B.S. Biomedical Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of California Irvine

Program Overview

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) combines engineering with biology, physiology, chemistry and physics to prepare students to solve complex medical and healthcare problems. It is a strong fit for students interested in areas such as medical devices, tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, genetic treatments and computer-based approaches to understanding the human body.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

Students build their mathematics, chemistry and physics foundation while gaining their first exposure to biomedical engineering. The typical first-year sequence includes MATH 2A – Single-Variable Calculus I, CHEM 1A – General Chemistry and BME 1 – Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, where students are introduced to problem solving, design, engineering inventiveness, ethics, teamwork and social responsibility.

Year 2

The second year moves into more specialised engineering and biological concepts while continuing the mathematics and science foundation. Students study BME 50A – Cell and Molecular Engineering, BME 50B – Cell and Molecular Engineering and BME 60A – Engineering Analysis/Design: Data Acquisition, covering molecular and cellular bioengineering alongside computer-based experimentation and biomedical data acquisition.

Year 3

Students develop deeper expertise in physiological systems, biomechanics, biomedical signals and transport phenomena. The curriculum includes BME 110A – Biomechanics I, BME 120 – Sensory Motor Systems, BME 130 – Biomedical Signals and Systems, BME 150 – Biotransport Phenomena and BME 179 – Biomedical Engineering Design: Addressing Unmet Clinical Needs, connecting engineering analysis with clinical problems.

Year 4

The final year focuses strongly on hands-on biomedical engineering design, experimentation and professional preparation. Students complete the three-part BME 180A/B/C – Biomedical Engineering Design sequence and BME 170 – Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, while engineering electives can allow specialisation in areas such as Biophotonics or Micro and Nano Biomedical Engineering.

Focus Areas

Biomedical Devices, Biomechanics, Cell and Molecular Engineering, Biomedical Imaging, Biomedical Electronics, Biomaterials, Biotransport, Biomedical Signals and Systems, Biophotonics, Micro and Nano Biomedical Engineering, Tissue Engineering.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to identify and solve complex biomedical engineering problems using engineering, science and mathematics; design solutions while considering health, safety and societal factors; conduct experiments and interpret data; communicate with different audiences; and work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. The program also develops ethical and professional judgement and the ability to acquire new knowledge as biomedical engineering technology evolves.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The B.S. in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the criteria for Bioengineering, Biomedical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. UCI states that the accredited four-year engineering curriculum prepares graduates for careers in industry, hospitals and research laboratories as well as further graduate education.

Reputation (Employability & University Statistics)

UCI's Biomedical Engineering department reports 433 undergraduate BME students enrolled in Fall 2024 and 91 B.S. degrees awarded in 2023–24. The department describes the program as preparing graduates for a wide range of careers in industry, hospitals and research laboratories, with its curriculum developed in collaboration with local biomedical-device and biotechnology companies.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

UCI integrates practical biomedical engineering work throughout the curriculum rather than limiting hands-on experience to the final year. Students encounter laboratory experimentation, computer applications and real bioengineering problems throughout the degree, complete multidisciplinary senior design projects based on industrial and clinical experience, and can receive academic credit for approved internships with an industry mentor and faculty advisor.

Key practical opportunities include:

Engineering Analysis/Design: The BME 60A/B/C sequence develops practical skills in data acquisition, data analysis and computer-aided design. BME 60A specifically covers data-acquisition programming, computer-based experimentation, instrumentation interfaces and signal conditioning.
Biomedical Engineering Laboratory: BME 170 provides dedicated laboratory experience as part of the senior curriculum.
Clinical-problem design: BME 179 – Biomedical Engineering Design: Addressing Unmet Clinical Needs exposes students to biomedical design challenges connected to unmet clinical needs.
Senior design projects: BME 180A/B/C forms a three-quarter biomedical engineering design sequence in which students work in teams on multidisciplinary problems informed by industrial and clinical experience.
Biomedical Engineering Internship: BME 198 allows BME majors to receive 2–12 units of credit for an approved internship at a company under the supervision of an industry mentor and UCI faculty advisor.
Programming and computational tools: The curriculum includes computer applications and data-acquisition programming, while BME 3 – Engineering Innovations in Treating Diabetes specifically includes engineering optimisation problems using Excel.
Biophotonics specialisation: Students can choose courses including BME 135 – Photomedicine, BME 136 – Engineering Medical Optics, BME 137 – Introduction to Biomedical Imaging and BME 138 – Spectroscopy and Imaging of Biological Systems.
Micro and Nano Biomedical Engineering: Students can specialise through courses such as BME 142 – Microfabrication, BME 147 – Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip, BME 148 – Microimplants and ENGRMAE 153 – Advanced BIOMEMS Manufacturing Techniques.
Research exposure: The department offers seminars covering advanced biomedical engineering topics and current research efforts, while undergraduate students can pursue further research experiences through the department.
Industry and biotechnology collaboration: UCI states that its BME curriculum integrates clinical medicine, research and engineering design in collaboration with local biomedical-device and biotechnology companies.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The UCI B.S. in Biomedical Engineering prepares graduates for careers across biomedical engineering, medical technology, hospitals and research laboratories, while also providing a foundation for graduate study. The department specifically identifies industry, hospitals, research laboratories and graduate education as major destinations for graduates.

Typical career directions include: Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Clinical Engineer, Biomedical Research Engineer.

Students can strengthen their transition into employment and further study through:

Industry internships: BME 198 provides supervised professional experience at a company and allows students to receive academic credit while working with an industry mentor and faculty advisor.
Industry collaboration: The BME program is developed in collaboration with local biomedical device and biotechnology companies, connecting curriculum and engineering design with professional needs.
Multidisciplinary design: Senior design projects develop experience in team leadership, project planning, communication and solving biomedical problems informed by clinical and industrial experience.
Graduate study: The department offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering, providing a direct pathway for students who want to continue into advanced biomedical engineering research.
Professional preparation: The ABET-accredited curriculum develops engineering design, experimentation, communication, teamwork, ethics and quantitative problem-solving capabilities that are valuable for professional biomedical engineering practice.
Employment and salary statistics: The official UCI BME program pages reviewed do not publish a program-specific graduate employment rate or graduate salary figure, so no unsupported salary or employment percentage should be entered.
Graduation outcomes: UCI reports 91 B.S. Biomedical Engineering degrees awarded in 2023–24 and states that graduates pursue careers in industry, hospitals and research laboratories or continue into graduate education.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into UCI's M.S. or Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, or pursue related graduate study in biomedical engineering and other biomedical fields. The department's research areas include biophotonics, biomedical nanoscale systems, biomedical computational technologies and tissue engineering, providing potential directions for advanced specialisation.