Groningen to offer Bachelor’s degree programme in Biomedical Engineering

17 September 2019

The University of Groningen (UG) will soon have a new Bachelor’s degree programme on offer: Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineering (BME) is a topic that the UG has been teaching for many years already, within the Bachelor’s degree programme in Life Science and Technology and as a Master’s degree programme since 2002. Recently, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) has given its approval for the topic to be taught in its own independent degree programme.

The first batch of first-year students taking the new Bachelor’s degree programme will start in September 2020. The degree programme takes three years and will be taught in English.

Designing better medical products

Biomedical engineering lies at the crossroads of technology, biology and medical sciences. Students will learn how to design innovative medical products and equipment, such as a portable dialysis instrument or an artificial eye lens. These designs will help to contribute to better and more sustainable healthcare. To this end, biomedical technicians often work together with doctors, engineers, biologists and biochemists in an interdisciplinary team.

Engineering branch

The new Bachelor’s degree programme fits very well within the University’s engineering profile. The UG’s Faculty of Science and Engineering already offers seven engineering-based Bachelor’s degree programmes, as well as 11 Master’s degree programmes. A number of these technical degree programmes have already existed since 1958, and were the first to be established at a broad-based classical university in the Netherlands. In 1971, the UG was the first broad-based classical university to be allowed to award academic titles in engineering (the title of ‘ir.’).

Master’s degree programme in BME

Since 2002, students have been able to follow a Master’s degree programme in Biomedical Engineering. Therefore, lecturers and researchers at the UG already have many years of experience in teaching this topic and have also been working in collaboration with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) for years. With the new Bachelor’s degree programme, students will soon be able to complete a full further education programme in this topic.