NDSU and UND will be offering joint graduate programs in biomedical engineering beginning in fall 2017. The programs will be the first of their kind in the state of North Dakota.

“This joint program is the perfect model of how our diverse faculty expertise from UND and NDSU can work together to advance biomedical engineering education, research, and innovation,” said Hesham El-Rewini, dean of the UND College of Engineering and Mines, in a statement. “I’m so grateful to Dean Gary Smith (NDSU-Engineering) and Dean Joshua Wynne (UND-SMHS) for the spirit of collaboration they both exhibited throughout the process. Our success will pave the way for further collaboration in other areas.”

Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in the field will have the option between a master’s program or  Ph.D. program. The program will be administered through a variety of existing departments at both universities, including electrical, mechanical and civil engineering at NDSU and electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering at UND, as well as the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Currently, neither universities  offers undergraduate degrees specifically in biomedical engineering, although students can specialize in biomedical engineering through the electrical engineering program at either university.

“UND and NDSU already collaborate through their coordinated master of public health (MPH) programs,” said Joshua Wynne, UND vice president for health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “This biomedical engineering initiative is another way that the two research universities are working together to meet the healthcare needs of the region and simultaneously providing outstanding professional development opportunities for our students.”

For the MPH program, the partnership allows students to choose a certain university based on what specialty they are interested in, and the universities work together to develop practicum sites for students, among other things.

UND currently offers master and Ph.D. programs in chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, energy systems engineering, environmental engineering,geological engineering and mechanical engineering.

Job Outlook

Biomedical engineering frequently ranks toward the top of lists for degrees that have good job placement and high wages. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median pay for a biomedical engineer was $41.45 per hour, approximately $86,220 per year.

Between 2014 and 2024, the BLS estimated employment for biomedical engineers to grow by 23 percent, which is noticeably higher than the average projected growth rate for all occupations of 7 percent. Additionally, workers trained in biomedical engineering consistently have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the cou

Sean Cleary is a copy editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]