The ABCs of preparing for ABET

For an undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) degree program to gain accreditation, it must pass a thorough evaluation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). ABET is the organization responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and certifying the quality of engineering, engineering technology, and engineering-related education in the United States. This article provides guidance on planning, implementing, and accrediting BME programs. New programs are generally not as well connected to a previous infrastructure and an information database needed for the review process. Existing programs usually have a mindset and history for doing the pre-EC2000 preparation, which can also cause significant problems. Each author is a fully trained ABET evaluator and offers insights gained from experience on how to achieve a successful conclusion without providing any details about any programs visited.