Baltimore – ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing and applied science, has approved its first program-specific criteria for construction management at the baccalaureate level. Capping a two-year process led by CMAA, these criteria are a direct reflection of the needs of the construction management field.
CMAA, the leading organization dedicated to advancing professional construction and program management worldwide, became a member society of ABET in 2013. Since then, it formed a steering committee and began work on creating the program-specific criteria for construction management. These criteria received preliminary approval from ABET in 2014, were published for comment, and were formally adopted at ABET’s Applied Science Area Delegation meeting in Baltimore on October 17.
The unique industry insight that CMAA brought to developing the construction management criteria adds a key dimension to ABET’s process.
“These criteria are incredibly important for our construction management programs,” said Michael K. J. Milligan, ABET Executive Director and CEO. “Programs have already been accredited under our general criteria, but having CMAA’s input is critical to ensuring that these programs are meeting the needs of the construction management field.”
ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which it prepares graduates. The accreditation reviews are conducted by professionals in the discipline reflected in the program. The process is voluntary, and to date, approximately 3,600 programs at more than 700 colleges and universities in 29 countries have received ABET accreditation. Approximately 85,000 students graduate from ABET-accredited programs each year, and millions of graduates have received degrees from ABET-accredited programs since 1932.
“ABET is the pre-eminent accreditation body for educational programs in engineering-related fields, helping institutions attract the best students and assuring industry that graduates have the knowledge and skills the workplace requires,” notes CMAA President & CEO Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA.
Three construction management programs have already achieved ABET accreditation, based on a provision that allows institutions to pursue the new accreditation under the general rather than waiting for the program-specific criteria. These programs are at Brigham Young University, Pittsburg State University, and the University of North Florida.
Fourteen other construction management programs whose names also include engineering or engineering technology in the title have already been accredited. These programs will be evaluated against the construction management program criteria when they are considered for reaccreditation.
_____________
About CMAA
CMAA is the leading organization dedicated to advancing professional construction and program management worldwide. Its membership is made up of more than 14,000 public and private organizations, owners and individual practitioners. CMAA provides professional development, CM certification, advocacy, and business opportunities to its members and the entire CM industry. CMAA’s headquarters is located in McLean, VA, USA. Its website is www.cmaanet.org.
About ABET
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization with ISO 9001:2015 certification. We accredit college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology at the associate, bachelor, and master degree levels.
With ABET accreditation, students, employers, and the society we serve can be confident that a program meets the quality standards that produce graduates prepared to enter a global workforce. For more information visitwww.abet.org