Biomedical Engineering with a Year in Industry

This new stream within the Department of Bioengineering combines the study of biomedical engineering with the opportunity to undertake a 12-month internship in industry between years three and four.

YEARS 1 AND 2

BEng and MEng first and second years are required to take all of the following modules which integrate engineering concepts and practice with a wide range of medical applications:

• Walking and Running
• Molecules, Cells, Processes
• Mathematics
• Vibrations and Waves
• Electromagnetics
• Logic and Digital Systems
• Medical Science I Respiratory and Cardiovascular
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanics
• Fluid Mechanics 
• Solid Mechanics
• Heat and Mass Transport
• Programming
• Engineering properties of Materials
• Electrical Engineering Labs
• Wet lab skills
• Topics in Bioengineering
• Electronic Build Project
• Atomic, Molecular and Semiconductor Structure 
• Signals and Systems 
• Control Systems
• Mechanical Workshop Skills

The first two years provide a platform for specialisation in the final year(s) of the degree programme.

In second year, you will take part in an engineering design project based on the Rio Tinto Sports Innovation Challenge, which aims to unleash your creativity to improve the sporting and training equipment available to disabled people.

As part of the project, you will have chance to work with students from the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering to share ideas, knowledge and skills. Past projects have included:

• an EMG (muscle-electrical signal) operated gear changing for upper-limb amputee cyclists
• a navigational communications and control suit to give sensory feedback via a smartphone for visually or orally impaired sailors

YEAR 3

In the third and fourth year, you choose between the Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering pathway. You also have the freedom to take a range of optional modules in an area of biomedical engineering that particularly interests you, from other engineering departments such as the:

• Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Department of Computing
• Department of Chemical Engineering

In the third year, you are required to take ALL the compulsory modules and EITHER two technical options and two Business school/Humanities options OR three technical options and one Business school/Humanities option

Compulsory modules

• Both pathways:
  • Modelling in Biology
  • MEng Group Project
• Electrical Engineering pathway:
  • Image Processing
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Biomedical Instrumentation
• Mechanical Engineering pathway:
  • Biomedical Advanced and Computational Stress Analysis
  • Biomechanics
  • Physiological Fuild Mechanics

Technical modules

• Medical Imaging  
• Physiological Imaging and Monitoring
• Stress Analysis
• Biomechanics
• Physiological Fluid Mechanics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Synthetic Biology 
• Human Centred Design of Assistive and Rehabilitation Devices
• Control Engineering
• Introduction to Bioinformatics
• Transport Systems for Biological Processes 
• Computational Continuum Mechanics
• Fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics
• Advanced Signal Processing
• Biomaterials
• Biomedical Instrumentation
• Biomedical Advanced and Computational Stress Analysis

Business school/Humanities modules

• Philosophy
• European History
• Politics
• History of Medicine
• Music and Western Civilisation Communicating Science: The Public and the Media
• Philosophies of Science: Theory, Society and Communication 
• Finance and Financial Management  
• Managerial Economics  
• Entrepreneurship  
• Languages
• Innovation Management  
• Design Led Innovation and New Venture Creation

YEAR IN INDUSTRY

You spend this year undertaking a placement in industry, before returning to Imperial to complete your final year of study.

YEAR 4

You are required to take SIX technical options (including at least TWO Bioengineering options) and ONE Business school option and an individual project

Bioengineering options

• Biomedical Imaging
• Advanced Physiological Monitoring and Data Analysis 
• Computational Neuroscience
• Brain-machine Interfaces
• Biomaterials
• Advanced Biomaterials
• Orthopaedic Biomechanics
• Cellular Biomechanics
• Human Neuromechanical Control and Learning
• Advanced Medical Imaging

Technical options offered by other departments across the Faculty of Engineering

• Optimisation
• Intelligent Data and Probabilistic Inference
• Mems and Nanotechnology
• Finite Element Analysis and Applications
• Graphics
• Transport Systems for Biological Processes
• High Performance Analogue Electronics
• Information Theory
• Integrated Circuit Design and Technology
• Machine Learning and Neural Computation
• Machine Learning
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Computational Continuum Mechanics
• Fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics
• Integrated Design and Manufacture
• Tribology
• Machine System Dynamics
• Advanced Stress Analysis
• Introduction to Bioinformatics
• Analogue Signal Processing
• Nanomaterials

Business School/Humanities options

• Managerial Economics
• Innovation Management
• Finance and Financial Management 
• Entrepreneurship

To apply for this degree, you should apply for the four-year MEng Biomedical Engineering. All students follow a common programme of study for the first two years. At the end of the second year students achieving a 2:1 standard or above have the opportunity to remain registered on the MEng programme. The MEng allows specialisation in either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, as well as the opportunity to undertake a placement in industry and/or study abroad in the final year.

Students who do not meet this academic standard will be permitted to continue on the three-year BEng programme.

A-LEVELS

The normal A-level requirements are A*AA to include:

• A* in Mathematics
• A in Physics
• A in Further Mathematics, Chemistry or Biology

AS-level Chemistry and Biology are useful, though not essential, if they have been obtained with at least a grade B at GCSE either individually or as components of Combined Science.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

For students following the International Baccalaureate, we require 38 points overall, to include:

• 6 in Mathematics at higher level
• 6 in Physics at higher level
• 6 in a third subject at higher level

• ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS (ALL CANDIDATES)

  All candidates must have a minimum English language qualification of at least grade B at GCSE or other equivalent qualification. For details of acceptable English language qualifications, and the minimum grades required by the College.

  *Admission of students with other competencies http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/apply/requirements/ugacademic/

Bioengineering undergraduate students are encouraged and supported to find summer
placements in college or industry.
Over the summer recess the Department typically employs about 25 undergraduate
students to work on teaching or research related projects. Students earn about £2000
for about 10 weeks work. 

Prestigious departmental and college-wide scholarships ensure recruitment of the very
best scholars to the college. The scholarships are awarded on academic merit and are
allocated as part of the MEng application process (i.e. not BEng). You will be informed if
you have been awarded a scholarship when you receive your offer details. Therefore,
you do not need to apply for the scholarships.

The Department of Bioengineering provides the following undergraduate scholarships:

• The John Lever undergraduate scholarship is worth £3000 per year. The scholarship is for MEng applicants and will be initially for two years. The remaining two years of the scholarship will be awarded if the recipient successfully moves on to the third and fourth years of the MEng programme.
• The Department has five scholarships. Each is worth £3000 and is awarded in the first year.
• The Department has been allocated four of the College’s Rectors scholarships. Each is worth £3000 and is awarded in the first year.

The Department of Bioengineering has five MSc scholarships. Each is worth £5000 for
the year. The scholarships are awarded on academic merit and are allocated as part of
the MSc application process. The selection process takes place around April for the year
of admission. You will be informed if you have been awarded a scholarship separately
from receiving your offer details. Therefore, you do not need to apply for the
scholarships.

The College has a hardship fund to help European and overseas students who are
experiencing financial difficulties whilst studying at Imperial.

The opening date for applications for admissions in October 2015 is: mid-September 2014.

The deadline for the submission of applications to qualify for full and equal treatment is:

• Applicants including Oxford and Cambridge, Medicine among their entries – 15 October 2014
• Applicants including Medicine among their entries – 15 October 2014