Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Colorado State University

Program Overview

CSU's Biomedical Engineering program is a five-year, dual-degree track that lets you combine deep engineering expertise with biology and medicine — perfect if you want to design real solutions for human and animal health rather than just study theory. It's built for students who love hands-on problem solving, since you'll pair your BME training with one of four traditional engineering disciplines (Chemical & Biological, Computer, Electrical, or Mechanical) and graduate holding two full B.S. degrees.

Curriculum Structure

In Years One and Two, you'll build your foundation with BIOM 101: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, which introduces molecular, cellular, and physiological principles alongside core biomechanics concepts, plus BIOM 200: Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering, where you apply engineering analysis directly to physiology topics — all while stacking up the calculus, chemistry, and physics that everything else in the program builds on.

Year Three is where things get collaborative and applied: you'll take BIOM 300: Problem-Based Learning Biomedical Engineering Lab, a group-based course tackling real problems across all core BME areas, alongside BIOM 304: Global Challenges and Collaborations in BME, which builds cross-cultural competence around medical device design, regulation, and ethics — all while deepening your expertise in your chosen traditional engineering track.

Year Four sharpens your specialization with courses like BIOM 421: Transport Phenomena in Biomedical Engineering (modeling momentum, heat, and mass transport in cells and tissues), BIOM 431: Biomedical Signal and Image Processing, and BIOM 441: Biomechanics and Biomaterials — the exact toolkit you need to start thinking like a working biomedical engineer.

Year Five is where it all comes together in BIOM 486A and BIOM 486B: Biomedical Design Practicum (Capstone Design I & II), a two-semester senior design sequence where you join an interdisciplinary team to take a real-world engineering project from concept to completion.

Focus Areas: Regenerative and rehabilitative medicine, imaging and diagnostics, and medical devices and therapeutics — with degree pathways in Chemical & Biological Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering (including a Lasers & Optics concentration), and Mechanical Engineering.

Learning Outcomes: Graduates can identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems using engineering, science, and math principles; apply engineering design with consideration for public health, safety, and global/societal impact; function effectively on multidisciplinary teams; conduct experiments and interpret data using sound engineering judgment; and apply knowledge of biology, human physiology, and biomedical devices to real living systems.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission, first accredited in 2016 (retroactive to all prior graduates) — and your partner engineering degree (Chemical & Biological, Electrical, or Mechanical) carries its own ABET accreditation too, giving you double the recognized credibility.

Reputation: CSU was the first university in Colorado to offer a bachelor's program in biomedical engineering, and university-wide, CSU is ranked a Top 35% National University by U.S. News & World Report (2026).

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

CSU's Biomedical Engineering program is built around getting your hands dirty early — literally. With access to over 40 state-of-the-art biomedical and engineering research labs, plus ties to the world-renowned CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Animal Cancer Center, you'll be working alongside leading faculty researchers well before graduation, not just reading about their work in a textbook. The program deliberately layers classroom learning with laboratory work, internships, study abroad, and a full senior design experience so that by the time you walk across the stage, you've already done real biomedical engineering, not just studied it:

Core lab & applied coursework: BIOM 300: Problem-Based Learning Biomedical Engineering Lab, where student groups tackle real cross-disciplinary BME problems, and BIOM 533: Biomolecular Tools for Engineers, hands-on training in PCR, cloning, sequencing, and live-cell imaging
Group/team-based capstone project: The two-course senior design sequence, BIOM 486A and BIOM 486B (Biomedical Design Practicum: Capstone Design I & II), where interdisciplinary student teams take on a real-world engineering project from concept to completion — many projects are directly sponsored by Advisory Board companies
Internships: A dedicated internship program supported by the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) office, which helps students connect with faculty and industry contacts, review application materials, and land paid or unpaid internships in industry or research labs
Industry Advisory Board access: Direct connection to SBME's Advisory Board, made up of professionals from companies like Medtronic, Applied Medical, ImpediMed, Abbott, and HP Labs, who guide curriculum, sponsor projects, and offer mentorship
Career expos built for BME: The student-run BioInnovate Career Expo connects BME students directly with biotech companies and laboratories (including sponsors like Tensentric, CONMED Corporation, and Terumo BCT) for networking, internships, and job leads
Study abroad programs: BIOM 350A (Ecuador: Prosthetics), where students design and fabricate prosthetics for underserved populations with the Range of Motion Project, and BIOM 350B (Portugal: Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare), focused on pharmaceutical production, regulatory affairs, and biotech practices
Clinical practicum opportunities: BIOM 476: Biomedical Engineering Clinical Practicum, giving students biomedical lab work or research experience directly in a hospital or clinical setting
Digital tools & software: Engineering analysis and computational tools woven through coursework like BIOM 431: Biomedical Signal and Image Processing and BIOM 421: Transport Phenomena, building the modeling and data-processing skills employers expect
Research institutes and facilities: Access to the interdisciplinary School of Biomedical Engineering, which spans four colleges and 14 departments with over 70 faculty, focused on regenerative and rehabilitative medicine, imaging and diagnostics, and medical devices and therapeutics
Career support: The Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering's Engineering Success Center offers career education specifically for engineering students (resume reviews, internship search, career advising), on top of university-wide Handshake access through the CSU Career Center

Progression & Future Opportunities

CSU BME graduates leave with two full engineering degrees and a track record of real lab, internship, and design experience — a combination that positions them strongly for both industry roles and further study. Typical paths graduates take include Biomedical Engineer, Clinical Biomedical Engineer, Rehabilitation Engineer, and Researcher: here's how CSU sets that up.

Career services support: The Engineering Success Center provides engineering-specific career advising, resume reviews, and internship search support, while the university-wide Career Center runs Handshake — recently a national Handshake Career Spark Award winner, with over 10,000 students using its services annually and a 99% satisfaction rate
Employment & outcomes stats: CSU's official First Destination Survey found that 88–90% of undergraduates had a job offer or secured plans for employment/further education at graduation, based on outreach through commencement, LinkedIn, and the National Student Clearinghouse
University–industry partnerships: SBME's Advisory Board and Alumni Leadership Council connect students directly to companies like Medtronic, Abbott, Applied Medical, ImpediMed, and HP Labs, who sponsor senior design projects, offer internships, and participate in the annual BioInnovate Career Expo alongside firms like CONMED and Terumo BCT
Long-term accreditation value: The BME degree is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission (since 2016, retroactive to earlier graduates), and your paired engineering degree (Chemical & Biological, Electrical, or Mechanical) carries its own ABET accreditation — giving your credentials lasting recognition with employers and licensing boards
Graduation outcomes: Because you graduate with two B.S. degrees, alumni go on to careers across medical device design, clinical engineering, regulatory affairs, and patent law, as well as veterinary and human medicine — SBME notes graduates are "well prepared for careers in research, education, veterinary or human medicine, and industry"

Further Academic Progression: If you want to keep going after your five-year B.S., CSU's School of Biomedical Engineering offers a direct path forward with its Master of Science in Bioengineering and Ph.D. in Bioengineering, both built on the same interdisciplinary research strengths you'll already know from undergrad. There's also a Master of Engineering, Plan C, with a Biomedical Engineering Specialization — available both on campus and online — for students who want an applied graduate credential without committing to a full research thesis. And since your dual-degree foundation already blends engineering with life sciences, many graduates also use it as a springboard into medical, dental, or veterinary school.