The Department of Biomedical Engineering was established in 2001 to draw on the university's expertise in such areas as microelectromechanical systems and tissue engineering, in support of New Jersey's burgeoning biotechnology industry. In just a few years, the department has become one of the largest in the Newark College of Engineering. In 2003, the Department of Biomedical Engineering moved into specially designed space in newly-built Fenster Hall. Equipped with dedicated laboratories and classrooms the faculty pioneered a studio approach to education emphasizing hands-on, experiment-based learning.
The department has built a considerable research program with support from such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Essilor, Inc., and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Research areas of concentration include stem cell applications in tissue regeneration, vision and neural engineering, bioMEMS, motion analysis and rehabilitation engineering, biomaterials and biopolymers.
The Bachelor of Science program in biomedical engineering received official accreditation by the Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. in August 2008 . Accreditation is retroactive to 2005.