Biomedical engineering undergraduate program earns ABET accreditation

Two years after Wayne State University awarded its first bachelor's degrees in biomedical engineering, the undergraduate program officially received accreditation through the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, further demonstrating the College of Engineering's commitment to providing an education that prepares graduates to be leaders among their peers.

The voluntary process was completed in August, and accreditation has been retroactively applied to October 1, 2013, meaning all alumni of the program have graduated from an ABET-accredited program.

"The BSBME program has a strong core of engineering and includes a focus on applying engineering design to solving current biomedical problems," said Michele Grimm, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Wayne State. Grimm was a driving force behind Wayne State earning accreditation for the program, as she served as an evaluator for ABET and is now commissioner of the Engineering Accreditation Commission.

"Students start working on client-based design projects in their freshman year and get significant experience with design, prototyping and validation of their systems," continued Grimm. "In addition, all students gain expertise in FDA design controls and regulations. The design program was recognized by the evaluation team as a strength in the program."

While biomedical engineering education has evolved over more than half a century at Wayne State, the undergraduate program was just established in 2010 and admitted its first class of students that year. A total of 59 students have completed the program over three graduating classes, and most have continued on to graduate school, medical school or employment in various industries.

The ABET accreditation adds another layer of quality assurance to the program and is a clear indicator to students, employers and society that the BSBME program meets the highest educational standards.