University Catalog 2024-2025

Biomedical Engineering (BS)

Students studying biomedical engineering at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill are challenged with a curriculum at the interface of engineering and medicine.  During the first year, students are introduced to the fundamentals of engineering.  These courses include calculus, physics, chemistry and biology.  All of which provide the foundation for future engineering courses.  Once accepted into the program, students take engineering courses in mechanics, circuits and materials followed by specialized courses in biomedical engineering.  The design process is woven throughout the curriculum.  Students take courses that familiarize them with manufacturing processes while preparing them for the capstone senior design course that use a Design Control Process based on the FDA's Quality System Regulations. Computers are used throughout the program. Graduates will be prepared for professional employment in research, design, engineering and the life sciences. First year students interested in this curriculum should enroll in the Engineering First Year program and select BME as their intention.

In the BME department, students are given access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at both UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University. This unique relationship offers students a wealth of opportunities for research, group collaboration, coursework, and exposure to experts in medicine and engineering. While all of the classes undergraduate students need to complete their degree are available on their home campus, students may choose to take courses on either campus. Students never have to travel to the partner campus; the joint program simply offers additional opportunities.

Plan Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 3
CH 102 General Chemistry Laboratory 1 1
E 101 Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 1
E 115 Introduction to Computing Environments 1
MA 141 Calculus I 1 4
ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research 4
 Hours14
Spring Semester
BIO 183 Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 4
MA 241 Calculus II 4
PY 205
PY 206
Physics for Engineers and Scientists I
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1
4
Select one of the following Economic Courses: 3
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Fundamentals of Economics
E 102 Engineering in the 21st Century 2
 Hours17
Second Year
Fall Semester
BME 201 Computer Methods in Biomedical Engineering 3
BME 209 Introduction to the Materials Science of Biomaterials 4
BME 298 Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing I 2
MA 242 Calculus III 4
PY 208
PY 209
Physics for Engineers and Scientists II
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory
4
 Hours17
Spring Semester
BME 205 Introduction to Biomedical Mechanics 4
BME 207 Biomedical Electronics 4
CH 221
CH 222
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry I Lab
4
MA 341
Applied Differential Equations I
or Differential Equations for the Life Sciences
3
 Hours15
Third Year
Fall Semester
BME 301 Human Physiology : Electrical Analysis 4
STEM Elective 3 3
CH 201 Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 3
CH 202 Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1
PHI 325 Bio-Medical Ethics 3
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
 Hours17
Spring Semester
BME 302 Human Physiology: Mechanical Analysis 4
BME 398 Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing II 2
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
 Hours12
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
BME 451 BME Senior Design: Product Development 3
BME Specialty Elective 4 3
BME Specialty Elective 4 3
 Hours9
Spring Semester
BME 452 BME Senior Design: Product Implementation and Strategy 3
BME Specialty Elective 4 3
BME Specialty Elective 4 3
 Hours9
 Total Hours110
1

A grade of C or higher is required.

2

A grade of C- or higher is required.

3

Students should consult their academic advisors to determine how to complete this requirement.

4

Take 4 specialty electives from no more than two groups

GEP Courses
GEP Humanities6
GEP Social Sciences3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies2
GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion3
GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement)
World Language Proficiency (verify requirement)
Total Hours14

BME 3x5 Gateway Electives

BME 315Biotransport3
BME 325Biochemistry for Biomedical Engineers3
BME 335Biomaterials 3
BME 345Biomedical Solid Mechanics3
BME 355Biocontrols3
BME 365Linear Systems in Biomedical Engineering3
BME 375Biomedical Microcontroller Applications3
BME 385Bioinstrumentation3

BME Specialty Electives

Group 061
Pharmacoengineering
BME 516Advanced Drug Delivery3
BME 570ImmunoEngineering3
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering
BMME 511Genetic Engineering
BMME 523Biomolecular Engineering
BMME 524Biomolecular Sensing Technologies
BMME 527Engineering Principles in Targeted Photomedicine
Group 062
Regenerative Medicine
BIT 466
BME 483
Animal Cell Culture Techniques
and Tissue Engineering Technologies
2
or BIT/PO 566 and BME/BEC 583
BME 448Functional Tissue Engineering3
or BME 548 Functional Tissue Engineering
BME 462Biomaterials Characterization3
BME 484Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering3
or BME 584 Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering3
MAE 201Thermal-Fluid Sciences3
or MSE 301 Introduction to Thermodynamics of Materials
or BMME 441
Thermal Physics
MAE 308Fluid Mechanics3
or CE 282 Hydraulics
or BMME 455
Biofluid Mechanics
TE 463Polymer Engineering3
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering3
BMME 420Intro to Synthetic Biology
BMME 435Biological Physics
BMME 470Analysis of Tissue Engr. Tech.
BMME 511Genetic Engineering
Group 063
Rehabilitation Engineering
BME 418Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems3
or BME 518 Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems
BME 425Bioelectricity3
or BME 525 Bioelectricity
BME 438Bone Mechanobiology3
or BME 538 Bone Mechanobiology
BME 444Orthopaedic Biomechanics3
or BME 544 Orthopaedic Biomechanics
BME/TE 467Mechanics of Tissues & Implants Requirements3
BME 456Rehabilitation Robotics3
or BME 556 Rehabilitation Robotics
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering
BMME 405Biomechanics of Movement
BMME 445Systems Neuroscience
BMME 447Neural Basis of Rehabilitation Engineering
Group 064
Biosignals and Imaging
BME 412Biomedical Signal Processing3
or BME 512 Biomedical Signal Processing
BME 418Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems
or BME 518
Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems
BME 425Bioelectricity
or BME 525
Bioelectricity
BME 463Biomedical Optics and Lasers 3
or BME 563 Biomedical Optics and Lasers
BME 464Microscopy3
or BME 564 Microscopy
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering
ECE 505Neural Interface Engineering
ECE 455Industrial Robot Systems3
ECE 456Mechatronics3
or ECE 556 Mechatronics
ECE 461Embedded System Analysis and Optimization3
or ECE 561 Embedded System Analysis and Optimization
MA 501Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists I3
or MATH 528
Mech. Method for Physical Sciences and Engineers
BMME 461Intro to Medical Imaging
BMME 575Machine Learning
BMME/COMP 576Mathematics for Imaging Computing
Group 065
Medical Microdevices
BME 412Biomedical Signal Processing3
or BME 512 Biomedical Signal Processing
BME 418Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems
or BME 518
Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems
BME 498Undergraduate Research in Biomedical Engineering
BME/ECE 522Medical Instrumentation3
E 304Introduction to Nano Science and Technology3
ECE 436Digital Control Systems3
ECE 505Neural Interface Engineering3
MAE 201Thermal-Fluid Sciences3
or MSE 301 Introduction to Thermodynamics of Materials
or BMME 455 Biofluid Mechanics
MAE 308Fluid Mechanics3
or CE 282 Hydraulics
or BMME 441
Thermal Physics

Semester Sequence

This is a sample.

Critical Path Courses – Identify using the code (CP) which courses are considered critical path courses which represent specific major requirements that are predictive of student success in a given program/plan. Place the (CP) next to the credit hours for the course.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 3
CH 102 General Chemistry Laboratory 1 1
E 101 Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving (CP) 1 1
E 115 Introduction to Computing Environments (CP) 1 1
ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research (CP) 2 4
MA 141 Calculus I (CP) 1 4
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
 Hours15
Spring Semester
MA 241 Calculus II (CP) 1 4
PY 205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I (CP) 1 3
PY 206 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory (CP) 1 1
BIO 183 Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 4
E 102 Engineering in the 21st Century 2
Select one of the following: 3
Fundamentals of Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
 Hours17
Second Year
Fall Semester
BME/BMME 201 Computer Methods in Biomedical Engineering (CP) 3
BME/BMME 209
Introduction to the Materials Science of Biomaterials (CP)
or Introduction to Biomedical Mechanics
4
BME/BMME 298 Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing I (CP) 2
MA 242 Calculus III 4
PY 208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II (CP) 3
PY 209 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory (CP) 1
 Hours17
Spring Semester
BME/BMME 205
Introduction to Biomedical Mechanics (CP)
or Introduction to the Materials Science of Biomaterials
4
BME/BMME 207 Biomedical Electronics (CP) 4
CH 221 Organic Chemistry I 3
CH 222 Organic Chemistry I Lab 1
MA 341
Applied Differential Equations I
or Differential Equations for the Life Sciences
3
 Hours15
Third Year
Fall Semester
BME/BMME 301 Human Physiology : Electrical Analysis 4
CH 201 Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 3
CH 202 Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
STEM Elective 3
PHI 325 Bio-Medical Ethics 3
 Hours17
Spring Semester
BME/BMME 302 Human Physiology: Mechanical Analysis 4
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
BME 3x5 Gateway Elective 3
BME/BMME 398 Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing II 2
GEP Requirement 3
 Hours15
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
BME 451
or BMME 697
BME Senior Design: Product Development
or
3
BME Specialty Elective 3
BME Specialty Elective 3
GEP Requirement 3
GEP Requirement 3
 Hours15
Spring Semester
BME 452
or BMME 698
BME Senior Design: Product Implementation and Strategy
or
3
BME Specialty Elective 3
BME Specialty Elective 3
GEP Requirement 3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
 Hours13
 Total Hours124
1

A grade of C or higher is required.

2

A grade of C- or higher is required.

Career Opportunities

Biomedical engineers are employed by hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical device and testing companies, government agencies, universities, and medical schools. With so many areas of specialization within the field, graduates are encouraged to further their education by attending graduate or professional school after graduation. Graduates from this program have attended graduate programs in biomedical engineering, physical therapy, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, microbiology, virology, public health, and sports physiology, among others, at many different institutions. Graduates who have taken additional courses to satisfy entrance requirements have also been accepted by medical, dental and pharmacy schools.

Career Titles

  • Anesthesiologist (MD)
  • Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
  • Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager
  • Biomedical Engineer
  • Cardiologist (MD)
  • Chemical Engineer
  • Dentist (DDS)
  • Dermatologist (MD)
  • Engineering Professor
  • Family Practitioner (MD)
  • General Internists (MD)
  • Gynecologist (MD)
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Medical Technologist
  • Nanosystems Engineers
  • Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
  • Obstetrician (MD)
  • Occupational Physician (MD)
  • Ophthalmologist (MD)
  • Orthodontist (MD)
  • Pathologist (MD)
  • Pediatrician (MD)
  • Psychiatrist (MD)
  • Radiologist (MD)
  • Sales Engineers
  • Surgeons (MD)

Learn More About Careers

NCcareers.org
Explore North Carolina’s central online resource for students, parents, educators, job seekers and career counselors looking for high quality job and career information.

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Browse the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to view state and area employment and wage statistics. You can also identify and compare similar occupations based on your interests.

Career One Stop Videos
View videos that provide career details and information on wages, employment trends, skills needed, and more for any occupation. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Focus 2 Career Assessment (NC State student email address required)
This career, major and education planning system is available to current NC State students to learn about how your values, interests, competencies, and personality fit into the NC State majors and your future career. An NC State email address is required to create an account. Make an appointment with your career counselor to discuss the results.