Program Overview

Biomedical Engineering Major, B.S.

The Biomedical Engineering Major, B.S. program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is designed to apply engineering principles to solve problems in medicine and biology. This field incorporates medical imaging, informatics, micro and nanosystems, prosthetics, medical devices, tissue engineering, and genomics, among others.

Admission

• Students must apply for admission to the program, as admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the program.
• Most students apply to the program during their second semester.
• Admission to rising juniors will only be granted on a limited basis if space is available.
• Students who are not accepted to the program after their third semester should select a different major.
• Students interested in the program are encouraged to declare biomedical engineering intent.

Admission Requirements

• Students may apply to the program if they are currently enrolled in, or have completed, the following courses with the specified grades (or equivalent AP or IB credit):
  • CHEM 101 & 101L: General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I (with a grade of C or better)
  • ENGL 105: English Composition and Rhetoric 2 (with a grade of C- or better)
  • MATH 231: Calculus of Functions of One Variable I (with a grade of C or better)
  • MATH 232: Calculus of Functions of One Variable II (with a grade of C or better)
  • PHYS 118: Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity (with a grade of C or better)

Program Enhancement Fee

• Students will be charged an additional fee of $750/semester ($1,500/year) to enhance the undergraduate laboratory, internship, and outreach experience.

Advising

• Students in the Lampe Joint Biomedical Engineering program have access to both curriculum advisors and industry advisors.
• Curriculum advisors help students choose classes at both UNC and NC State and plan their path to graduation.
• Industry advisors provide students with valuable advice concerning post-graduate plans, as well as career development opportunities like workshops and resume reviews throughout their time in the program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the biomedical engineering program, students should be able to:

General Engineering Outcomes

• Demonstrate an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• Demonstrate an ability to 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
• Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• Demonstrate an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• Demonstrate an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• Demonstrate an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions
• Demonstrate an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

BME-Specific Program Criteria

• Apply principles of engineering, biology, human physiology, chemistry, calculus-based physics, mathematics (through differential equations), and statistics
• Solve bio/biomedical engineering problems, including those associated with the interaction between living and non-living systems
• Analyze, model, design, and realize bio/biomedical engineering devices, systems, components, or processes
• Make measurements on and interpret data from living systems

Requirements

• In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
  • Attain a final cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
  • Complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University (N.C. State) courses
  • Take at least half of their major course requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill or N.C. State
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements
• The degree program requires 124 hours.

Course Requirements

• Core Requirements:
  • Students should take the following courses, preferably in their second year:
    • BMME 201: Computer Methods in Biomedical Engineering 1
    • BMME 205: Biomedical Mechanics
    • BMME 209: Materials Science of Biomaterials
    • BMME 298: Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing I
  • Students should take the following courses, preferably in their third year:
    • BMME 207: Biomedical Electronics
    • BMME 301: Human Physiology: Electrical Analysis
    • BMME 302: Human Physiology: Mechanical Analysis
    • BMME 398: Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing II
  • Take three gateway electives to prepare for specialty electives in one or two areas
  • STEM elective - see requirements below
• Additional Requirements:
  • Students should take the following courses, preferably in their first two years:
    • BIOL 101 & 101L: Principles of Biology and Introductory Biology Laboratory
    • CHEM 101 & 101L: General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I
    • CHEM 102 & 102L: General Descriptive Chemistry II and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II
    • CHEM 261: Introduction to Organic Chemistry I
    • MATH 231: Calculus of Functions of One Variable I
    • MATH 232: Calculus of Functions of One Variable II
    • MATH 233: Calculus of Functions of Several Variables
    • MATH 383 & 383L: First Course in Differential Equations and First Course in Differential Equations Laboratory
    • PHYS 118: Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity
    • PHYS 119: Introductory Calculus-based Electromagnetism and Quanta
  • Remaining General Education courses and electives to reach 124 hours

STEM Elective

• Students must take an approved upper-level (300 or greater) math, science, or engineering course.
• The list below includes courses at UNC. It does not include BME gateway electives or specialization electives, but any of those courses will meet the STEM elective requirement.
• It must be an extra course and cannot double count for the gateway/specialty electives requirements.

Specialty Electives

• Students are required to complete four specialty electives from no more than two of the five specialization areas listed below.
• Additional specialty electives may be available each semester through BMME 590 Special Topics courses.

Pharmacoengineering

• BMME 495: Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering as a Technical Elective
• BMME 511: Genetic Engineering
• BMME 523: Biomolecular Engineering
• BMME 524: Biomolecular Sensing Technologies
• BMME 527: Targeted Photomedicine
• BMME 585: Biotechnology

Regenerative Medicine

• BMME 435/PHYS 405/BIOL 431: Biological Physics
• BMME/PHYS 441: Thermal Physics
• BMME 495: Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering as a Technical Elective
• BMME 511: Genetic Engineering
• BMME 521: Introduction to Synthetic Biology
• BMME 555: Biofluid Mechanics
• BMME 572: Analysis of Tissue Engineering Technologies

Rehabilitation Engineering

• BMME 495: Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering as a Technical Elective
• BMME 543: Biomechanics of Movement

Biosignals and Imaging

• BMME 495: Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering as a Technical Elective
• BMME 561: Introduction to Medical Imaging
• BMME 568: Super Resolution-Imaging Beyond Limits
• BMME 575: Practical Machine Learning for Biosignal Analysis
• MATH 528: Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences I

Medical Microdevices

• BMME/PHYS 441: Thermal Physics
• BMME 495: Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering as a Technical Elective
• BMME 555: Biofluid Mechanics
• BMME 575: Practical Machine Learning for Biosignal Analysis

Sample Plan of Study

• Sample plans can be used as a guide to identify the courses required to complete the major and other requirements needed for degree completion within the expected eight semesters.
• The actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.).
• Students should meet with their academic advisor to create a degree plan that is specific and unique to their interests.

Special Opportunities in Biomedical Engineering

Departmental Involvement

• Student ambassadors represent UNC–Chapel Hill and NC State, embodying professionalism and service.
• Undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) play a key role in supporting the academic success of their assigned courses.

Experiential Education

• All students in biomedical engineering participate in a capstone design experience in which they develop a device or system that has biomedical applications.
• Students based at either campus are eligible to participate in the co-op program through NC State after attending a co-op orientation.

Undergraduate Research

• Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a research project at any time during their education, but particularly during their junior and/or senior years.
• Many undergraduate students work in the research laboratories of BME faculty members.

Honors in Biomedical Engineering

• Students who successfully complete a research project and have a sufficiently outstanding academic record are eligible for graduation with honors or highest honors.
• The requirements for graduation with honors or highest honors include:
  • Overall grade point average of 3.3 or higher
  • Attendance at two seminars each semester from the BME seminar series or other approved seminars
  • Complete a 300 or higher level BME course for honors credit or complete a graduate-level course that counts toward the undergraduate degree
  • Completion of a two-semester research project, with course credit given in BMME 691H and BMME 692H
  • Presentation of the research to a committee of three faculty members, both as an oral presentation and a written honors thesis
  • Approval by that committee

Department of Biomedical Engineering

• Visit Program Website
• Chair: Paul Dayton
• Associate Chair for Research: Shawn Gomez
• Associate Chair for Education, Director of Undergraduate Studies: Lianne Cartee
• Director of Graduate Studies: Matthew Fisher
• Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, Curriculum Advisor: Naji Husseini
• Academic Advisor: Theresa Jones
• Student Services Specialist: Marilyn Catherwood