Biomedical Engineering (BME)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Alabama Birmingham

Program Overview

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham combines engineering, biology, medicine and quantitative problem-solving to prepare students to develop technologies that improve healthcare, including biomedical devices, implants, biomaterials and instrumentation. It is a strong choice for students who want to work at the intersection of engineering and healthcare, while also keeping pathways open to industry, research, graduate study, medical school and other health-professional programs.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their engineering and scientific foundation through courses such as EGR 200: Introduction to Engineering, MA 125/125L: Calculus I and Calculus I Lab, and CH 115/115R/CH 116: General Chemistry I, Recitation and Laboratory. The second semester adds BY 123/123L: Introductory Biology I and Laboratory, EGR 103: Computer Aided Graphics and Design, EGR 194: Engineering Explorations, and Calculus II, establishing the mathematics, biology, chemistry and engineering skills needed for later BME study.

Year 2: Students move into more advanced engineering and life-science preparation with BY 210/210L: Genetics and Genetics Laboratory, EGR 265: Math Tools for Engineering Problem Solving, MA 260: Introduction to Linear Algebra, and MSE 280: Engineering Materials. The second semester introduces the discipline directly through BME 210: Engineering in Biology, alongside CE 210: Statics, EE 312: Electrical Systems, EGR 150: Computer Methods in Engineering, and calculus-based physics.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes strongly focused on biomedical engineering applications. Students study BME 310: Biomaterials, BME 312: Biocomputing, BME 313: Bioinstrumentation, BME 333: Biomechanics of Solids, BME 350: Biological Transport Phenomena, and BME 370: Integrated Physiology, developing skills in biomedical materials, computation, instrumentation, mechanics, transport and physiological systems. BME 423: Living Systems Analysis and Biostatistics adds quantitative analysis of data from living systems and includes group-project work.

Year 4: Students consolidate their technical knowledge through BME 401: Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Seminar and advanced biomedical engineering electives such as BME 435: Tissue Engineering, BME 443: Medical Image Processing, BME 444: Machine Learning for Biomedical Engineering Applications, BME 450: Computational Neuroscience, BME 462: Cardiac Electrophysiology, and BME 465: Mechanobiology. The program culminates in BME 498: Capstone Design I – Product Development and BME 499: Capstone Design II, where students develop biomedical products and solutions through an extended design experience.

Focus Areas

Biomaterials and tissue engineering, biomechanics, biomedical implants and devices, biocomputing, bioinstrumentation, biological transport, integrated physiology, medical imaging, machine learning for biomedical engineering, computational neuroscience, cardiac electrophysiology, mechanobiology and regenerative medicine. UAB also offers concentrations and a Neuroengineering minor.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to identify and solve complex engineering problems using mathematics, science and engineering principles; design solutions that consider public health, safety, ethical and societal factors; communicate effectively; work collaboratively in teams; conduct experiments and interpret data; and acquire the knowledge needed to adapt to emerging biomedical technologies.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The B.S. in 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. UAB states that the program is the only accredited undergraduate biomedical engineering program in Alabama.

Reputation (Employability / Official Statistics)

UAB's Biomedical Engineering Department has a strong research profile and is jointly affiliated with the School of Engineering and the Heersink School of Medicine. UAB reports that the department ranked fifth nationally in NIH funding in its 2019 Blue Ridge Institute ranking, and UAB's School of Engineering reported that BME ranked in the top five nationally in NIH funding for three consecutive years; the department's research environment includes biomedical imaging, implants and devices, cardiac electrophysiology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

UAB's BME curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning through laboratory experiments, computer simulations, instrumentation and lab-based projects taught by full-time BME faculty who are active researchers. Students can also gain direct experience through undergraduate research, internships and co-ops, while the senior capstone requires interdisciplinary teams to develop working biomedical prototypes for real-world healthcare and disability-related challenges.

Key practical opportunities include:

BME 498 Capstone Design I – Product Development: Students begin with clinical immersion to identify healthcare needs, then work in teams on design concepts, written proposals, client requirements, legal/regulatory considerations and marketing requirements.
BME 499 Capstone Design II: Students continue development of their biomedical product and demonstrate working prototype devices to faculty, graduate students, industry representatives and community guests.
BME 312 Biocomputing: Students are introduced to computational techniques used in biomedical engineering.
BME 313 Bioinstrumentation: Students learn instrumentation for biological and physiological measurements, including acquisition and analysis of bioelectric signals and instrument control.
BME 423 Living Systems Analysis and Biostatistics: Students work with measurement processing, statistical analysis, regression and data presentation, with an emphasis on group projects.
Undergraduate research: Students can enroll in the BME 289–389–489 research sequence under faculty mentorship and earn up to three hours of course credit toward the degree.
Honors research: BME Honors students can undertake research through BME 494 and BME 495, including proposal development, thesis work and presentations to a thesis committee.
Internships and co-ops: BME 011 provides academic recognition for undergraduate BME internship experience, while UAB Engineering Career Services supports internships and co-ops. UAB's School of Engineering also operates a Guaranteed Internship Program for eligible engineering students.
Design x Prototyping (DxP) Lab and UAB Machine Shop: BME researchers work with these facilities to fabricate new research tools and support biomedical research and development.
Research facilities: Undergraduate students have access to research environments in the Shelby Building, Volker Hall and Gorrie Hall, supporting work across biomedical engineering research areas.
Research areas: Students can encounter projects in biomedical artificial intelligence and computational modeling, biomedical imaging and cancer engineering, cardiovascular reparative medicine and tissue engineering, bio-electro-wave medicine, and neuroengineering and neuromodulation therapies.
Medical-school collaboration: The department's joint position within the School of Engineering and Heersink School of Medicine provides an environment connecting engineering education with clinical and medical research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering prepares graduates for engineering and health-related careers involving medical devices, implants, biomaterials, instrumentation, healthcare technology, research, product development and regulatory work. UAB also explicitly identifies graduate school, medical school, dental school, optometry, pharmacy and other professional education as progression routes for BME graduates.

Typical career roles include Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Biomedical Research Engineer and Clinical/Healthcare Technology Engineer.

Career development and long-term opportunities include:

Engineering Career Services: UAB provides access to career resources, Handshake, resume and cover-letter support, career appointments, interviews and engineering career fairs.
Guaranteed internship opportunity: UAB's School of Engineering guarantees internships to incoming engineering students who participate in the required internship-readiness workshops and career events, subject to program eligibility requirements.
Industry experience: Internships and co-ops allow students to apply classroom knowledge in professional settings, develop workforce skills and build industry networks; UAB notes that employers use these experiences as talent pipelines for full-time engineering roles.
Graduate employers: UAB lists alumni employment with organizations including BioHorizons Implant Systems, Biological Innovations, Cook Medical, GE Medical, Medtronic, Novartis, St. Jude Medical, Smith & Nephew and Wright Medical Technology, as well as medical centers, healthcare groups and the FDA.
Research and healthcare ecosystem: The department's joint affiliation with the School of Engineering and Heersink School of Medicine creates opportunities to work in a research-intensive environment alongside biomedical and clinical experts.
Accreditation value: ABET accreditation provides an established external quality framework for the engineering education and supports preparation for professional engineering environments and further study.
Employment and salary statistics: UAB's currently available BME undergraduate career page does not publish a current program-specific graduate employment rate or current BME graduate salary figure. An older UAB First Destination Survey reported an average salary of $32,069 for five B.S. Biomedical Engineering respondents, but this is from 2017–18 and should not be presented as a current salary benchmark.

Further Academic Progression: UAB BME graduates can continue into the department's accelerated bachelor's-master's pathway, the M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, or the Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. The BME department identifies graduate study in areas including biomedical imaging, biomedical implants and devices, cardiac electrophysiology, multiscale computational modeling, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, while graduates may also pursue medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy or combined professional/research degrees.