Biomedical Engineering (BS)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Program Overview

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) combines engineering with biological, chemical and physical sciences to prepare students to solve healthcare problems and develop technologies for medicine. It is well suited to students interested in areas such as medical devices, biomechanics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, artificial intelligence and data science.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their engineering and science foundation through Biosciences I for Science Majors and its Laboratory, General Chemistry I, Calculus I, and Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. Physics and mathematics continue to build the quantitative skills needed for more advanced biomedical engineering study.

Year 2: Students begin applying engineering concepts directly to the human body through Physiology for Biomedical Engineering, Biomechanics I, and Biomaterials I. They also study Cellular Biology for Biomedical Engineering and complete Biomedical Engineering Laboratory I, connecting biological systems with engineering analysis and experimentation.

Year 3: Students develop more specialized technical skills through Bioinstrumentation, Computational Modeling and Simulation in Biomedical Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering Technology and Product Development. Biotransport Phenomena, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory III, and the Clinical Internship in Biomedical Engineering give students opportunities to apply engineering principles to biomedical systems and professional settings.

Year 4: Students bring their technical knowledge together through Senior BME Design I and Senior BME Design II, while selecting upper-division courses within their chosen area of concentration. The program allows students to develop depth in Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Cellular and Tissue Engineering, or Biomedical Imaging, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

Focus Areas

Biomechanics, biomaterials, cellular and tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, artificial intelligence, data science, bioinstrumentation, computational biomedical engineering, medical technology and product development.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to apply engineering, mathematics and scientific principles to biomedical problems, analyze complex living systems, design biomedical technologies, conduct experiments, interpret data, use computational approaches, work collaboratively and address healthcare challenges through innovative and ethical engineering solutions.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This provides external validation that the program meets established engineering education standards and supports students preparing for professional engineering and technology careers.

Reputation (Employability)

UT San Antonio states that Biomedical Engineering graduates find positions in industry and are accepted into graduate schools and professional training programs, including medicine and dentistry, nationwide. The university identifies career opportunities in medical equipment, supplies manufacturing and repair, scientific research and development, pharmaceutical manufacturing and physician offices.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

UT San Antonio's Biomedical Engineering program is strongly focused on applying engineering knowledge to real biomedical problems through laboratory work, clinical exposure, internships, research and design. Students have access to specialized research and prototyping facilities through the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design, while the curriculum includes clinical immersion, multiple biomedical engineering laboratories and a two-semester senior design sequence.

Students can develop practical expertise through:

Biomedical Engineering Laboratories: Students complete Biomedical Engineering Laboratory I, II and III, together with a dedicated Cellular Biology laboratory, providing repeated hands-on laboratory experience throughout the degree.
Clinical experience: BME 3013 Clinical Internship in Biomedical Engineering is a required 3-credit course, giving students structured exposure to biomedical engineering in a clinical environment.
Industry internship: BME 3033 Biomedical Engineering Internship is available as a BME elective, while UT San Antonio also highlights internships with industry partners as a signature experiential opportunity.
Senior design projects: BME 4903 Senior BME Design I and BME 4913 Senior BME Design II form a two-semester capstone sequence where students develop and apply biomedical engineering design skills.
Research opportunities: Undergraduate students can participate in faculty-led research in Biomechanics; Biomaterials, Cellular and Tissue Engineering; and Biomedical Imaging, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.
Catalytic Lab: UT San Antonio highlights students conducting biomedical engineering research in the UTSA Catalytic Lab, supporting hands-on research activity.
Computational tools: BME 3373 Computational Modeling and Simulation in Biomedical Engineering develops computational skills, while UT San Antonio provides students with access to MATLAB for engineering and scientific computing.
Makerspaces and engineering facilities: Klesse College provides two makerspaces and a 160,349-square-foot Science and Engineering Building, with students regularly working with professional-grade machines and apparatus.
Industry-connected experiences: UT San Antonio's Career Engaged Learning initiative connects students with organizations for real-world experiential learning, while the university's industry ecosystem includes organizations such as Southwest Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute and BioMedSA.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates can move into biomedical engineering roles across medical technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, research and development and other engineering industries. UT San Antonio also reports that BME graduates continue into graduate schools and professional training programs, including medicine and dentistry, while the program's educational objectives prepare graduates for careers in industry, government and healthcare or for advanced degrees.

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

Career and student support: The KCEID Student Success Center provides tutoring, internship assistance, connections with industry professionals and professional-development support.
Industry connections: UT San Antonio's industry partnership ecosystem includes Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TBRI), BioMedSA, the Center for Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship and the Valdez Institute for Economic Development.
Industry experience: Students can pursue internships with industry partners, research projects, study abroad or service-learning experiences as KCEID signature experiences.
Accreditation value: The B.S. Biomedical Engineering program is ABET-accredited, providing an independently recognized quality standard for the engineering curriculum and supporting professional preparation.
Graduate outcomes: UT San Antonio reports that BME graduates obtain industry positions and are accepted into graduate and professional programs nationwide, including medicine and dentistry.
Salary/employment statistics: The official UT San Antonio undergraduate Biomedical Engineering page does not publish a specific program-level graduate employment rate or salary figure, so no unsupported figure is included.
Professional development: The program's educational objectives specifically prepare graduates to continue professional development, contribute through ethical engineering practice and assume leadership positions in their chosen fields.

Further Academic Progression: Students can continue into UT San Antonio's M.S. or Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, which are offered jointly with UT Health San Antonio. The graduate programs provide pathways into advanced work in areas including biomaterials, biomechanics, bioimaging, tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensors, cellular engineering and tissue-implant interfaces; students may also pursue professional programs such as medicine or dentistry.