Ouachita engineering earns ABET accreditation
August 24, 2026
- Communications & MarketingOuachita Baptist University’s Bachelor of Science in engineering has received accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the university announced on August 24.
In addition to applying to current students and future graduates, the accreditation extends retroactively from October 1, 2024. The evaluation and accreditation of the engineering degree were conducted by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
“Having ABET accreditation will give our students access to career opportunities on top of the training and education they receive at Ouachita,” said Kevin Cornelius, professor of physics.
One such opportunity is the ability to obtain a Professional Engineer license. In Arkansas, an ABET-accredited degree is required to qualify for the credential and its prerequisite exams. Ouachita’s program, with four full-time faculty members, also allows for specialized mechanical and civil engineering courses while providing chances for hands-on experience, such as senior capstone design projects.
“This degree builds on our robust, long-standing engineering physics degree,” said Dr. Angela Douglass, professor of physics. “It adds to the strong foundation our students have obtained in the past, allowing them to go even further.”
For Cornelius and his colleagues, accreditation serves as validation for their team’s work and a sign of God’s faithfulness.
“Having engineering at Ouachita, I believe, is by divine design,” Cornelius said. “God provided obvious indications that this degree needed to happen. I’m excited that our department can educate new students in engineering while providing them with the Ouachita experience. Our physics alumni have indicated that their careers have benefited greatly from the liberal arts education that they received here. We expect our new engineering graduates to benefit from this as well.”
Dr. Norm Pumphrey, professor of engineering, works with students on Ouachita's campus.
Previous plans for an engineering program were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, resurfacing in the spring of 2021 during a department review. That fall, Ouachita approved the development of an engineering degree. Within two years, the program received accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and began course instruction. In May 2025, three students became Ouachita’s first engineering graduates, allowing the program to move forward with the ABET accreditation process.
In July 2025, Ouachita submitted its 200-page self-study and then hosted a three-day campus visit from ABET later that year. After final review this past July, the program was notified that it is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for engineering.
Today, more than 50 Ouachita students are enrolled in the engineering program.
“I can’t say enough about the exceptional faculty in physics and engineering,” said Dr. Tim Knight, vice president for academic affairs and professor of biology. “They are mission-oriented, embodying what it means to be Ouachita people who are committed to both their students and their disciplines. This step allows our program to better prepare students for lives of meaningful work.”
Ouachita’s engineering program provides a fully residential experience in a Christian learning environment. It allows students to bring their innovative ideas to life by showing them how they can use technology to improve the lives of others and solve real-world problems. For more information about studying engineering at Ouachita, visit obu.edu/engineering or contact the Office of Admissions Counseling at 870-245-5110 or [email protected].
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