First Biomedical Engineering Degrees at Bachelor's and Doctoral Levels Offered in State

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University of Arkansas students conduct cancer research in a biomedical engineering lab.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Students in the University of Arkansas College of Engineering will be able to earn a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering or a doctoral degree in engineering with a concentration in biomedical engineering beginning in fall 2012.

“These degree programs are the only ones of their kind in Arkansas and until now, students who wanted a degree in biomedical engineering were forced to leave the state,” said Ashok Saxena, dean of the College of Engineering. “Further, there is a growing health care industry in the state that will benefit from these new programs.”

Previously, the college has offered a master’s degree in this subject, and undergraduates and doctoral students could earn degrees in biological engineering, with a biomedical focus.

“These new degrees further the university’s mission of being a partner, resource and catalyst within the state and beyond,” said Provost Sharon L. Gaber. “Their creation at the U of A broadens both the educational and economic opportunities that can be found — and launched — in Arkansas.”

“Biomedical engineering is an important and growing field,” Saxena said. “We already have a top-notch biomedical engineering faculty teaching talented students in this area, and creating these degrees will increase both teaching and learning opportunities in biomedical engineering, and provide a new option for students looking for preparation for medical school.”

Four faculty members are already teaching a biomedical curriculum, and the college is searching for a fifth faculty member to join this group. The college expects to award the first bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering as early as the spring of 2014. This will allow the college to request ABET accreditation for the bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2014, and if this request is successful, spring 2014 graduates will be included among graduates from an accredited program.