UC gains approval for health center, new engineering doctoral degree

UC Merced announced two accreditations this week, one for its mechanical engineering graduate school and the other for its campus health center.

UC Merced’s H. Rajender Reddy Health Center and other health services recently received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, according to a news release from the school.

The campus received its initial three-year accreditation in July after the association completed a two-day audit of more than 400 different policies and procedures in patient care, administration, facilities, patient privacy, mental health, counseling, health promotions, quality of care, collaboration, quality assurance and other areas on campus, the release stated.

And, now, current and prospective graduate students have the option to earn advanced degrees in mechanical engineering after the University of California system and the WASC Senior College and University Commission recently granted accreditation for both master’s and doctoral degrees, according to a news release.

Previously, students could earn degrees with an emphasis in mechanical engineering, according to the university, but the change allows for a full-fledged degree.

Being able to award formal doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering is an important opportunity, School of Engineering Dean Mark Matsumoto said in the release.

“This gives the graduate degree credibility because the program is approved by the entire UC system, and it helps the students because they are more qualified for the jobs they seek when they have that specific degree,” he said. “Accreditation also helps us recruit students.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "UC gains approval for health center, new engineering doctoral degree."