2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Over the last ninety-three years, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has driven change in undergraduate engineering programs across the United States and globally. Initially focused on the professional development of engineers, ABET's scope of practice has expanded to cover additional areas, including applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology education. They are actively responsible for accrediting 4,773 programs at 930 educational institutions across 42 countries. ABET’s ever-evolving criteria aim to ensure that undergraduate curricula provide students with the technical, professional, and design skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly evolving technical industry. Understanding the Accreditation Board for Engineering’s influence on curriculum design and delivery has become increasingly important for educational institutions committed to the continuous improvement of student learning.

This paper investigates frequent obstacles faculty face when aligning their undergraduate course material to the ABET standards while staying cognizant of the impact on student learning outcomes and performance. This research synthesizes peer-reviewed studies to examine critical themes such as: required objectives and assessment practices, the lack of institutional resources, and the prioritization of outcome-based education.

The findings unpack the growing tension and misalignment between the nature of ABET criteria and the diverse rapidly changing institutional goals and student learning needs. The final synthesis reveals several challenges, including inconsistent interpretation of accreditation requirements, current difficulties in integrating emerging technologies (such as AI), constraints on institutional resources, and blatant misalignment in current curricula. These issues ultimately affect students’ preparedness in technical, professional, and design skills throughout the learning process. This paper aims to inform educational institutions by highlighting the systemic barriers to effective alignment of curricula with ABET’s standard criteria. Additionally, offering insights into how ABET standards might be reinterpreted and utilized to support student learning and institutional growth.