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HPU'S ENGINEERING PROGRAMS GAIN ABET ACCREDITATION, ENHANCING GLOBAL RECOGNITION

Written By Gregory Fischbach

September 17, 2024
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HPU engineering students with Associate Professor of Engineering Suketu Naik (far right)

HPU engineering students with Associate Professor of Engineering Suketu Naik (far right).

HPU is honored to announce that its three engineering majors: bachelor of science in electrical engineering, bachelor of science in biomedical engineering, and bachelor of science in biotechnology engineering have all achieved ABET accreditation. This prestigious recognition follows a thorough review of HPU’s curriculum, facilities, university support, and student work.

“We are incredibly proud to share that our engineering programs that comprise the Allen and Nobuko Zecha Engineering program have earned ABET accreditation,” said HPU Acting Provost and Professor Brenda Jensen, Ph.D. “This achievement is a milestone for HPU, highlighting the high standards and quality of our engineering program. For our students, this means graduating from a program that meets the highest standards and is respected in the professional world.”

ABET is a leading accreditation agency in the U.S. and assesses programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. HPU is the only institution in Hawai‘i to offer a bachelor of science in both biomedical and biotechnology engineering. 

The accreditation of the engineering degrees, retroactive to 2021, allows all HPU engineering graduates to affirm to employers that their degrees are professionally accredited. Notably, electrical engineering is a high-demand field, with many positions requiring an ABET-accredited degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, electrical engineering jobs are projected to grow by 9% over the next decade, reflecting strong demand for professionals in this field. 

The Allen and Nobuko Zecha Engineering program is centrally located at Waterfront Plaza in downtown Honolulu. The electrical and biomedical engineering labs are located on the third floor, with a new biomedical engineering lab that opened in September 2024. Supported by the NIH INBRE program, this new lab focuses on biomechanics research led by HPU Assistant Professor Trisha Young, Ph.D. The University’s new “Downtown Science Laboratories” was completed in August 2024 on Fort Street Mall and further supports specialized biotechnology lab offerings.

HPU’s computer science program, also ABET-accredited, achieved this status in 2022. HPU remains the only university in Hawai‘i to offer an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree in computer science.

To learn more about the Allen and Nobuko Zecha Engineering program at HPU, click here.

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