Biomedical Engineering B.S.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Ohio State University Columbus

Program Overview

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University combines engineering, mathematics, physical sciences and life sciences to prepare students to solve practical problems in biology, medicine and healthcare. It is particularly well suited to students interested in areas such as medical devices, imaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, tissue engineering and biomedical technologies, with opportunities to develop both broad engineering knowledge and deeper expertise in a chosen biomedical domain.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with the engineering fundamentals that underpin biomedical engineering, including ENGR 1181: Fundamentals of Engineering I, Math 1151: Calculus I and Chem 1210: General Chemistry I. The second semester continues with ENGR 1182: Fundamentals of Engineering II, Math 1172: Engineering Mathematics A and Physics 1250: Mechanics, Work and Energy, Thermal Physics, giving students a strong foundation in mathematics, chemistry, physics and engineering.

Year 2: The curriculum moves into biomedical engineering and life-science concepts through courses such as BME 2000: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, BME 2800: Anatomy for Engineers and BME 2200: Quantitative Principles of Cellular and Molecular Systems. Students also build engineering analysis skills through Math 2173: Engineering Mathematics B, Math 2174: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations for Engineers, engineering materials, statistics and professional development.

Year 3: Students begin applying engineering principles to biomedical problems through BME 2700: Numerical Simulations in BME, BME 3701: Biomedical Engineering Domain Lab and BME 3702: Measurements and Instrumentation Lab. BME 3703: Quantitative Physiology and three selected 4000-level domain courses allow students to develop deeper expertise in areas such as bioimaging, biotransport, biomaterials, biomechanics, molecular/cellular/tissue engineering and micro/nanotechnology.

Year 4: The final year focuses on advanced biomedical engineering knowledge, career-oriented electives and design. Students complete BME 4901: Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design I and BME 4902: Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design II, a year-long team design experience in which students can develop solutions to real biomedical and healthcare challenges.

Focus Areas

Bioimaging, Biotransport, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Molecular Cellular and Tissue Engineering, Micro/Nanotechnology Biomedical Devices, quantitative physiology, biomedical measurement and instrumentation, biomedical modeling and simulation.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to integrate engineering and life-science principles, quantify physiological processes, model and simulate biological phenomena, analyze biomedical measurements, work with biomedical materials and technologies, and design solutions to real-world healthcare problems. The curriculum also develops multidisciplinary teamwork, technical problem-solving, research and professional skills through laboratory, research and capstone experiences.

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 Engineering. This provides an internationally recognized quality framework for the engineering education delivered by the program.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Ohio State reported that its undergraduate Biomedical Engineering program was ranked 30th nationally in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report undergraduate BME rankings. More recently, Ohio State's Department of Biomedical Engineering ranked 40th nationally among graduate biomedical engineering specialties in the 2027 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings, while the overall Ohio State graduate engineering program ranked 28th nationally and 14th among public universities.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students gain practical experience through dedicated biomedical engineering laboratories, numerical simulation, measurement and instrumentation work, undergraduate research and a two-semester senior capstone. The department's research environment spans bioimaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, biotransport, tissue engineering and micro/nanotechnology, while new engineering facilities provide additional teaching laboratories, makerspace access and research space for areas including wearable health sensors and biomaterials.

Key hands-on opportunities include:

Biomedical Engineering Domain Lab (BME 3701): Students gain practical exposure related to their selected biomedical engineering domain.
Measurements and Instrumentation Lab (BME 3702): Students develop practical skills in biomedical measurement and instrumentation.
Numerical Simulations in BME (BME 2700): Students use computational approaches to model biomedical engineering problems.
Senior Capstone Design (BME 4901 and BME 4902): Multidisciplinary teams from biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science can work with community, medical and industry partners to develop biomedical devices and solutions. Past partners have included Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, NASA Glenn Research Center and other organizations.
Undergraduate research: Students can work with faculty on independent biomedical engineering research and may pursue Research Distinction through a thesis. The BME 4999 research course requires at least six research credit hours for the distinction pathway.
Industry experience: Engineering Career Services helps students obtain paid internships and co-op positions, and Ohio State reports that about 75% of engineering students participate in a co-op or internship before graduation.
Industry Mentorship Program: BME undergraduates can be paired with industry professionals, often BME alumni, for guidance on careers, internships, interviews, networking and industry expectations. The program currently reports 47 industry mentors and more than 100 student mentees.
Professional tools and preparation: The department specifically identifies MATLAB and SolidWorks as professional certification options students may consider alongside their BME degree.
Mars G. Fontana Laboratories: The 124,000-square-foot facility houses Biomedical Engineering and includes seven engineering research neighborhoods and 14 teaching laboratories.
Engineering Research and Education Laboratories (EREL): Opened in 2026, EREL adds 10 STEM-focused teaching labs, a 5,100-square-foot makerspace and dedicated research space for areas including wearable health sensors and biomaterials.
Research ecosystem: Students are connected to research environments including the Nanotech West Lab, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Ohio State Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Eye & Ear Institute.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates can apply their multidisciplinary engineering and life-science training across medical devices, pharmaceutical and biomedical industries, healthcare, government and research. Ohio State lists employers of biomedical engineering graduates including Accenture, Epic, Johnson & Johnson, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Procter & Gamble and Zimmer Biomet, while recent BME graduates have an official reported average beginning annual salary of $57,982.

Typical career roles include Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Biomedical Design Engineer and Biomedical Research Engineer.

Career development is supported through several university and department opportunities:

Engineering Career Services: Students can use Engineering Career Services to pursue paid internships, co-ops and employment opportunities; Ohio State reports that about 75% of engineering students complete a co-op or internship before graduation.
BME Industry Mentorship Program: Students receive access to industry mentors who can provide guidance on career paths, job searches, interviews, networking and industry expectations.
Industry and healthcare connections: Capstone projects have involved organizations including Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital and NASA Glenn Research Center, giving students opportunities to address practical biomedical challenges.
Research and professional development: Students can participate in undergraduate research, Research Distinction, professional organizations and career-focused electives, helping prepare them for industry or graduate study.
Accreditation value: The ABET accreditation of the B.S. program provides an established external quality benchmark for biomedical engineering education.
Salary outcome: Ohio State reports an average beginning annual salary of $57,982 for recent biomedical engineering graduates.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into Ohio State's BME graduate programs, including the M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, or pursue the combined B.S./M.S. pathway. Eligible Ohio State undergraduates can apply to the combined BS/MS program after completing at least 90 undergraduate semester credit hours and maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA; up to nine graduate credit hours can be counted toward both degrees.