Program Overview

Biomedical Engineering Program Overview

The Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Colorado Boulder is an interdisciplinary program that integrates skills and expertise in biomedicine, mechanics, electronics, materials, and engineering design. The program aims to prepare versatile problem-solvers who succeed as researchers, consultants, entrepreneurs, medical doctors, and engineers in the med-tech field and beyond.

Program Details

• The program offers two paths:
  • Standard Track: For students interested in pursuing a career in industry or graduate school (research or academia)
  • Pre-medical track: For students interested in going to medical school and are interested in human motion, performance, disabilities, prosthetics, orthopedics, medical devices, biosensors, and imaging systems
• The undergraduate Biomedical Engineering curriculum incorporates interdisciplinary courses to provide a balanced education in the fundamentals of engineering and human physiology
• Students receive hands-on education encompassing a wide range of topics, including engineering design, math, chemistry, physics, biology, and computation
• As seniors, students are enrolled in a year-long capstone course where they collaborate with other aspiring engineers on a comprehensive design project

Program Educational Objectives

The Biomedical Engineering Program at CU Boulder is dedicated to preparing graduating students for the following achievements within 5–10 years of receiving their undergraduate degrees:

• Professional employment in areas such as the medical device industry, engineering consulting, biomechanics, bioinstrumentation, biomedical imaging, and biotechnology, with promotions and increasing levels of leadership and responsibility over time
• Completion of graduate studies in biomedical engineering or related fields, with subsequent employment and success in academy, industry, or related professions
• Completion of medical, veterinary, dental, or other professional school, with subsequent success in residency, clinical practice, and/or other professional employment

Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
• Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Biomedical Engineering Specific Criteria

• Applying principles of engineering, biology, human physiology, chemistry, calculus-based physics, mathematics (through differential equations), and statistics
• Solving biomedical engineering problems, including those associated with the interaction between living and non-living systems
• Analyzing, modeling, designing, and realizing biomedical engineering devices, systems, components, or processes
• Making measurements on and interpreting data from living systems

Sample Curricula

Sample four-year plans of study for the following tracks are available:

• Standard Track
• Premedical Track

ABET Accreditation

The Biomedical Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Programs. This accreditation is retroactive to the program's first year of graduates.

Enrollment and Degree Data

Enrollment and degree data are available for undergraduate studies, including minor programs, bachelor's programs, and bachelor's-accelerated master's programs, as well as master's and PhD programs.