ABET Accreditation

ABET Accreditation

The mechanical engineering undergraduate option is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Mechanical Engineering Program Criteria.

ABET is responsible for assuring educational quality. It is a voluntary, non-governmental process of peer review designed to determine if certain, defined standards and criteria are being met. Accreditation verifies that an institution or program has met the criteria.

ABET accreditation tells students, their parents, and employers that the program has met minimum standards and it has been judged by professionals to provide an adequate preparation for the engineering graduate. It also establishes standards, procedures, and an environment that will encourage the highest quality for engineering technology and that the graduates are aware of public health and safety considerations.

Many state registration and certification boards consider ABET-accredited programs for state licensure and certification. Graduation from an accredited program is an important step to becoming a Registered Professional Engineer; it is also a consideration for admission to many graduate programs.

Program Educational Objectives

Caltech provides an outstanding education that prepares students to become world leaders in science, engineering, academia, business, and public service.

The program educational objectives of the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering at Caltech are to produce graduates who will attain careers and higher education that ultimately lead to leadership roles in academia, industry and government in areas of rapidly advancing interdisciplinary technology related to fluid, solid, thermal, and mechanical systems.

Student Outcomes

The program strives to develop in each student self-reliance, creativity, leadership, professional ethics, and the capacity for continuing professional and intellectual growth.

The student outcomes of the undergraduate program are to prepare the student to build on a fundamental education in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology and to apply those principles to the solution of open-ended engineering problems; to design, analyze, measure, and evaluate fluid, thermal, and mechanical systems; to work effectively as part of a team; to communicate effectively; to apply ethical considerations; and to understand the broader impacts of engineering developments, including societal, cultural, and environmental concerns.

These student outcomes are consistent with the ABET student outcomes listed below.

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. 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. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. 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. 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. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.