Molecular Engineering Accreditation

Hello, I’m a prospective admitted student to the UChicago Class of 2023. I applied loving many things about the university, but most especially the molecular engineering program. I love how new and well funded it is, and I like the interdisciplinary focus behind it. I’m ready to commit to UChicago, but I do have one big worry about the program: that it isn’t accredited by ABET or anyone else. I’m not sure how big of a deal this is for me and my goals, so I’ll elaborate on those. I’ve been interested in molecular biology since before HS so this isn’t a fleeting passion, but after interning in a research lab over the summer, I decided I wanted to more of a research engineering focus. My plan now is to get a PhD in engineering and work R&D for some biotech company. I’m not that interested in academia because I don’t want to teach and I’m not a fan of the politics or grant writing. While I definitely plan on going to grad school, I would like to have a degree that could get me a nice job after undergrad just in case, which is why majors like bio and biochem are sort of off the table of me as well. My guess is that accreditation doesn’t mean much since UChicago is a well-known elite school and molecular engineering is very cutting edge, but I just wanted to be sure before I commit. Thanks!

Be sure that it will not matter. Some top engineering schools have dropped ABET including CalTech and Stanford in some fast paced engineering fields. BTW the curriculum requirements at UChicago are changing significantly so you might want to look at them.

Some info on why CalTech dropped ABET for ChemE. As a EE myself I totally understand why they did this, and why UChicago isn’t pursuing ABET accreditation. My personal opinion is that ABET is out of control.

“The undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering at Caltech is widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in the world. In our efforts to maintain that rigor in light of the rapid pace of change in this discipline, Caltech’s Chemical Engineering faculty have concluded that the process of engineering accreditation by ABET limits our ability to offer the best possible education to Caltech’s remarkable cadre of students. Consequently, we will not pursue continued ABET accreditation.

We do not take this step lightly. Accreditation plays an important role in assuring that we are preparing our students for their further graduate education and careers. One of the unique strengths of Caltech undergraduate education that has been cited in the overall accreditation of Caltech by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the opportunity to pursue relevant elective courses or independent research. The flexibility gained through this action, while continuing to maintain the essential Chemical Engineering curriculum, will increase this ability for Chemical Engineering students at Caltech.

In Caltech’s Chemical Engineering program, students pursue studies in traditional chemical process systems, as well as on biomolecular, environmental, and materials engineering. In our senior design courses, students undertake projects beyond the singular focus on large-scale chemical processes that was the mainstay of chemical engineering education in years past. These design projects range from the myriad applications of random mutagenesis, to the design of new polymers and of instruments, sensors, and micro-scale chemical processes, among many others.

These opportunities have allowed Caltech’s exceptional Chemical Engineering graduates to achieve great success. Over the past 20 years, nearly two-thirds have gone on to graduate study, while others have been highly successful in diverse industries.

At the same time, however, the restrictions and requirements imposed by ABET criteria and examiners have led to an excessively structured curriculum—one that our students and alumni have found to limit their opportunities to take full advantage of Caltech, both in research and in pursuing course offerings beyond the requirements.

@CU123 I agree that ABET seems too limiting and that seems to be the reason UChicago is reluctant to engage with them, but as a research engineer in the biotech field would that even matter much? Or, if it did matter, could I just switch to a grad school with ABET accreditation for my PhD and be ok? I have looked extensively at the Molecular Engineering requirements and they excite me. It seems to be a good mix between solely practical engineering and more research and theory-based classes.

No as a research engineer in biotech it simply wouldn’t matter. Biotech is advancing way too fast for ABET. ABET is more applicable to civil/mechanical engineering where there isn’t a lot of change going on.

There’s the excitement in your voice when you talk about wanting to study molecular engineering, so follow your excitement! You will be receiving a world class education, so don’t limit yourself to only accredited ABET programs. Don’t limit the school to being a ‘placement office’ (a term another poster used) because although college will help you get a job, it also encompasses so much more than being a ‘placement office.’ With your attitude and excitement for studying molecular biology, you will no doubt get a great job, in addition to the many other experiences you will have there.

The ABET accreditation is important if you want to eventually get a Professional Engineer (PE) certification. If you have no desire for this, then lack of accreditation won’t matter. Some hiring managers for entry level engineers will also specify that they will accept ABET degrees only. But it sounds like you want to get a graduate degree anyway.

My son looked at what engineering U of C had when looking 2 years ago. I also know someone that teaches there and many students there (families that went there). They look at engineering as a whole as a trade and something U of Chicago will not pursue (my friend has been to administration meetings on this topic) but for some reason molecular engineering is OK with nanoengineering.

We also talked to the lead of the program in a meeting when visiting there. The leads are world class in this field and one came from Berkeley and has his own firm with the Fermi lab in the suburbs. He is like the lead in the country for this field. Mr Tirell is like no joke. https://ime.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/

World class institution and world class faculty. Crazy but think you’ll get a job… Haha… Think they were also building a new building for this last time I checked. (it was 2 years ago)

So… Email Mr Tirell and ask questions. He’s a very nice guy.

Good Luck.

I am an engineer, I graduated from an ABET accredited engineering school twice. That being said, ABET is there so places like Joe’s Tech can’t sell engineering degrees. It isn’t there to police places like the University of Chicago. In nearly 30 years of being an engineer or hiring engineers for some of the larger companies in the world, not once have I been presented a candidate where ABET accreditation was a factor. To be honest, I’m not even sure it would be required to get a PE (you’ll need to research that) and I’m certain someone in the school at UChicago could help you navigate that if you need to.

I’ll put one last comment in on this WRT my DD. Discussing her options WRT to colleges, I had a long discussion on which college to attend. She had an interest in STEM but also was interested in humanities. Most here on CC would say attend schools known for engineering, MIT/CT/etc. but the issue is more of what kind of education she wanted. She wanted it all, STEM, the Great Books, Social Sciences and you cant get those kind of courses everywhere (not at the quality she wanted). Like most kids admitted to elite colleges including MIT and CT, they are great at everything, not just STEM subjects. In the end it was a no brainer, UChicago with its social sciences and humanities, and a world class Molecular Engineering Institute would give her the best education available. She is a double major in creative writing and molecular engineering, and on track to graduate in four years. That is nearly impossible at any other “engineering” school.

Commenting on @Knowsstuff post, I am of the same opinion that most of UChicago has, that engineering is in fact a trade, a very useful trade, but most of the engineers I know are not well educated outside of engineering.

PhD programs in engineering that are working on interdisciplinary Bio tech projects will have people with a variety of undergrad degrees in their labs so I think you will have no problems getting into whatever grad school program you decide is the best fit without the ABET certification. Check out the bios of the PhD candidates in a few of the top programs and you can see their backgrounds and degrees vary greatly.