Harding University Civil Engineering program receives accreditation

Oct. 20, 2022| Department of Engineering& Physics |

The Harding University Department of Engineering and Physics’ civil engineering program received approval for accreditation by the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology in August.

It is essential for civil engineering students to graduate from an accredited university to attain a license and enter the workfield. A university may only apply for accreditation after its first class of graduates. Harding’s program started in 2017 and applied for accreditation in August 2021.

Dr. Brad Miller, chair of the department of engineering and physics, expressed his gratitude for the recognition of the program by the ABET.

“ABET recognizes when a program meets the requirements of civil engineering,” Miller said. “At Harding, we want to put together goals for our students to strive for continuous improvement. We want to be an outstanding school where anybody who looks at our engineering program sees that we produce great quality engineers with high standards.”

The civil engineering program is led by Director and Associate Professor Alan Hewett. Hewett teaches alongside Associate Professor Michael Robinson and Instructor Joey Parker.

“We hope to graduate students who are compassionate about others and are concerned about the well-being of society and about their neighborhoods,” said Hewett. “Civil engineering is a degree that demonstrates daily how important it is to take care of your environment and be respectful to the communities you are in. We want to prepare our students to be Christians in their environments, well-trained to handle ethical dilemmas.”

Hewett emphasizes that the program is dedicated to training students who are hard working and community oriented. Civil engineers work in professional settings, developing infrastructure that affects the community holistically. This presents an opportunity for intentional mission in serving local communities.

The civil engineering program graduated its first class of four students in 2021 and has grown to a total of 33 students. Faculty and students look forward to department growth as an accredited program.