditation for computer engineers and ultimately a PE. So, this is helpful, thanks!
I am a director of engineering at a large software company. I majored in CS and have no idea if the program I attended (Cal Poly SLO) is ABET accredited. It may matter for some careers, but certainly not for most careers in software. I have a kid considering Mines and many other schools. ABET accreditation is not a concern for us.