ITU and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) have entered a collaborative experiment on accreditation. As a part of this collaboration Istanbul Technical University hosted the ABET International Faculty Workshop on Continuous Program Improvement, between April 17-18, 2002 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) visited Istanbul Technical University between October 12 -15, 2003 to evaluate the twelve engineering programs along with the Ocean Engineering program for initial Accreditation. The visiting team consisting Dr. Dave Holger as the Team Chair, Dr. Wayne Neu as evaluator for the Ocean Engineering Program used the ABET Accreditation Policy and Procedures Manual EC 2000 to evaluate the baccalaureate degree program offered by the Department of Ocean Engineering.

The EAC findings were conveyed in a draft statement to the institution and Ocean Engineering Program for review and comments. The Program has submitted a response to ABET explaining the actions initiated to address the EAC/ABET team’s findings. The EAC Commission of ABET transmitted the final statement of its findings and reported its decision to ITU indicating that the EAC/ABET had approved “substantial equivalency” to the BS degree in OE program at ITU to September 30, 2006.

Back then “Ocean Engineer and Naval Architecture” title was given to the graduates and that was stated in the diplomas. However, in 2005, The Higher Education Council (YOK thereafter) of Turkey has made a decision to just state the program titles in the diplomas instead of the titles given to the graduates. Following this act, there were requests from the sector that the program name should also be changed to comprise both “ocean engineering” and “naval architecture” titles. Regarding the sector needs the “Ocean Engineering Program” has changed its name to “Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering Program” following the Higher Education Council (YOK) decree on July 01, 2009.