B.S. in Biomedical Engineering

UVM's Biomedical Engineering program integrates practical design, laboratory work and projects throughout all four years rather than leaving hands-on experience until the end of the degree. Students work in teams on design projects connected to clinical needs, learn regulatory and validation practices, and finish with a capstone in which they develop and test functional biomedical solutions. The program's partnership with the Larner College of Medicine and access to UVM's medical and research environment create additional opportunities for biomedical research, internships and clinically motivated projects.

Students can gain practical experience through:

• Vertically integrated design: Design is incorporated throughout the four-year curriculum, with team-based projects motivated by teaching and clinical needs from colleagues in the medical school.

• BME wet laboratory: The Biomedical Engineering Laboratory provides equipment for cell-culture work and aseptic technique, including biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, CO₂ and ambient incubators, optical microscopes, an automatic cell counter, force plates, pipetors, analytical balances and chemical fume hoods.

• Biomechanics and biomaterials laboratories: BME 3205 Biomechanics Lab and BME 3255 Biomaterials & Transport Lab provide program-specific laboratory experience.

• Prototype development: UVM's FabLab provides rapid-prototyping tools for developing and testing innovative products and designs, including projects supported by coursework and faculty.

• Capstone design: BME 4600/BME 4605 capstone work uses industry-standard biodesign and project-management processes to design, build and test functional prototypes that meet client requirements.

• Biomedical innovation: The Center for Biomedical Innovation supports the design, development and testing of biomedical devices and systems, with an emphasis on rural healthcare and support for inventors and entrepreneurs.

• Research opportunities: BME 3995 Undergraduate Research allows students to undertake individual or small-team research under faculty supervision for academic credit.

• Specialized biomedical facilities: UVM provides access to resources including the Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting facility, Microscopy Imaging Center, MRI Center for Biomedical Imaging, Instrumentation and Model Facility, Biostatistics, Mass Spectrometry, Proteomics Facility and Vermont Advanced Computing Center.

• Internships and co-ops: CEMS supports internships and paid co-ops, with co-op students able to work full-time for an employer for one or two semesters while maintaining UVM student status.

UVM's B.S. in Biomedical Engineering prepares graduates to work as practicing engineers and to pursue professional, educational and research opportunities in biomedical engineering and related fields. Recent employers of CEMS biomedical engineering graduates include University of Vermont Medical Center, Collins Aerospace, Stryker, University of Virginia, GE Healthcare, Alispharm, the U.S. Army and Biosense Webster, showing the range of healthcare, medical-device, engineering and research environments available to graduates.

Typical career directions include Biomedical Engineer, Medical Device Engineer, Biomaterials Engineer and Clinical Engineer:

• Career services: CEMS Career Readiness provides career coaching, career exploration, résumé and cover-letter reviews, LinkedIn and networking guidance, job/internship/co-op searches, mock interviews, employer research, salary research and salary-negotiation coaching.

• Employment preparation: CEMS reports that 97% of employed full-time graduates in its 2025 First Destination Survey said their employment was related to their career goals, while 99% were satisfied with their position and 96% felt prepared for their post-graduation pursuits. These figures cover CEMS rather than the BME program alone.

• Industry connections: UVM lists biomedical engineering employers including Stryker, GE Healthcare, Biosense Webster and Collins Aerospace, as well as the University of Vermont Medical Center and other organizations.

• Healthcare collaboration: The BME program was developed jointly by UVM's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, creating opportunities connected to biomedical research, clinical needs and human-health innovation.

• Professional value of accreditation: ABET accreditation demonstrates that the program's engineering education meets established professional standards and that its student outcomes address engineering problem-solving, design, communication, ethics, teamwork, experimentation and lifelong learning.

• Practical career experience: CEMS supports paid co-ops in which students alternate academic study with full-time employment related to their career interests, helping them apply classroom knowledge in professional settings.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into UVM's M.S. in Biomedical Engineering or pursue the department's Accelerated Master's Program, which allows qualified UVM engineering students to begin graduate-level study while completing their bachelor's degree. Students interested in research can also progress toward UVM's Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, while the B.S. can provide a foundation for other professional or graduate programs related to healthcare, engineering and biomedical research.