The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development or simply the Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD), established in June 1932,As an audit of accomplishments, 1932-1947, and a rededication of plans for future action, this booklet is issued by the Engineers' council for professional development in commemoration of its fifteenth anniversary, June 1947
/ref>Science, Volume 94, Issue 2446, pp. 456: Engineers' Council for Professional Development
/ref> was an

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

professional body A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

dedicated to the education, accreditation, regulation and professional development of the engineering professionals and students in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

.ABET History
/ref>Engineers' Council for Professional Development. (1957). The first five years of professional development
/ref>Engineers' Council for Professional Development. (1948). The most desirable personal characteristics; an exploration of opinion and a report from the Sub-committee on Student Development
/ref> ECPD grew and has changed its name to ABET, Inc. and its focus solely to

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

. Its purpose was to set standards and to publish the Codes of Ethics and other material for engineers and engineering schools and organizations in the United States,Engineers' Council for Professional Development. (1976). including criteria, objectives and procedures for accrediting programs in engineering in the United States. New York: Engineers' Council for Professional Development
/ref>Engineers' Council for Professional Development, (1947); and Canons of ethics for engineers
/ref>Engineers' Council for Professional Development, (1974); and The young engineer: a professional guide
/ref>Engineers' Council for Professional Development, (1942), a Manual for committees of engineers who aid young men interested in engineering education and the engineering profession
/ref> The seven engineering societies that established ECPD in 1932 were: * The

American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(ASCE) * The American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, now the

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) is a professional association for mining and metallurgy, with over 145,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

(AIME) * The

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

(ASME) * The

American Institute of Electrical Engineers The American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was a United States-based organization of electrical engineers that existed from 1884 through 1962. On January 1, 1963, it merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) to form the Instit ...

(AIEE), since 1963 merged into the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

(IEEE) * The Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, now the

American Society for Engineering Education The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education. The purpose of ASEE is the advancement of education ...

(ASEE) * The

American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was actually established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as a profession independent of chemists and mechanical engineer ...

(AIChE) * The National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners, now the

National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is an American non-profit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors. The Council’s members are the engineering and surveying lic ...

(NCEES) ECPD was founded to provide a "joint program for upbuilding engineering as a profession". However, it almost immediately began developing as an accreditation agency, evaluating its first engineering program in 1936 and its first engineering technology program in 1946. ECPD changed its name to Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 1980, and changed it again to ABET, Inc. in 2005. ABET, Inc. is now an accreditation federation of 29 professional and technical societies (and one ''associate member society''), representing the fields of

applied science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, e ...

, and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

.ABET's Member Societies

References

{{reflist

External links

Engineers' Council for Professional Development. (1978). Engineering education and accreditation report, 1977. New York: The Council.Transcending the Theory-Practice Problem of Technology - Reich (1992)
quote from article: ''For example, a paragraph in a recent engineers code of ethics, Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties, (American Engineerss (sic) Council for Professional Development, 1974) stimulated discussion about its interpretation and feasibility'' American engineering organizations Organizations established in 1936 Professional associations based in the United States 1936 establishments in the United States