The Major

The department offers an undergraduate degree program that leads to a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. The educational objectives of the curricula are to develop engineers who think critically, creatively, and rigorously; who employ engineering methods to identify and solve important problems in healthcare, industry, business, government, and academe; who communicate effectively and function cooperatively in professional contexts; who approach professional practice responsibly and ethically and with an awareness of business, environmental, safety, cultural, societal, and global concerns; who demonstrate professional leadership; and who employ their engineering education as a foundation for advanced study, life-long learning, and career development in engineering, management, and other professional fields.

Major Requirements

No course taken on a Pass/Fail basis may be applied to General Education, major or PR-ENGIN requirements.

Biomedical Engineering Foundation & Core Courses

  • BME 210 Bioengineering*
  • BME 230 Statics and Dynamics*
  • BME 275 Biomechanics†
  • BME 300 Biomaterials*
  • BME 310 Introduction to Laboratory Techniques*
  • BME 320 Bioinstrumentation†
  • BME 330 Quantitative Physiology†
  • BME 430 Systems Biology*
  • BME 470 Ethics and Regulations*
  • BME 415 Capstone Project†

Other Courses

  • CHEM 111 Chemistry I
  • CHEM 112 Chemistry II
  • PHYSICS 152 General Physics II
  • ECE 361 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering*
  • MATH 233 Multivariate Calculus
  • MATH 331 Differential Equations
  • MIE 201 Introduction to Materials Science
  • MIE 211 Strength of Materials
  • KIN 270 Anatomy and Physiology I
  • ENGIN 351 Writing in Engineering
  • STAT 515 Statistics I

*Courses only offered in Fall semester
†Courses only ofered in Spring semester

BME Technical Elective Courses

BME students are also required to earn credit in a set of five elective courses approved by the Undergraduate Program Director. These electives can be chosen from among advanced courses in BME, or courses in Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Kinesiology, Microbiology, and Mechanical Engineering. See the BME website for a full list of pre-approved electives, and instructions for approval of alternative elective courses.

Currently approved technical electives outside of BME include but are not limited to the following courses: BIOCHEM 420; CHEM 261; CHEM 262; ECE 210; ECE 310; ECE 241; KIN 272; KIN 530; KIN 535; MICROBIO 255; MICROBIO 310; MICROBIO 390B; MICROBIO 680; MIE 340; MIE 344; MIE 597; MIE 597R; MIE 597SM; MIE 597T. 

Please note that technicals electives may not be offered every year, and some may be offered infrequently based on faculty availability. Please consult with the offering department to confirm the availaility of a specific course you are considering.

Course Prerequisites

All students must meet the listed prerequisites for a course or obtain permission of the instructor. Students may be dropped from any course for which they have not met the prerequisites and, in the instructor’s opinion, do not have adequate preparation.

Curriculum Approval and Modifications

Students must obtain written approval from the Undergraduate Program Director for foundation and elective course selection and for any curriculum modifications.

Honors Program

THe BME program supports a departmental honors (DH) program for qualified students. Information on the Honors Program can be found in the Commonwealth Honors College section in this Guide. Students interested in the departmental honors program should contact the undergraduate program director.