1. Is this degree accredited?
ACU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Abilene Christian University’s undergraduate engineering program has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public. The additional accreditation retroactively applies to all B.S.E. graduates from ACU.
2. Why does ACU offer a general engineering degree rather than a specific one (civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.)?
A general engineering degree provides students a well-rounded undergraduate education in engineering as a whole, with the flexibility to take courses in specific fields such as electrical, mechanical, industrial or civil engineering that will help guide the student to the professional career or graduate program that best fits their interests and skills.
3. What kind of job opportunities can graduates get?
ACU engineering students have accepted full-time positions at a variety of companies such as:
- AECOM
- Raytheon SAS
- Lockheed Martin
- Meers Engineering
- Enprotec Hibbs and Todd
4. Are there on-campus research opportunities?
Yes. Current on-campus projects include those with ACU professors such as Dr. Darby Hewitt in his Robotics Lab and with Dr. Robert Brown and his fluid dynamics work with the NEXT (Nuclear Energy Experiment Testing), as well as many other research opportunities on campus.
5. In which graduate engineering programs have ACU students enrolled?
Recent enrollments include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Texas A&M University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, Montana State University, Texas Tech University and Colorado School of Mines.
6. Which classes should high school students take to prepare for majoring in engineering at ACU?
As many math courses as possible, including Pre-Calculus and Calculus.
7. Which math class does an ACU student first take in the engineering program?
That is determined by the ACCUPLACER math test all incoming freshmen take during ACU’s new student orientation (more information here). ACU administers the ACCUPLACER test to measure a student’s readiness for various university courses. For example, ACU uses ACCUPLACER scores to determine whether a prospective engineering or physics major is prepared for Calculus or Pre-Calculus courses.