Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biomedical Engineering (STEM)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

George Washington University

Program Overview

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at The George Washington University is designed for students who want to combine engineering with biology, medicine, and healthcare to develop technologies that improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Students can explore areas such as biomechanics, bioinformatics, telemedicine, instrumentation, imaging, and pre-medicine while benefiting from GW’s connections with its medical school, hospital, biotechnology industries, and laboratories across the Washington, D.C. area.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their scientific and engineering foundation through courses such as BISC 1111 Introductory Biology: Cells and Molecules, BME 1010 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, and CHEM 1111 General Chemistry I, alongside calculus, physics, engineering orientation, and university writing. In the second semester, BISC 1112 Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms, BME 1020 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, and PHYS 1025 University Physics I with Biological Applications strengthen the connection between life sciences and engineering.

Year 2: The second year moves deeper into engineering analysis and biomedical applications through APSC 2113 Engineering Analysis I, ECE 2110 Circuit Theory, MATH 2233 Multivariable Calculus, and BME 2810/BME 2815 Biomedical Engineering Seminar I and II. Students are also introduced to programming and technical engineering electives while developing an understanding of areas including biomechanics, bioinformatics, telemedicine, instrumentation, and medical imaging.

Year 3: Students begin applying engineering principles directly to human physiology and biomedical systems through BME 2210 Biomedical Signals and Systems, BME 3820 Engineering Analysis of Neural, Muscular, and Cardiovascular Physiology, and BME 3825 Medical Measurement Laboratory. BME 3910 Capstone Design Preparation then introduces project formulation and prepares students for the extended biomedical device design sequence.

Year 4: The final year is strongly focused on design, application, and professional preparation. Students complete BME 4920W Biomedical Engineering Capstone Project Lab II and BME 4925W Biomedical Engineering Capstone Project Lab III, while studying subjects such as PHYS 3127 Biophysics: Macroscopic Physics in the Life Sciences, ECE 3220 Introduction to Digital Signal Processing, and PHIL 2135 Ethics in Business and the Professions.

Focus areas

Bioinformatics, telemedicine, biomedical instrumentation, pre-medicine, biomechanics, medical imaging, biomedical signals and systems, physiology, medical measurements, bioelectronics, assistive robotics, and other areas selected through technical electives.

Learning outcomes

Students develop the ability to solve complex engineering problems using engineering, science, and mathematics; design solutions with consideration for public health, safety and wider societal factors; communicate effectively; work collaboratively; conduct experiments and interpret data; make ethical professional judgments; and acquire new knowledge throughout their careers.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Reputation (employability rankings)

GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science was ranked No. 79 for best undergraduate engineering programs in the U.S. News & World Report rankings cited by GW. This is a school-level undergraduate engineering ranking rather than a program-specific biomedical engineering ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

GW’s biomedical engineering students gain practical experience through laboratory work, biomedical research, internships, seminars, and an extensive three-course senior design sequence. The program connects students with GW’s medical school and hospital, biotechnology industries, and research laboratories in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, allowing students to move beyond classroom theory into medical-device development, experimentation, data analysis, imaging, robotics, and other applied biomedical work.

Students can build practical skills through:

Biomedical device design: The required BME 3915W, BME 4920W, and BME 4925W Biomedical Engineering Capstone Project Labs form a three-semester sequence beginning in the second semester of the junior year. Students design, develop, construct, and test a biomedical device while working with real-world constraints involving manufacturing, testing, cost, time, technical reporting, and presentations.
Recent design projects: Students have developed projects such as a smartphone-based ophthalmic ultrasound system, a DVT leg-swelling monitoring system, a smart knee brace, a non-contact heart-rate monitor, an autonomous cell-culture system, and a three-dimensional laser scanner.
2026 senior design: The 2026 BME Best Senior Design Project was a Self-Guided REBOA Training Protocol on HoloLens 2, demonstrating the application of biomedical engineering to immersive technology and medical training.
Programming and digital tools: BME 2820 Biomedical Engineering Programming I: Data Analysis introduces Python programming and development environments including Conda and Google Colab. Students can progress to BME 3720 BME Programming II: Introduction to Assistive Robotics, where Python is applied to actual robotic systems.
Medical measurement laboratory: BME 3825 Medical Measurement Laboratory gives students experience acquiring and measuring anatomical and physiological parameters and designing experiments using medical equipment.
Biomedical research laboratories: Students can engage with research environments including the Advanced Cellular Diagnostics and Therapeutics Laboratory, Assistive Robotics & Tele-Medicine Lab, Bio-integrated Electronics Lab, Cardiac Optogenetics and Optical Imaging Lab, Functional Neuroimaging Lab, Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Nanophotonics and Microfluids Laboratory, Optical and Acoustic Imaging Laboratory, and Therapeutic Ultrasound Lab.
Imaging and biomedical technology research: GW BME research includes MRI-based neuroimaging, medical-image analysis, optical and acoustic imaging, wearable and implantable devices, microfluidic biosensors, therapeutic ultrasound, cardiac optical mapping, and image-guided interventions.
Internships: The department assists students in securing summer internships at research laboratories in the Washington, D.C. area, while GW Engineering also provides undergraduate internship opportunities with companies, federal agencies, and laboratories.
Innovation and prototyping: The GW Innovation Center provides an interdisciplinary makerspace equipped with tools such as multimeters, soldering irons, SMD tools, Arduino and Raspberry Pi systems, MakerBot 3D printers, and Prusa 3D printers, supporting hands-on prototyping and experimentation.
Science and Engineering Hall: Biomedical engineering is among the programs supported by GW’s Science and Engineering Hall, providing an engineering-focused environment for teaching and research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of GW’s B.S. in Biomedical Engineering can move into biomedical and related industries, government organizations, private research laboratories, or continue into graduate and professional education. GW specifically identifies opportunities involving the development, building, and testing of medical instrumentation, government agencies such as the NIH, FDA, and NIST, entrepreneurship, research, and advanced study in biomedical engineering or professional fields such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, and business.

Typical job roles include: Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Biomedical Research Engineer, Medical Instrumentation Engineer

Career development is supported through:

Career and internship support: GW Engineering provides undergraduate internship opportunities and career resources, while the BME department specifically assists students with securing summer internships at research laboratories in the Washington, D.C. area.
Government and research opportunities: GW identifies organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology as potential government career destinations for biomedical engineering graduates.
Industry and laboratory connections: The program maintains relationships with biotechnology industries and world-class laboratories in the D.C. metropolitan area, while its research environment includes work spanning medical imaging, robotics, bioelectronics, cellular diagnostics, therapeutic ultrasound, and biomedical devices.
Graduate and professional outcomes: GW’s program educational objectives explicitly include employment in biomedical and related industries, government, or other organizations, as well as enrollment in biomedical engineering and related graduate or professional programs.
Professional visibility and entrepreneurship: GW evaluates longer-term graduate outcomes through measures such as career advancement, patents and invention disclosures, awards, publications, professional associations, and entrepreneurial activity.
Employment statistics and salary: A current B.S.-specific employment rate or salary figure was not identified in the official GW sources reviewed, so no figure is inserted here.
Accreditation value: ABET accreditation provides an important professional quality framework for the B.S. program, which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission under the criteria applicable to biomedical and similarly named engineering programs.
Recent student achievement: GW’s 2026 undergraduate awards included recognition for the BME Best Senior Design Project, while the department continues to support research and innovation across medical imaging, cardiac engineering, robotics, and other biomedical areas.

Further Academic Progression: GW offers a five-year combined B.S./M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, allowing students to complete the conventional four-year B.S. and an additional year for the M.S. The university also offers combined pathways pairing the B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with an M.S. in Computer Engineering or Computer Science.