<p>I’m trying to decide between UCSD and UCB’s bioengineering program, I know there are a few topics about this… but I want some clarifications.</p>
<p>It seems that those topics and a majority of others rely somewhat heavily on the rankings from USNEWS, and if you read their website, their ranking is not based on empirical data.</p>
<p>Right now the argument seems to be that UCSD’s bioengineering program is ranked second, while UCB’s ranking is 16th (on their website).</p>
<p>For the 2006 year, UCSD remains second, while UCB climbed up to rank 10.</p>
<p>So if it was a deadlock, meaning the ranking was the same- which would you choose?</p>
<p>so it's hard to get a job...</p>
<p>hmm, i thought duke and jhu were 1st and second. i'd go for berkeley b/c its engineering school is good in just about all majors. if you decide to change engineering disciplines (and a lot of ppl do this) then you aren't screwed over. :) and i heard (forgive me if i'm wrong) berkeley just had better research opportunities in general, and that's something you would definitely want to take advantage of.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>yes... ucb's departmens in engineering are all accredited except bioE... hm..</p>
<p>what makes it so frustrating to choose is because i am deciding between ucb and ucsd's bioE program.</p>
<p>NOT ACCREDITED? umm, don't do that to yourself. if you go to ucb, major in something accredited and double in that... if you're not up for that much work, go to ucsd, but don't change engineering disciplines.</p>
<p>my advice only... of course in the end it's up to you. GL</p>
<p>sigh. maybe it will be accredited soon, lol.</p>
<p>i heard they're trying to get a track accredited because a lot of parents and students seem to want it... but my bioe friends say they wouldn't follow the track anyway because it would consist of almost no bio. most tracks at any school (including SD) aren't accredited because of this...</p>
<p>ucsd's bioE is accredited.</p>
<p>not quite right flippity.</p>
<p>two out of the three BioE programs at UCSD are ABET accredited.</p>
<p>Only the "premed" track is not</p>
<p>... i think i've decided to go to ucb. sure, bioE may not be accredited, but when i decide to change majors, i know i can still be in a good program.</p>
<p>Berkeley is always a good choice for Engineering. Have a great time!</p>
<p>yes.. except for bioe...</p>
<p>unlimited: I would guess that Berkeley will have an accredited BioE track within 2 years, just about the time your would be getting deep into the core courses. I really don't think you're taking much of a risk.</p>
<p>hmm, sorry my info was off. :)</p>
<p>unlimited, it isn't like berkeley's bioe program is the most horrible thing in the world. if that's what you want to do, you can still be successful with it at cal. plus, you guys are getting a brand new building/facilities. </p>
<p>SD has a better program, though, if that's what you really want to do.</p>
<p>Great news.
I emailed the dean of the engineering department at berkeley.
here is what he says:</p>
<p>Bioengineering is our youngest department--only six years old--and has
not
had the chance to develop all of the ABET prerequisites. It is our
intent to
accredit the program on the next round (in about 2 years). However, at
Berkeley--like other leading schools including MIT, Stanford, and CMU,
for
example--we regularly review the matter of accreditation and decide
whether
it makes sense for us. We often have programs at the leading edge that
we
think represent the "next generation" of thinking about engineering
education and where ABET may not agree with us (yet!). Accreditation
of
engineering programs is actually a lot more important for students at
some
of the less well know schools because it represents a "guarantee" of a
minimum level of education. For the major universities, like Berkeley
and
the others mentioned above for example, the degree itself with the
school's
name on it is a lot more important than whether the program is
accredited by
ABET or not. We do plan to pursue accreditation for BioE, but that
should
never be a concern for you with respect to a great university like
Berkeley!</p>
<p>Don't worry too much about ABET accredition, especially for bioengineering. In fact, unless you desperately need a bioengineering job right after undergrad, ABET accredition is not that important.</p>
<p>i'm just worried i won't find a job, seeing how the engineers have such a hard time now already</p>
<p>If you feel compelled to go to the top rated UC program in BioE, then UCSD has to be your choice.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, The Dean makes a good point. A progam from Berkeley will always be respected no matter what</p>
<p>It is also my understanding that ABET accreditation will apply to your degree even if the program is accredited during your senior year. They will certainly have an accredited program by then (probably sooner).</p>
<p>If you love the Cal campus, like the town of Berkeley, feel good in the Bay area, I would stick with Berkeley.</p>
<p>other people want to comment?</p>