Biomedical engineering may not be the most common major at UNC, the program could increase its prominence this year by becoming nationally recognized.
Undergraduate program director Richard Goldberg said the department is in the early stages of joining Duke University and N.C. State University as schools with biomedical engineering programs that are accredited by ABET, formerly called the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.
Goldberg said the program will not change but will become more well-known due to an elevated status.
“The main thing that it buys us is credibility,” Goldberg said.
He said department leaders had not pursued accreditation in the past because of the red tape universities must go through.
“It’s just an involved process that requires extensive documentation and coordination,” he said.
Goldberg said though UNC’s program is not as extensive as N.C. State’s, having UNC Hospitals on campus creates more research opportunities.
Goldberg said 184 students declared their major as biomedical engineering as of Sept. 1. He said accreditation could increase the amount of biomedical engineering majors at UNC.
Senior biomedical engineering major Veronica Fleck said despite its lack of accreditation, UNC’s program adequately prepares its students with the skills needed to enter the workforce.