Penn State Altoona offers first ABET-accredited rail degree in U.S.

Written by Maggie Lancaster, assistant editor
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Penn State Altoona says it now offers the first and only ABET-accredited rail transportation engineering degree.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET is the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.

“Penn State Altoona is honored to have our baccalaureate rail transportation engineering (RTE) program—the first program of its kind in the United States—accredited by ABET,” said Chancellor and Dean Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry. “The accreditation of the RTE program is a testament to our outstanding faculty and staff and their commitment to providing our students with a high-quality engineering education. Accreditation from ABET assures students and their families that Penn State Altoona’s trailblazing RTE program meets the global standards for engineering education and signals to employers that our students are prepared to be productive and innovative rail transportation professionals.”

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ABET uses a peer-review process, which Penn State Altoona says “is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, where quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance.”

Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support and are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia and government, with expertise in the ABET disciplines.

Click here for more information on Penn State Altoona’s degree program in Rail Transportation Engineering.

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