Bachelor of Science: Biomedical Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

California State University Long Beach

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) combines engineering with biology, bioinformatics and biomechanics to prepare students to develop healthcare technologies such as medical devices, artificial organs, prosthetics and medical imaging systems. The program is particularly suited to students interested in the intersection of engineering and medicine, with study covering biomechanics, bioinstrumentation, biofluids, biomaterials, bioinformatics and computational biomedicine, alongside substantial laboratory and design experience.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the mathematical, scientific and engineering foundations needed for biomedical engineering through subjects such as MATH 122 Calculus I, MATH 123 Calculus II, CHEM 111A General Chemistry and BME 100 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. They also begin developing computational skills through BME 201 Programming for Biomedical Engineers, giving them an early introduction to the tools and problem-solving approaches used in the discipline.

Year 2: The curriculum moves into core biomedical engineering concepts, combining engineering mathematics and science with biological systems. Students study subjects including BME 210 Biomedical Signals and Circuits, BME 211 Biomechanics I and BIOL 207 Human Physiology, building the foundation for analysing physiological systems and designing biomedical technologies.

Year 3: Students progress into more specialised engineering analysis through BME 304 Digital Signal Processing, BME 300 Bioinformatics and Proteomics, BME 320 Engineering Data Acquisition and Analysis and BME 350 Computational Physiology. This stage develops their ability to work with biomedical data, computational methods, physiological modelling and signal-processing techniques.

Year 4: The final year focuses on advanced biomedical applications and independent design work, including BME 360 Biomedical Instrumentation, BME 370 Bio-fluids and Transport and the two-part BME 490A/B Senior Capstone Project. Students can also select specialist electives such as BME 410 Biomedical Image Processing, BME 420 Biomaterials, BME 440 Healthcare Informatics and BME 450 Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, allowing them to tailor their studies toward particular biomedical interests.

Focus Areas

Biomechanics, Bioinstrumentation, Biofluids and Transport, Biomaterials, Bioinformatics and Proteomics, Computational Biomedicine, Biomedical Signal Processing, Biomedical Imaging, Healthcare Informatics, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates develop the ability to apply engineering, mathematical, biological and computational principles to biomedical problems; analyse physiological data and systems; design and evaluate biomedical equipment and devices; and work on multidisciplinary solutions for healthcare and medical applications. The program also develops practical research, laboratory, computational and design capabilities through its hands-on curriculum and senior capstone experience.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at CSULB is ABET accredited, providing an internationally recognised quality benchmark for engineering education. CSULB states that the accreditation confirms that the curriculum meets established standards and prepares graduates for professional engineering practice as well as further graduate study.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

CSULB's Biomedical Engineering department reports that its graduates have secured internships and research positions at leading institutions and companies and that alumni are contributing at organisations including Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott, Medtronic and Applied Medical. The department also reports alumni progression to graduate programs at USC, UC Berkeley, Cornell, UC San Diego and UC Irvine, demonstrating pathways into both industry and advanced study

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

CSULB places strong emphasis on learning by doing, with the Biomedical Engineering program specifically designed to bring students into laboratory and research environments. Students can work with biomedical fabrication, tissue-engineering, microfluidics, physiological signal acquisition and computational research equipment, while senior design projects give teams the opportunity to turn biomedical concepts into working solutions. The department's research environment includes dedicated laboratories and equipment ranging from 3D printers and laser cutters to EEG systems, tissue-culture equipment and real-time PCR instrumentation.

Students can develop practical experience through:

Autonomous Machinery for Engineering Living Matter Lab: Students can encounter microfluidic-system development and biological-system engineering using equipment such as a Harrick plasma cleaner, Glowforge laser cutter, Bantam Tools desktop CNC machine, ELEGOO and Stratasys 3D printers, Formlabs Form 3B 3D printer and Artec Space Spider scanner.
Therapeutic and Regenerative Systems Lab: The laboratory supports biomaterials and engineered-tissue research and includes laminar-flow biosafety cabinets, CO₂ incubators, centrifuges, fluorescence imaging, real-time PCR, tissue-testing equipment, lyophilisation equipment and cryogenic storage.
FACTS Laboratory: Students can work with biomedical signal-processing research involving EEG data using 32-channel and 16-channel wireless EEG amplifiers, active EEG headsets and biosensing boards.
Senior Design Projects: BME students have developed projects such as mechanical testing platforms for arterial stents, smart medication-dispensing systems, dynamic cell-culture pumps, soft robotic colonoscope propulsion, microfluidic automation and VR-based rehabilitation systems.
AR/VR and senior design: CSULB has incorporated AR/VR technology into Biomedical Engineering senior design, including work with Victory XR and the college's MetaCenter environment.
Industry experience: The College of Engineering's Office of Professional Development and Internships provides resume reviews, mock interviews, industry events, recruiting events, site tours, workshops and internship listings, with opportunities designed to connect classroom learning with professional engineering environments.
Research opportunities: Undergraduate students participate in faculty research, including work involving biomechanics modelling, medical-device regulatory analysis and cardiovascular research.
Library and academic support: Students have access to the University Library, Learning Center, Engineering Student Success Center and academic advising resources.

Progression & Future Opportunities

A B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from CSULB can lead graduates toward engineering, medical-device, healthcare technology, research and biotechnology careers. The university specifically highlights opportunities in areas where biomedical engineers design healthcare equipment, devices, computer systems and software, while the department reports alumni working at organisations such as Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott, Medtronic and Applied Medical.

Typical career directions include: Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Bioinstrumentation Engineer, Biomedical Research Engineer.

Students can strengthen their transition from study to employment through:

Career and internship support: CSULB's Office of Professional Development and Internships provides personalised resume reviews, mock interviews, industry networking events, recruiting events, site tours, workshops and internship opportunities.
Industry connections: Engineering Corporate Affiliates can sponsor Senior Design projects and provide student teams with industry mentorship, project guidance, career-fair access and other engagement opportunities.
Real-world project experience: BME students complete senior design work addressing practical healthcare challenges, with projects showcased through the College of Engineering's Senior Design Project Expo.
Graduate-school progression: The BME department reports graduates entering prestigious graduate programs including USC, UC Berkeley, Cornell, UC San Diego and UC Irvine.
Medical-school pathway: CSULB explicitly identifies medical school as one possible progression for students completing the Biomedical Engineering degree.
Accreditation value: The program's ABET accreditation provides a recognised quality credential that supports professional engineering preparation and progression to graduate study.
Employment and salary figures: CSULB's current official BME pages reviewed for this program do not provide a program-specific graduate employment rate or salary figure, so a specific salary or employment percentage should not be inserted without an official CSULB source.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.S., students can progress into graduate-level study in engineering and related biomedical fields. CSULB's Biomedical Engineering department highlights graduate-study pathways and currently offers doctoral-level study through the university's PhD in Engineering and Computational Mathematics; the department also reports BME alumni progressing to graduate programs at USC, UC Berkeley, Cornell, UC San Diego and UC Irvine.