What Is ABET and Why Does It Matter for Bioengineering?

ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is the globally recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. Since its founding in 1932, ABET has set the benchmark for quality in technical education. For bioengineering and biomedical engineering programs, ABET accreditation assures students, employers, and the public that graduates are well-prepared to enter the profession and contribute to healthcare innovation. More than 4,000 programs at over 900 institutions in 41 countries currently hold ABET accreditation, making it the most widely accepted stamp of engineering program quality worldwide.

ABET accreditation is voluntary but often essential. Many state licensure boards require a degree from an ABET-accredited program for professional engineering (PE) licensure. Additionally, many graduate schools and employers prefer or require applicants to have graduated from an ABET-accredited program. Understanding the specific criteria that ABET applies to bioengineering and biomedical engineering programs can help students choose the right educational path and help programs continuously improve their offerings.

Core ABET Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Programs

ABET evaluates programs using a set of general criteria that apply to all engineering disciplines, plus program-specific criteria tailored to bioengineering and biomedical engineering. The general criteria cover eight key areas:

1. Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

PEOs are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to achieve within a few years after graduation. For bioengineering programs, typical PEOs might include success in graduate study, professional practice in biomedical industry or healthcare, leadership in interdisciplinary teams, and commitment to ethical and socially responsible engineering. Programs must define, assess, and periodically revise their PEOs to ensure they align with the needs of the institution’s constituencies (students, alumni, employers, and industry advisory boards).

2. Student Outcomes

Student outcomes are narrower, measurable statements describing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors students should acquire by the time of graduation. ABET currently requires all engineering programs to demonstrate that their students achieve the following seven student outcomes (1–7):

  • 1. Problem solving: An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  • 2. Design: An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  • 3. Communication: An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • 4. Ethics and professionalism: An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  • 5. Teamwork: An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • 6. Experimentation: An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • 7. Lifelong learning: An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

For bioengineering and biomedical engineering programs, these outcomes are often contextualized with specific examples from tissue engineering, medical device design, biomechanics, or clinical instrumentation. Programs must collect and analyze data to assess how well students achieve these outcomes and use the results to drive continuous improvement.

3. Continuous Improvement

ABET requires that programs have a documented process for regularly assessing student outcomes and program educational objectives, and for using the results to make improvements. This “assessment and evaluation” cycle is a hallmark of ABET accreditation. Programs must show evidence that they have closed the loop – that assessment data led to concrete changes in curriculum, teaching methods, or resources. For example, if assessment reveals that students are weak in biomaterials design, the program might revise a lab, add a new module, or adjust prerequisites.

4. Curriculum

The curriculum criteria are the most detailed part of ABET’s requirements. For all engineering programs, the curriculum must include:

  • One year of mathematics and basic sciences (about 32 semester hours or equivalent). Mathematics must include differential and integral calculus, and probability and statistics. Basic sciences must include physics and chemistry, and may include biology. For bioengineering, biology is almost always required.
  • One and one-half years of engineering topics (about 48 semester hours) that develop student outcomes and include engineering sciences and engineering design. At least some of the design must be a major design experience that integrates knowledge and skills from multiple areas.
  • General education components to broaden students’ perspectives, such as humanities and social sciences.

In addition to these general requirements, the Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering add discipline-specific content. According to ABET’s current criteria, programs must demonstrate that graduates have proficiency in:

  • Biology, chemistry, and mathematics (including statistics) sufficient to apply the engineering design process to biological systems.
  • Engineering fundamentals relevant to bioengineering, including mechanics, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, materials, and electrical circuits.
  • The ability to apply engineering in the context of biology and physiology – for example, designing a prosthetic device, modeling drug delivery systems, or developing tissue-engineered constructs.
  • Hands-on laboratory experiences that complement theoretical knowledge. Labs must involve measurement, data collection, and analysis related to biological and physiological systems.
  • Exposure to contemporary issues and the ability to consider the societal and ethical implications of bioengineering solutions.

Most bioengineering programs today require courses in cell biology, biochemistry, systems physiology, biomechanics, biomaterials, and bioinstrumentation. The curriculum must strike a balance between depth in engineering fundamentals and breadth in biological sciences, ensuring graduates can work at the intersection of these fields.

5. Faculty

ABET requires that the faculty be of sufficient number and competence to deliver the program. Faculty members must have appropriate qualifications, including doctoral degrees in relevant disciplines, and must demonstrate currency through scholarship, professional development, and engagement with industry. The program must also document that faculty are actively involved in teaching, advising, research (where applicable), and service. For bioengineering programs, it is common to have faculty with backgrounds in engineering, biology, medicine, and allied health fields. ABET looks for evidence that faculty interact with students meaningfully – for example, through office hours, project advising, and mentoring.

6. Facilities

Classrooms, laboratories, and equipment must be adequate to support the curriculum and encourage student learning. For bioengineering programs, this typically includes dedicated spaces for cell culture, biomechanics testing, medical device prototyping, and computational modeling. Safety must be emphasized – chemical hygiene plans, biosafety cabinets, and proper waste disposal are expected. “Adequate” does not necessarily mean state-of-the-art, but facilities must be well-maintained and accessible. The program must show that students have sufficient hands-on time with instruments they will encounter in industry or graduate school.

7. Institutional Support and Financial Resources

The institution must provide the program with sufficient financial and administrative resources to achieve its objectives. This includes support for faculty development, laboratory upgrades, library resources, and student services. ABET also evaluates the institution’s policies on academic advising, admissions, and student retention. A strong institutional commitment to the program is essential for accreditation.

8. Program Criteria

In addition to the general criteria, each engineering discipline has program-specific criteria. For bioengineering and biomedical engineering, the program criteria (as of the 2023–2024 accreditation cycle) require that the program demonstrate that graduates have:

  • The ability to apply principles of engineering, biology, human physiology, chemistry, calculus-based physics, mathematics (through differential equations), and statistics.
  • The ability to design systems, components, or processes relevant to bioengineering – often culminating in a senior capstone design project that integrates knowledge from multiple sub-disciplines.
  • The ability to make measurements on and interpret data from living systems. This implies laboratory courses that involve biological samples, sensors, and data analysis.
  • An understanding of the ethical, regulatory, and societal context of bioengineering practice. For example, students should learn about FDA approval processes, patient safety, and issues of equity in medical technology.

Programs should also ensure that students study contemporary issues such as personalized medicine, synthetic biology, and the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The criteria are updated periodically; the latest version can be found on the ABET Engineering Accreditation Criteria page.

The Accreditation Process

Obtaining and maintaining ABET accreditation involves a rigorous self-study and on-site peer review. The process typically includes:

  • Self-Study Report: The program produces a comprehensive document addressing each criterion, including data on student outcomes, curriculum maps, and evidence of continuous improvement. This report can take a year or more to prepare.
  • On-Site Visit: A team of trained evaluators (typically three to five volunteers from academia and industry) visits the campus for two to three days. They meet with faculty, students, administrators, and alumni; review facilities; and examine student work samples and assessment data.
  • Evaluation and Decision: The team writes a report that recommends a decision: accredit for six years, accredit for two years (with a follow-up), show cause, or deny. The final decision is made by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. Programs that receive a six-year accreditation cycle have demonstrated robust outcomes and processes.
  • Continuous Maintenance: Accredited programs must submit annual data updates and undergo periodic reaccreditation (usually every six years). This keeps programs accountable and responsive to changes in the field.

Why ABET Accreditation Matters for Students and Professionals

For students, graduating from an ABET-accredited bioengineering program provides several concrete advantages:

  • Professional Licensure: Many states require an ABET-accredited degree to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, the first step toward becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). In some industries, such as consulting or medical device regulation, a PE license is highly valued.
  • Graduate School Readiness: Top graduate programs in bioengineering often prefer or require applicants to have an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree. The rigorous curriculum and assessment ensure foundational knowledge is solid.
  • Employer Recognition: Companies that hire bioengineers – from Medtronic and Boston Scientific to start-ups and research hospitals – understand that ABET accreditation signals a graduate who can solve real-world problems, work on teams, and communicate effectively. Some federal agencies and defense contractors even require ABET accreditation for certain positions.
  • Global Mobility: ABET is a founding member of the Washington Accord, an international agreement that recognizes substantial equivalence of engineering programs across signatory countries. Graduates from ABET-accredited programs have an easier time securing engineering credentials in other Washington Accord countries.

For educators, ABET accreditation provides a structured framework for curriculum improvement and a way to benchmark the program against national standards. The self-study process often reveals gaps or redundancies and encourages innovative teaching practices.

How Programs Can Prepare for ABET Accreditation

Programs seeking initial or continued accreditation should start early – at least two to three years before the anticipated site visit. Key steps include:

  • Engage Constituencies: Form an industrial advisory board and survey alumni, employers, and current students to define meaningful PEOs and assess how well the program meets their needs.
  • Map the Curriculum: Create a matrix showing which courses address which student outcomes. Identify where each outcome is introduced, reinforced, and assessed.
  • Collect Direct Assessment Data: Use embedded exam questions, project rubrics, design reports, and laboratory evaluations to measure student performance against outcomes. Avoid relying solely on GPA or exit surveys; ABET wants direct evidence.
  • Close the Loop: Document how assessment results have led to changes. For example, if data show poor performance in outcome 2 (design), the program might revise the senior capstone structure or add a prerequisite in design methodology.
  • Maintain Documentation: Keep records of faculty meeting minutes, assessment reports, curriculum changes, and faculty development activities. These records are critical for the self-study report and for answering evaluator questions.
  • Prepare Students and Faculty: Ensure students understand how their coursework aligns with ABET outcomes. Faculty should be trained in assessment methods and be able to articulate how they contribute to program objectives.

The ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission provides detailed training for evaluators and program representatives. Many programs also benefit from attending ABET’s annual symposium or utilizing their self-study templates.

Common Misconceptions About ABET Criteria

Several misunderstandings about ABET persist. First, ABET does not prescribe a specific curriculum or list of courses; it only sets minimum requirements in terms of credit hours and topics. Programs have flexibility to emphasize their unique strengths – a program focused on tissue engineering will look different from one focused on medical instrumentation. Second, ABET accreditation is not a ranking; it is a binary “accredited” or “not accredited” status. All accredited programs meet the same baseline standards. Third, ABET does not evaluate research or faculty publications directly (except to assess faculty competence and currency). The emphasis is on student learning and outcomes, not on the institution’s research profile.

Another common concern: program changes. Some faculty worry that pursuing accreditation stifles innovation. In practice, ABET encourages innovation as long as programs can still demonstrate that graduates achieve the required outcomes. The Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) works closely with ABET to ensure criteria reflect current industry practice and educational best practices, supporting continuous evolution of bioengineering curricula.

The Future of ABET Criteria for Bioengineering

ABET updates its criteria periodically, with stakeholder input. Recent trends include greater emphasis on: (1) diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education, (2) data science and computational biology, (3) regulatory and quality systems awareness, and (4) global and societal impacts of bioengineering. Programs should monitor the ABET website for proposed changes and comment periods. The most significant upcoming revision is the anticipated adoption of “new” criteria for the 2025–2026 accreditation cycle, which may integrate sustainability and resilience concepts more explicitly. Bioengineering programs are also encouraged to prepare students for emerging fields like nanomedicine, brain-computer interfaces, and digital health.

Accreditation is not static; it evolves alongside the profession. By understanding and embracing ABET’s criteria, bioengineering programs can produce graduates who are ready to innovate, lead, and improve human health – which is, after all, the ultimate goal of the discipline.