Undergraduate Programs

Welcome

• Major in Biomedical Engineering

• Major in Biomedical Engineering: Premedical

• Minor in Biomedical Engineering

At the undergraduate level, the department offers a four-year engineering curriculum leading to a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, which prepares students for a wide variety of careers in biomedical engineering including: industry, hospitals, research laboratories, or further education in graduate school.

A four-year engineering curriculum is available that together with required premedical courses, leads to a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering: Premedical. It is one of many majors that can serve as preparation for further training in medical, veterinary, or allied health professions. It is also suitable for students interested in pursuing graduate work in biomedical engineering, and other biomedical areas such a physiology, neurosciences and bioinformatics. The curriculum has less engineering content, and more of a biological sciences focus than the biomedical engineering major.

Biomedical Engineering

Link to Undergraduate Website Course Listings

The program objective is to prepare students for careers in the biomedical industry or for further education in graduate school. Biomedical Engineering students learn engineering and principles of biology, physiology, chemistry and physics. They may go on to design devices to diagnose and treat disease, engineer tissues to repair wounds, develop cutting-edge genetic treatments, or create computer programs to understand how the human body works. The curriculum emphasizes education in the fundamentals of engineering sciences that form the common basis of all engineering subspecialties. Education with this emphasis is intended to provide students with a solid engineering foundation for a career in which engineering practice may change rapidly. In addition, elements of bioengineering design are incorporated at every level in the curriculum. This is accomplished by integration of laboratory experimentation, computer applications, and exposure to real bioengineering problems throughout the program. Students also work as teams in senior design project courses to solve multidisciplinary problems suggested by industrial and clinical experience.

Planning a Program of Study

The sample program of study chart shown is typical for the major in Biomedical Engineering. Students should keep in mind that this program is based upon a sequence of prerequisites, beginning with adequate preparation in high school mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Students who are not adequately prepared, or who wish to make changes in the sequence for other reasons, must have their program approved by their faculty advisor. Biomedical Engineering majors must consult at least once every year with the academic counselors in the Student Affairs Office and with their faculty advisors.

Sample Program of Study - Biomedical Engineering

Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
Freshman	Math 2A (4) CHEM 1A (4) PHYS 7A, LA (5) BME 1 (3)	Math 2B (4) CHEM 1B, LB (6) PHYS 7B, LB (5) Breadth (4)	Math 2D (4) CHEM 1C, 1LC (6) PHYS 7D, 7LD (5)
Sophomore	Math 2J (4) PHYS 7E (4) CBEMS 40A (5) Breadth (4)	Math 3D (4) EECS 12 (4) BME 50A (4) Breadth (4)	BioSci 7 Math 2E (4) CEE 20 (4) BME 50B (4)
Junior	BME 110A (4) BME 120 (4) BME 130 (4) Breadth (4)	BME 110B (4) BME 121 (4) BME 140 (4) Breadth (4)	BME 111 (4) BME 150 (4) BioSci 194S (1) Breadth (4) Breadth (4)
Senior	BME 180A (4) Breadth (4) Technical Elective (4) Breadth (4)	BME 180B (4) Technical Elective (4) Breadth (4) Breadth (4)	BME 160 (4) BME 170 (4) Technical Elective (4)

Biomedical Engineering: Premedical

The major program objective is to prepare students for medical school. The curriculum is designed to meet the requirements for admission to medical schools, but is also suitable for those planning to enter graduate school in biomedical engineering, physiology, biology, neurosciences, or related fields. It has less engineering content and more biological sciences than the accompanying Biomedical Engineering major. It is one of many majors that can serve as preparation for further training in medical, veterinary, or allied health professions.

The Biomedical Engineering Premedical curriculum provides future physicians with a quantitative background in biomechanics, bioelectronics, and biotransport. Such a background is increasingly important because of the heavy utilization of biomedical technology in modern medical practice. The curriculum includes courses in the sciences that satisfy the requirements of most medical schools. The education experience is enriched through a design course where students work as teams to solve Biomedical Engineering problems inspired by the clinical arena at the UCI Medical Center.

Planning a Program of Study

The sample program of study chart shown is typical for the major in Biomedical Engineering Premedical. Students should keep in mind that this program is based upon a sequence of prerequisites, beginning with adequate preparation in high school mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Students who are not adequately prepared, or who wish to make changes in the sequence for other reasons, must have their program approved by their faculty advisor. Biomedical Engineering Premedical majors must consult at least once every year with the academic counselors in the Student Affairs Office and with their faculty advisors.

Sample Program of Study – Biomedical Engineering
Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
Freshman	Math 2A (4) CHEM 1A (4) PHYS 7A, 7LA (5) BME 1 (3)	Math 2B (4) CHEM 1B, 1LB (6) PHYS 7B,7 LB (5) Breadth (4)	Math 2D (4) CHEM 1C, 1LC (6) PHYS 7D, 7LD (5)
Sophomore	Math 2J (4) CHEM 51A, 51LA (6) PHYS 7E (4) Breadth (4)	Math 3D (4) CHEM 51B, 51LB (6) BME 50A (4) Breadth (4)	CHEM 51C (4) BME 50B (4) Breadth (4) Breadth (4)
Junior	BioSci 97 (4) BME 110A (4) BME 120 (4) BME 130 (4)	BioSci 98 (4) BME 121 (4) BME 110B (4) Technical Elective (4)	BioSci 99 (4) BME 111 (4) BME 150 (4) Breadth (4)
Senior	BioSci 100L (4) Bio Sci 194S (1) Technical Elective (4) Breadth (4)	Bio Sci D103 or D104 (4) Technical Elective (4) Breadth (4) Breadth (4)	Bio Sci D111L (3) BME 160 (4) Breadth (4) Breadth (5)

Biomedical Engineering Minor

The minor in Biomedical Engineering requires a total of nine courses -- two advanced mathematics courses, five core Biomedical Engineering courses, and two Biomedical Engineering electives. Some of these courses may include prerequisites that may or may not be part of a student's course requirements for their major.

Private biomedical industry has indicated a keen interest in engineers that have a more traditional engineering degree (i.e. electrical engineering), but also possess some in-depth knowledge of biomedical systems. Hence, the minor in Biomedical Engineering is designed to provide a student with the introductory skills necessary to perform as an engineer in the biomedical arena.

Admissions: Students interested in the minor in Biomedical Engineering must apply through The Henry Samueli School of Engineering Student Affairs Office and must have a UCI cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

NOTE: Students may not receive both a minor in Biomedical Engineering and a specialization in Biochemical Engineering within the Chemical Engineering major.

Requirements for the Minor in Biomedical Engineering

Mathematics Courses: Mathematics 2J and 3D

Engineering Topics Courses: BME1, BME50A-B, BME 120, BME 121

Technical Electives: Students select, with the approval of a faculty advisor, two technical elective courses from the following list:

BME110A
BME110B
BME130
BME135 (same as Biological Sciences 130)
BME136
BME136L
BME140
BME160
BME199
CBEMS124
CBEMS126
CBEMS154
EECS179
EECS188

Biomedical Engineering Mission & Goals

Educational Mission of the Biomedical Engineering Program

Program Educational Objectives:

1. Provide students with a solid foundation and training in the fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering;
2. Provide a broad background in engineering sciences and their application to biomedical problems through design and problem-based learning;
3. Provide opportunities for teamwork, clinical and industrial rotations, independent research, open-ended problem solving, critical thinking, and lifelong learning; and
4. Prepare students for a career in the biomedical engineering industry or graduate school.

Program Outcomes for Undergraduate Students in Biomedical Engineering:

1. An ability to apply fundamental knowledge of mathematics, biological sciences, physical sciences, and engineering to health-related problems.
2. An ability to design and conduct biomedically relevant experiments, as well as to quantitatively analyze and interpret data.
3. An ability to apply experimental techniques and skills in conjunction with theoretical and computational approaches to tackle biomedical engineering problems.
4. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams and to collaborate effectively with life scientists and clinicians.
5. An ability to apply the phases of design (need identification, problem definition, synthesis, analysis, optimization, evaluation, and presentation) in order to propose a feasible solution to a variety of biomedical problems.
6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility required of all engineers, and the unique ethical responsibilities of engineers working in health-related fields.
7. An ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, particularly with engineers possessing little or no knowledge of biology and with biologists possessing little or no knowledge of engineering.
8. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
9. Knowledge of contemporary issues.
10. Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.