Electronics Engineering Program Earns National Accreditation

The Weber State University electronics engineering program was recently awarded accreditation from the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) 

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.

Accreditation is voluntary and achieved through a peer-review process, providing assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which the program prepares its students.

The electronics engineering program — which began offering Bachelor of Science courses in 2010 — was designed to meet the acute demand for electrical engineers in northern Utah, particularly Hill Air Force Base. As of Aug. 20, there are 250 declared majors for the program.

“ABET was necessary for Hill Air Force Base, because it could not hire our graduates without accreditation,” said Kirk Hagen, chair of the Department of Engineering. “Firms that have electrical engineers employed are going to benefit, because many have the same accreditation requirements as Hill. Employers in the area can now draw from Weber State, a school in their own backyard, where they will have a pool of qualified graduates.”

The engineering program also will benefit from the recent opening of the Professional Programs Classroom Building (D-3) at Weber State University Davis. The 120,146-square foot, $39.5 million building will provide the program with two new faculty offices and two new laboratories, one of which has been sponsored by Rocky Mountain Power.

“We are still headquartered at the Ogden campus, but this helps us expand our presence at WSU Davis as well,” Hagen said. “We teach evening courses in Layton, which helps our non-traditional students in the program.”

Visit abet.org/about-abet/ for more information on ABET accreditation.

Originally written by Matt Gerrish, social media editor at Weber State University