Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering (B.B.E.)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

The Catholic University of America

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering (B.B.E.) at The Catholic University of America combines engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics to prepare students to develop technologies that improve human health. It is particularly suited to students interested in medical devices, rehabilitation, medical imaging, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation or medicine, with four undergraduate tracks allowing students to tailor the degree to their goals.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

Students begin with the mathematical, computational and engineering foundations of biomedical engineering through courses such as MATH 121 – Calculus I, CSC 113 – Computer Programming and ENGR 102 – Intro Engineering Design and Professionalism. They continue with MATH 122 – Calculus II, PHYS 215 – University Physics I and ENGR 106 – Computer Aided Engineering Tools, establishing the quantitative and design skills needed for later biomedical coursework.

Year 2

The second year connects fundamental engineering science with biomedical applications through MATH 221 – Calculus III, ENGR 201 – Engineering Mechanics I and CHEM 103/113 – General Chemistry + Lab. Students then move into BE 202 – Biomechanics, ENGR 212 – Electrical Networks and ENGR 222 – Engineering Math I, beginning to apply mechanical, electrical and mathematical principles to biological systems.

Year 3

Students develop more specialised biomedical engineering capabilities through BE 398 – Biomechanical Design, BE 315 – Intro to Biomedical System Analysis and BE 413 – Bioinstrumentation. Alongside BIOL 105/115 – Mechanisms of Life I and Lab and BIOL 418 – Physiology, they learn to connect engineering design and instrumentation with biological mechanisms and human physiological systems.

Year 4

The final year focuses on advanced design, materials and control, with ENGR 441 – Interdisciplinary Senior Design I, BE 401 – Biomaterials and ENGR 403 – Control Systems forming key parts of the curriculum. Students complete ENGR 442 – Interdisciplinary Senior Design II and select Biomedical Engineering electives, allowing them to deepen their expertise in areas aligned with their chosen track and career interests.

Focus Areas

Pre-medical studies, biomechanics and rehabilitation engineering, bioinstrumentation, medical imaging and telemedicine, biomaterials and hard tissue engineering.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to solve complex engineering problems using engineering, science and mathematics; design solutions while considering public health, safety and wider social and environmental factors; communicate effectively; work collaboratively; conduct experiments and interpret data; recognise professional and ethical responsibilities; and continue acquiring new technical knowledge throughout their careers.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. Catholic University states that its Biomedical Engineering program has been ABET accredited since 1991, giving the degree a longstanding professional-quality benchmark.

Reputation (Employability & Official Statistics)

Catholic University describes its Biomedical Engineering program as one of the first dozen accredited biomedical engineering programs in the United States, with small classes, faculty research opportunities and relationships with healthcare and research institutions in the Washington, D.C. area. The university's engineering career office reports that nearly all engineering graduates have found employment or been accepted into graduate school by the time they receive their diploma, based on the classes of 2018–2020 data reported by the university.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Catholic University places practical design and real-world problem solving at the centre of the Biomedical Engineering degree. Students develop biomedical design skills in mechanical, instrumentation, software and experimental design throughout the program, while small classes and faculty research opportunities create opportunities for close interaction with professors. The university's Washington, D.C. location also gives students access to nearby laboratories, hospitals, government agencies and biomedical research institutions.

Students can gain practical experience through:

Biomedical design: Students develop and refine biomedical design skills throughout the degree in mechanical, instrumentation, software and experimental design, rather than encountering design only in the final year.
Computer programming and engineering tools: CSC 113 – Computer Programming and ENGR 106 – Computer Aided Engineering Tools introduce computational and computer-aided engineering skills during the first year.
MATLAB: Biomedical and computational research at Catholic University uses MATLAB, including biomedical-imaging and computational-bioscience work; research facilities also use software such as Python, Mathematica, R and ImageJ.
Senior design: ENGR 441 – Interdisciplinary Senior Design I and ENGR 442 – Interdisciplinary Senior Design II provide a two-semester interdisciplinary design experience in the final year.
Biomechanics and rehabilitation facilities: Research facilities include MATLAB and SolidWorks, an Xsens MTw Awinda motion tracker, an Osprey real-time eight-camera motion-capture system, Noraxon and Delsys EMG systems, an EEG system, a Biodex Multi-Joint System and an upper-limb robot.
Fabrication: The university has a complete machine shop, a full-time master machinist, several 3-D printers and laser cutters, supporting prototyping and biomedical engineering research.
Industry and healthcare internships: Students can gain experience through nearby laboratories, hospitals and industry, with the program specifically identifying opportunities at the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, NASA and National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Research experience: Extramurally funded faculty provide research opportunities for undergraduate students, while collaborations with metropolitan healthcare and research institutions provide opportunities to undertake research before graduation.
Clinical and rehabilitation research: Catholic University's rehabilitation-engineering collaborations include MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, the Center for Applied Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Research, the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery and other clinical research facilities.
Study abroad: Biomedical Engineering students have the opportunity to participate in study-abroad experiences in Asia.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates can move into biomedical engineering and related engineering careers, research, medical-device development, healthcare, government laboratories or further professional education. Catholic University specifically reports alumni working in biomedical consulting, medical-device startups, NIH research, biotechnology, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and clinical careers, while its pre-med track is designed to allow students to complete medical-school entrance requirements alongside the B.B.E.

Typical career directions include: Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, Rehabilitation Engineer.

Students can strengthen their career progression through:

Career services: The College of Engineering's Center for Academic and Career Success connects students and employers for internships and full-time employment and supports interviewing, résumé building, networking and career decision-making.
Internships and research: Faculty and alumni help connect students with engineering internships, research experiences and permanent employment, while the BME department maintains relationships with nearby laboratories, hospitals and industry.
Washington, D.C. industry and research access: Students can gain experience at institutions such as the FDA, NIH, NASA and National Rehabilitation Hospital, providing exposure to government, healthcare, research and rehabilitation environments.
Alumni outcomes: Official university alumni profiles include a B.B.E. graduate who became CTO of a biomedical-device startup, a graduate who worked at NIH before co-founding a medical-device startup, a graduate who entered biotechnology as a research associate, and graduates progressing into medicine, dentistry and prosthetics/orthotics.
Employment outcome: Catholic University's engineering career office states that nearly all engineering graduates have found employment or been accepted into graduate school by the time they receive their diploma, based on its reported classes of 2018–2020 results.
Salary information: Catholic University's Biomedical Engineering department states that biomedical engineering has a median starting salary exceeding $97,000; this is a department-published figure and should not be interpreted as a Catholic University-specific graduate salary.
Professional accreditation: ABET accreditation provides a recognised engineering education benchmark and supports preparation for careers in industry, research, medical school and other professional pathways.
Industry-facing curriculum: Faculty bring contemporary biomedical engineering challenges into the classroom, while the curriculum integrates theory with hands-on design experience and collaboration with healthcare and research institutions.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into Catholic University's M.B.E./M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering, including the university's five-year bachelor's/master's opportunity. Students following the pre-med track can also continue toward medical school, while alumni have progressed to dentistry, prosthetics and orthotics, biotechnology and biomedical research careers.