In the late 1990s, faculty at both the University of North Carolina (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NC State) wanted to move beyond traditional teaching models in biomedical engineering (BME). NC State offers a powerhouse engineering college and UNC hosts a dynamic medical school. Leaders at both universities wanted to unite these strengths.
So, they started planning a joint BME program in 1998, which led first to creating a graduate program in August 2003 and then to establishing a new department at the end of that year by combining faculty from both NC State’s College of Engineering and UNC’s School of Medicine. The UNC College of Arts and Sciences later incorporated an undergraduate BME program so that full BME curricula could exist on both campuses. As of late 2025, the joint department has existed for about 22 years.
An American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) paper describing the program’s formation says the goal was to build an “inter-institutional bridge” between UNC’s School of Medicine and NC State’s College of Engineering as a natural foundation for BME education and research, with “clear and compelling advantages” for both institutions, their faculty, students, and the public. The department’s own “About” page describes its founding as a unique collaboration between two flagship universities to integrate engineering and medicine for the improvement of human health and quality of life and to translate research into the commercial marketplace. Recent UNC and NC State news releases repeat that the mission is to “unite engineering and medicine to improve lives.”
Such a joint structure provides many benefits. Students have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at both UNC and NC State. Also, the program exposes students to experts in both medicine and engineering and offers collaborations with the pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, veterinary medicine and textiles schools. The department has grown to about 600 students and about 50 primary faculty, which is relatively large for BME and suggests strong demand and a substantial research footprint.
Furthermore, after students gain admission to the major at one of the universities, they receive full standing in both university systems and affiliate credentials at the partner campus, and so they gain expanded access to both academic and nonacademic resources. The undergraduate degree is ABET-accredited (ABET is formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), and the diploma bears both universities’ names and seals.
The program’s website does not contain an official “drawbacks” section, but cons do become apparent. For instance, students have to keep track of two course-numbering systems, two academic calendars and exam schedules, and two sets of policies (e.g., add/drop deadlines, information about housing, and regulations related to parking). They may find course search and registration more confusing than students who navigate a single-campus major, and their advisers have to constantly double-check equivalencies and requisites across both schools. However, no evidence shows that because of the joint structure, students systematically get shut out of courses more than they would in other high-demand majors. The official line in the NC State Course catalog states: “While all of the classes undergraduate students need to complete their degree are available on their home campus, students may choose to take courses on either campus … [T]he joint program simply offers additional opportunities.”
Realistically, if you want a niche elective or research opportunity that exists only on the other campus, you’re dealing with shuttle schedules and commuting time and fitting those challenges around labs, other classes, and possibly a job. So, the joint model expands opportunities but also introduces logistical headaches for students trying to maximize those opportunities.
Most importantly, being part of a joint department can make your sense of belonging (engineering vs. arts and sciences vs. medicine; Tar Heel vs. Wolfpack) less clear. You won’t find that downside highlighted in any official document, but it’s a very common theme in cross-institutional programs. On the other hand, that dual identity offers prestige and a networking upside.
And the future of this program is already looking stellar. In February 2025, NC State alumnus and philanthropist Ross W. Lampe Jr. gave a $20M gift, which led to the renaming of the department as the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. UNC and NC State both say this investment will grow research investments in strategic areas, let the department respond quickly to emerging opportunities, and expand research, development and economic impact.
In essence, the UNC–NC State joint BME department reflects two decades of impactful collaboration that leverages the complementary strengths of a top engineering school and a leading medical research institution. These benefits position it as a model of crossinstitutional STEM education, even as logistical complexity remains an inevitable tension. With new funding, expanding partnerships, and statewide conversations about future engineering growth, the program appears not only stable, but poised to evolve as a cornerstone of North Carolina’s innovation landscape.
Aynsley Szczesniak studies biology, chemistry, and entrepreneurship on the premedical track at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Student Success in STEM Task Force in the UNC Undergraduate Student Government and as the Founder and CEO of Speak Out Sisterhood, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for young, professional women in STEM.
This article was originally published in AWIS Magazine. Join AWIS to access the full issue of AWIS Magazine and more member benefits.