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Mechanical engineering program receives ABET accreditation

October 31, 2019

Liberty University’s Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering has recently joined other School of Engineering degree programs in receiving accreditation from ABET, the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

The mechanical engineering program launched in 2014 and is the largest degree program in the School of Engineering.

“This accreditation is very big, and it adds a lot to our program,” said Dr. John Vadnal, professor of civil engineering and the university’s ABET accreditation coordinator. “We are planning on starting a master’s and a Ph.D. in engineering in January, and this will feed right into that.”

The two postgraduate programs are pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Liberty’s B.S. degrees in both Electrical and Industrial & Systems Engineering received initial accreditation in 2012, followed by Computer Engineering in 2013. These three programs were re-accredited in 2018.

“We’re really, really happy with this accreditation process taking such a short period of time, and that we received it with flying colors on our first attempt,” said Dr. Hector Medina, a mechanical engineering professor who has led the development of Liberty’s Human-Powered Vehicle Competition project.

More than 4,000 programs at nearly 800 colleges and universities in 32 countries have received ABET accreditation, which is a requirement for many federal student loans, grants, and scholarships.

“At the end of the day, what we want for our students is job opportunities, and this helps them meet those goals,” Medina said. “In addition, it helps us to see how our program compares with others in the nation.”

One recent mechanical engineering graduate is working at the aerospace company Lockheed Martin in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and two graduates are pursuing Ph.D.s.

The school’s newest degree offering is civil engineering, which started this fall.

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