Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering is a broad, interdisciplinary field that applies the science and technology of engineering to problems in biology, medicine, and biotechnology. These problems include the design and analysis of physiologic measuring and diagnostic systems as well as quantitative analysis and experimentation directed toward obtaining a clearer understanding of the human body’s normal and abnormal functions.

The undergraduate curriculum provides students with rigorous training in engineering, mathematics, and the basic sciences. It incorporates a strong interdisciplinary component that combines the quantitative aspects of engineering analysis and design with a range of biology and physiology, from the molecular and cellular levels to entire systems and organisms. All premedical requirements can be satisfied within this program of study. Our graduates are well prepared for engineering positions in the medical and biotechnology industries, as well as for advanced study in engineering, science, medicine, business, law, or other health-related disciplines.

The mission of the Biomedical Engineering Department is to pursue excellence in biomedical engineering education, research, and innovation; creating and imparting knowledge for improving society, human health, and health care.

To achieve our educational mission, we cultivate our students’ problem-solving and communication skills, nurture their creativity, promote their ability to think critically and independently, and help them to understand scientific and engineering approaches.

Graduates of our undergraduate program are expected:

• to become successful practitioners of biomedical engineering or other professions (e.g., medicine, law, management), drawing upon and guided by their knowledge of biomedical engineering;
• to continue improving and expanding their technical and professional skills through formal or informal means (e.g., continuing education and training, attending conferences, learning new tools and methods); and
• to contribute to community and professional groups using the unique competencies provided by their biomedical engineering educational experiences.

The undergraduate curriculum provides integrated training in science, engineering, and mathematics as preparation for a variety of careers in the broad range of areas in engineering, science, health care, and business. The program focuses on providing students with the skills necessary to solve problems that impact a wide range of economic, environmental, ethical, legal, and social issues.

The undergraduate program begins with a broad foundation in engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology. Foundational work is followed by more advanced engineering coursework and laboratory experiences. During the freshman and sophomore years, students complete preparatory courses in mathematics (calculus, differential equations, and probability), physics, chemistry, and biology. This preparatory work is complemented by parallel training in engineering computing and introductory courses in electric circuit theory and engineering mechanics. In the junior year, the foundation is used to study electronics, physiology, signals, systems, controls, biomechanics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. The junior year also incorporates two design-oriented laboratory experiences. The senior year includes the two-semester capstone senior project. Advanced electives allow opportunities for specialization in instrumentation, sensory and neural systems, mechanics, signal processing, and biomolecular engineering.

In a rapidly changing technological landscape, one of the most important aspects of engineering is the creation of new approaches and solutions. To this end, the Biomedical Engineering Program trains students who are equally comfortable with design and analysis. Design experiences begin in the introductory electric circuit theory and engineering mechanics courses and continue through the restricted electives in the junior and senior years, culminating in the two-semester senior project. The specific goals, methods, results, and conclusions for each project are designed by each student, in conjunction with his or her faculty supervisor. Student progress is documented in a series of written and oral reports. The concluding department-wide senior project conference, which draws representatives from more than sixty biomedical companies and local hospitals, provides a professional-style forum for every student to present his or her project orally.

A total of 136 credits is required for graduation. In addition to satisfying all BS requirements as listed below, a minimum of 48 credits of coursework must be taken at Boston University in the upper-division program. The upper-division program consists of the program requirements and/or program electives as listed below for the junior and senior years. Social science, humanities, and/or writing courses taken during the junior or senior years cannot be counted toward this requirement.

Freshman

First Semester (16 credits)

• CAS CH 101 General Chemistry (4 cr)
• CAS MA 123 Calculus I (4 cr)
• CAS WR 100 Writing Seminar (4 cr)
• ENG EK 100 Freshman Advising Seminar
• ENG EK 127 or ENG EK 128 Engineering Computation (4 cr)

Second Semester (16 credits)

• CAS CH 102 General Chemistry (4 cr)
• CAS MA 124 Calculus II (4 cr)
• CAS PY 211 Physics I (4 cr)
• ENG EK 131 Introduction to Engineering (2 cr)
• ENG EK 131/132 Introduction to Engineering (2 cr)
• Linear Algebra elective (ENG EK 102 or CAS MA 142) (2 cr)

Sophomore

First Semester (18 credits)

• CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus (4 cr)
• CAS PY 212 Physics II (4 cr)
• ENG BE 200 Introduction to Probability (2 cr)
• ENG EK 301 Engineering Mechanics I (4 cr)
• CAS WR 150 Writing and Research Seminar (4 cr)

Second Semester (18 credits)

• ENG EK 210 Introduction to Engineering Design (2 cr)
• ENG BE 209 Cellular and Molecular Biology (4 cr)
• CAS MA 226 Differential Equations (4 cr)
• ENG EK 307 Electric Circuits (4 cr)
• Social science/humanities requirement (4 cr)

Junior

First Semester (18 credits)

• CAS BI 315 Systems Physiology (4 cr)
• ENG BE 401 Signals and Systems in Biomedical Engineering (4 cr)
• ENG BE 491 Biomedical Measurements I (2 cr)
• ENG EK 424 Thermodynamic and Statistical Mechanics (or EC 410) (4 cr)
• Humanities requirement (4 cr)

Second Semester (18 credits)

• ENG BE 402 Control Systems in Biomedical Engineering (4 cr)
• ENG BE 492 Biomedical Measurements II (2 cr)
• Fields elective (either BE 419, BE 420, BE 435, or BE 436) (4 cr)
• Biomedical elective (4 cr)
• Social science/humanities requirement (4 cr)

Senior

First Semester (16 credits)

• ENG BE 465 Senior Project (2 cr)
• ENG BE 467 Senior Project (2 cr)
• Engineering elective (4 cr)
• Professional elective (4 cr)
• Social science/humanities requirement (4 cr)

Second Semester (16 credits)

• ENG BE 466 Senior Project (4 cr)
• Biomedical elective (4 cr)
• Biomedical elective (4 cr)
• Professional elective (4 cr)

Requirements

• You are eligible to apply for admission to Boston University as an international undergraduate student if you’ve completed the equivalent of a United States secondary school education (approximately 12 years of formal education starting at age six) or are a GED recipient or completed a secondary school equivalency exam. You must have either an appropriate diploma or leaving certificates.
• Secondary School Records
• Final Year Grades
• Internet-based TOEFL exam (iBT):Students who are most competitive for admission will have a composite score of at least 90-100 and minimum scores of 20 in each section. 
• In lieu of the TOEFL exam, you may submit the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A score of 7 or higher will also satisfy BU’s English Language proficiency requirement for all programs.
• The completed Confidential Statement for Financing Studies & Sponsorship Support form
• Passport Photocopy

Scholarships

• Global Education
• Trustee Scholarship
• Presidential Scholarship
• Need-Based Financial Aid Policy for International Students