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MILLIGAN, Tenn. (August 31, 2022) — Milligan University President Dr. Bill Greer just received notification that the university’s bachelor’s degree programs in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering have been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
“ABET accreditation is the ‘gold standard’ for engineering education, and our engineering faculty have worked tirelessly to ensure this milestone since the program launched in fall 2016,” said Greer. “I am grateful to the entire engineering team for their diligent work in achieving this successful outcome and to our industry partners, including Eastman, Eastman Credit Union, TPI Corporation, Nuclear Fuel Services, Siemens, BrightRidge, CMF International, Arconic and others, who help make the program possible.”
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates who are ready to enter critical technical fields that are both leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
Milligan’s accreditation was awarded retroactively to October 2019 to include students who already received degrees in the two fields, as an engineering program must produce graduates to be considered for ABET accreditation. Milligan graduated its first class of engineering students in spring 2020.
“In addition to receiving ‘no deficiencies, weaknesses or concerns,’ ABET commended Milligan for strong industry support and active Industrial Advisory Council,” said Dr. Greg Harrell, engineering programs director. “They also noted a ‘robust process to evaluate and support the math readiness of incoming students,’ which positions our students for success in the program and contributes to a high 90% employment placement rate immediately upon graduation.”
Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines where quality, precision and safety are of utmost importance.
“ABET accreditation or a substantial equivalent is required for professional engineering licensure in many states, including Tennessee, and many employers only hire from ABET-accredited programs,” explained Harrell. “Between Knoxville and Blacksburg, Milligan is the only school with ABET-accredited electrical and mechanical engineering majors.”
Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support, and they are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia and government with expertise in the ABET disciplines.
More information about ABET, its member societies and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.
For more information about Milligan engineering, visit www.milligan.edu/engineering.
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MILLIGAN UNIVERSITY is a Christian liberal arts institution in Johnson City, Tennessee, whose vision is to change lives and shape culture through a commitment to servant-leadership. The university offers more than 100 majors, minors, pre-professional degrees and concentrations in a variety of fields, along with graduate and adult degree completion programs. To learn more , visit www.milligan.edu or call 423.461.8700