By Sarah Kaplaniak
CampusReel, an increasingly popular online student-produced vlog library amplifying colleges and universities around the nation, has named Prairie View A&M University the 2023 Best College For Mechanical Engineering In Texas.
“We are very proud of this achievement and nod to our program’s excellent curriculum, high achieving students and outstanding faculty,” said Pamela Obiomon ’93, dean of PVAMU’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering.
According to Dr. Obiomon, in addition to the exemplary students, faculty and curriculum, PVAMU’s Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Program boasts a freshman professional development course, created by PVAMU Career Development Advisor Curtis Fields, that helps students get off on the right foot starting on day one of college. Fields also coaches engineering students on how to interview and negotiate salaries.
“This just goes to show what I suspect many of us have known all along—that if you give every student not just the opportunity but also the knowledge to level the playing field starting their freshmen year, everyone can achieve strong career and professionalism outcomes,” said Fields. “But let’s not forget, we only provide that knowledge. Ultimately it is up to the students to apply it and build on it, and this ranking shows the zeal with which our students do so every day.”
Another reason why PVAMU’s mechanical engineering program rose to the top of the College Reel list is due to high marks upon completion of the 2022-2023 Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology reaccreditation cycle. The ABET accredits colleges and universities in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. It serves as a globally-recognized gold standard for ensuring that a program meets the standards set by the associated STEM profession.
After the recent 18-month reaccreditation process, PVAMU emerged particularly strong, without any identified deficiencies or concerns, for the first time since the program’s inception almost 75 years ago.
PVAMU’s BSME also represents one of only six ABET-accredited programs among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“It is quite encouraging to our students, staff, faculty and alumni to know that our graduates are so highly coveted and compensated,” says Jeffrey Streator, professor and head of PVAMU’s Mechanical Engineering Department.
Each year, Campus Reel analyzes data that include earnings immediately after and farther out from graduation, student loan debt and other variables to determine what colleges and universities offer the best Mechanical Engineering programs in Texas. PVAMU scored the highest out of the 22 programs included in the ranking.
