<p>I was wondering if the bioengineering program at UIUC is accredited yet? I was looking at the website ABET</a> - to see what bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs in Illinois were accredited and surprised to NOT see UIUC on the list. UIC has an accredited bioengineering program, but not UIUC, at least not yet anyway. I think I remember reading somewhere that they are in the process of getting accredited, but that's all I know. If anyone has any further information they can share, I would appreciate it. Thank you.</p>
<p>Don’t know, but I can’t imagine that UIC would be viewed more favorably than UIUC as far as employment and grad school opportunities are concerned.</p>
<p>The UIUC bio undergraduate program started in 2006. It takes many years before a new program can become accredited, including because under the modern accreditation process you need at least a few years of graduates who are working in the field to demonstrate the program’s success and the first graduates were in 2010. UIUC is currently in the process of getting ABET accreditation for its bioengineering program.</p>
<p>The bottom line, though Lady, is that bioengineering is, by far, the most selective program on campus. If you get in you’ll be in class with top-notch classmates.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the replies, everyone. I am actually asking for my daughter who wants to major in bioengineering/biomedical engineering at a Big 10 school. I just didn’t know what a non accredited program would mean for her in terms of employment, grad school, getting her PE, etc. I know that bioengineering is the hardest program to get into on campus, but I am just wondering how earning a degree at a program that is not accredited would affect her in the long run. UIUC is one of her favorite schools, but she is also looking at schools like Purdue and Wisconsin that do have accredited programs. I think Wisconsin started their program in 2003 and they are accredited, so if UIUC started theirs in 2006, then they can’t be too far behind. Thanks again.</p>
<p>First off, 2013 is the year is should be accredited, which means anyone graduating up to 1 year prior to that would be considered Accredited.</p>
<p>Secondly, they have found that it doesn’t really matter from a standpoint of jobs OR grad schools ESPECIALLY when you’re talking about a school with such good name recognition. These graduates are getting jobs and getting into grad school. Actually, I’ve read that many of the top bioengineering schools in the country haven’t bothered to go thru the process of becoming accredited. </p>
<p>Accreditation is important when someone doesn’t know much about a school, and need assurance that it is a good school or program. No worries here.</p>
<p>To get a PE you usually need an accredited program but I am guessing most bioengineers don’t go for a PE because the employment industry for them does not require it and, unless something has changed recently, there is not even a PE exam for bioengineering. </p>
<p>Also, you cannot compare acceditation time for programs that started in 2003 to one that started in 2006 because the accreditation process and requirements have changed including going to more emphasis on the success of the program by showing proof of a pool of graduates working in the field for at least a few years.</p>
<p>I know I’m a bit late to this thread, but I thought maybe I would share my perspective on this as I believe I have a rather interesting take.</p>
<p>I did my undergrad at UIC and got my B.S. in Bioengineering there, and I am now a first year graduate student in Bioengineering at UIUC. As I have been a part of both programs, I can tell you UIUC’s program pretty much blows UIC’s out of the water for me. I know there has been a lot of concern about the accreditation of UIUC’s BioE program, but I really don’t think that should be a concern of yours. UIUC is one of the top 5 engineering programs in the country, and really the only reason the BioE program isn’t accredited/ranked high is because of its infancy. Given that your daughter would be here for 4 years, I’m sure that’s plenty of time for the program to establish itself.</p>
<p>That said, regardless of the rank/accreditation of the department, I believe your daughter would learn a lot more at UIUC than UIC. I was top of my class (or near it) at UIC, and coming to UIUC as a graduate student I realized there were a lot of things UIC didn’t do a very great job of preparing me for, especially in terms of having a strong analytical basis for graduate school (mathematically speaking, and I was even a math minor). The professors at UIUC just have a higher level of professionalism/teaching aptitude that I didn’t see at UIC. Another thing to keep in mind is that your daugther is not going to be only in the BioE department. I am currently taking classes in the Civil Engineering department for example (and I have a co-advisor in CEE), and seeing as how those departments are so highly developed and have such strong staff there, that is a strong plus. </p>
<p>Also, there are many more opportunities for students in the BioE department at UIUC than UIC. Since the department is in its infancy, pretty much every undergraduate student works in a research lab, and there are more faculty coming in soon which means more lab openings. For a bioengineering undergrad, this is EXTREMELY important to do laboratory research. I worked in 3 labs as an undergrad, and that is essentially the only reason I was accepted to grad school (well grades are important too, but research is MUCH more important). </p>
<p>I think at the end of an undergraduate career, it is important how much you learned and how capable you are as a bioengineer. If your daughter wants to go to grad school, they won’t think twice about whether or not UIUC BioE is accredited, they will care about what she knows. I got accepted into my lab because I had literally all of the qualifications and previous research experience they were looking for in a graduate student, not because UIC’s program was accredited. I know UIUC is doing a great job teaching undergraduates too, because I mentor a couple in the lab, and I can tell they are ahead of where I was at their age. If it is between UIUC and UIC, I would say definitely go for UIUC, unless she really wants to live in Chicago. That’s probably about the only thing I miss about UIC so far.</p>