What Accreditation Means to your College Selection.

When your college search begins the first step a prospective student should take is to verify if the colleges of their choice are  accredited by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education . The goal of accreditation is to ensure that the institution is providing a quality education.

Accreditation is voluntarily initiated by the institution.  There is a rigorous independent self –evaluation with an objective appraisal by the accrediting body of the programs provided by the institution. A college or university’s accreditation is one of the three main elements governing the Higher Education Act federal student aid programs.You will find two types of accreditation. One accrediting an institution as a whole and one accrediting individual programs. When an institution is accredited the following criteria are assessed;

Overall mission of college, Objectives and goals, Student requirements for Admission, Services available to students, Quality of education and Reputation of Faculty.  When an individual program is accredited it recognizes that the content and quality of the specific program meets standards set by the profession.

There are many accrediting agencies in the United States and ABET Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology is one of them. ABET is a nonprofit accrediting agency for programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. ABET is recognized  by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/

ABET accreditation maintains guidelines that colleges must follow to remain recognized.  These principles will set the standards of what is taught for each programs covered by ABET. To receive the accreditation from ABET is an intensive team effort and is voluntary in the U.S.  The accreditation team is made up of professionals from industry, academia and government. Each know the needs of the emerging workforce for their field.  Achieving a college degree is perhaps the largest investment you will make toward your future.  Your career success will rely on the quality of education you receive.

An ABET accreditation provides students:

• The verification that their education meets the global standard for technical education in their profession.
• Increases your employment opportunities—international corporations require graduation from an ABET accredited program.
• An ABET-accredited program reinforces your entry to a technical profession.  This accreditation will enhance your ability to obtain licensure, registration, and certification in your chosen field.
• The accreditation will establish your eligibility for many federal student loans, grants, and/or scholarships.
• An ABET accreditation is recognized worldwide and leads the way for you to work globally.

To date, over 3800 programs at more than 770 colleges and universities in 31 countries are ABET accredited.  Morrison Tech is one of 85 two year colleges in the United States that has received ABET accreditation for Engineering Technology.  Morrison Tech is the only ABET accredited two-year college in Illinois.  This accreditation for the college, not only verifies that the student receives a quality education it allows the graduates to enter the engineering field directly after graduation.   Morrison Tech’s career placement is 97% with an average  starting salary of $47,000.   Because of the ABET accreditation the graduate is also able to transfer to many four year colleges or universities.

The best way to directly see how the ABET accreditation is enforced within Morrison Tech’s Engineering Technology programs are to schedule a visit. See for yourself why Morrison is the only accredited two year college in Illinois.