Biomedical engineering (BME)

Students start working with real biomedical engineering problems from the beginning of the degree, with laboratory work, design projects, research and clinical experiences becoming increasingly important as they progress. The program combines hands-on experimentation with access to engineering design facilities, computational simulation tools, prototyping equipment and biomedical research laboratories, while the senior design experience allows students to develop solutions for real-world challenges with industry partners.

Students can gain practical experience through:

• BMEG341 Biomedical Experiment Design & Analysis, where students develop experience with biomedical experimental methods and data analysis.
• BMEG260 Intro to Medical Device Design, giving students an early introduction to the process of developing medical devices.
• BMEG360 BME Junior Design, providing a dedicated opportunity to apply engineering knowledge to a biomedical design challenge.
• BMEG460 Biomedical Engineering Design (DLE & Capstone), where senior students complete a major design experience.
• Clinical Immersion, where students can enter real healthcare environments, observe healthcare professionals, identify unmet clinical needs, and consider how engineering could address those needs. A University of Delaware example involved a student completing 100 hours with Rothman Orthopaedics in operating rooms and outpatient clinics.
• Industry-sponsored senior design projects, allowing students to work from an identified engineering problem through design and prototyping. UD's senior design program has worked with more than 100 industry, academic, and community sponsors and addressed more than 500 design challenges.
• Design Studio, Machine and Electronics Shops, Materials Testing Facility, rapid prototyping systems, and computational simulation software, which support the development and testing of senior design projects.
• Undergraduate research, with opportunities in areas such as nanomedicine, biomechanics, neuroengineering, and tissue engineering. Students can participate in faculty research during the academic year or through programs such as Summer Scholars, Winter Fellows, SURF, REUs, independent study, and senior thesis projects.
• Research infrastructure on UD's STAR Campus includes the Delaware Center for Musculoskeletal Research, Center for Biomedical and Brain Imaging, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, nanofabrication facilities, and laboratories supporting human-based studies, imaging, bioinformatics, proteomics, biomechanics, and advanced microscopy.
• Students can also participate in study abroad, with the BME major eligible for UD's global programs.

Official facilities and research information: University of Delaware Biomedical Engineering research and senior design facilities.

Biomedical Engineering graduates from the University of Delaware can move directly into biomedical and engineering industries or continue into graduate and professional education. The program specifically identifies opportunities in medical devices, imaging, biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals and other health-related fields, while the curriculum also supports students planning to pursue medicine, dentistry, physical therapy and other professional pathways.

Typical career directions include Biomedical Engineer, Product Development Engineer, Design Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, with additional opportunities in medical-device sales, quality engineering, consulting, project management and research.

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

• Career and Post-Graduate Success support, including career coaching, job and internship opportunities through Handshake, research opportunities and funding support.
• Internship & Professional Experiences Grants, which can provide eligible undergraduates with up to $5,000 toward unpaid or underpaid internships, research, job shadowing, field experiences or professional conferences.
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates, with available programs providing substantial hands-on research experience and, depending on the program, stipends of approximately $4,500–$6,000.
• Industry-connected senior design, where students work on real engineering challenges with industry, academic and community sponsors.
• The department's Clinical Immersion Program, which provides exposure to clinical practice and helps students identify real healthcare needs that could become future engineering projects or career directions.
• ABET accreditation, which provides an established quality benchmark for the engineering curriculum and supports preparation for professional engineering practice and continued technical development.
• The University reports 98% employment after graduation and a $75,000 average starting salary for students beginning their first full-time position, giving prospective students a useful indication of the broader career environment associated with the program.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into master's or doctoral study in biomedical engineering and related engineering or science disciplines, or pursue professional programs such as medical school, dental school, physical therapy, pharmacy, physician assistant programs, business, or law. The University of Delaware also offers 4+1 programs, allowing eligible students to begin graduate coursework during their senior year and potentially complete a bachelor's and master's degree in as little as five years.