Biomedical Engineering

major

The Biomedical Engineering (BME) field has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. This growth was fueled by breakthroughs in molecular biology and many engineering technologies, symbolized by the Human Genome Project, arguably the greatest biomedical engineering accomplishment ever, and realized with creation of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. BME now is clearly recognized as an integral part of the nation's and the world's efforts to deliver more effective and efficient medical care.

About this Program

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Department Information

The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) is part of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and is a prime resource for biomedical engineering education, training, research, and technology development. BME is an ever-evolving field that uses and applies engineering principles to the study of biology and medicine in order to improve health care.
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CONTACT

Email | 352.273.9222 (tel) | 352.273.9221 (fax)

P.O. BOX 116131
1275 Center Drive
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES BUILDING JG56
GAINESVILLE FL 32611-6131
Map

Curriculum

A biomedical engineer uses traditional engineering expertise to analyze and solve problems in biology and medicine, providing an overall enhancement of health care. Students choose biomedical engineering to serve people, to work with living systems and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. The biomedical engineer is called upon to design instruments, devices and software, to bring together knowledge from many technical sources to develop new procedures and to conduct the research needed to solve clinical problems.

Bioengineering integrates sciences and engineering for the study of biology, medicine, behavior or health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge for the molecular to the organ systems levels, and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants and devices. Biomedical engineers create informatics approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat disease, applying systematic, quantitative and integrative thinking and solutions to problems important to biology, medical research and population studies.

BME typically is among the three most popular engineering majors and very often is the largest. The job market in biomedical engineering is the fastest growing of all engineering disciplines. It has become clear that the nation needs a variety of engineers with knowledge of biomedicine, including a cadre of exceptional people whose education thoroughly immerses them in engineering and biomedicine. The intellectual foundation of this limited-access undergraduate program is captured in this vision: Biomedicine comprises the science core while engineering provides the framework for inquiry. The curriculum incorporates exceptional rigor in both.

Educational Objectives

The program educational objectives of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida:

Graduates will:

  1. Have successful careers in a multi-disciplinary, global industry and/or be excelling in top graduate programs or medical schools.
  2. Become active leaders in their profession, creating ethical and socially beneficial solutions to human health problems.

Department Vision Statement

The faculty, students, and alumni of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering will lead in the discovery and development of innovative biomedical solutions to improve healthcare in the State of Florida and worldwide. To achieve this vision, the department will leverage the unique co-localization of talent and resources in engineering, biology, medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, and technology commercialization at the University of Florida, thereby maximizing opportunities for interdisciplinary student education and clinical translation of technologies to improve human health.

Department Mission

The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida is dedicated to developing innovative and clinically translatable biomedical technologies,  educating future generations of biomedical engineers, and cultivating leaders, by nurturing the integration of engineering, science, and healthcare in a collaborative and dynamic educational and research environment.

Admission Requirements

The biomedical engineering undergraduate major is a limited enrollment program. Students who enter the University of Florida as freshmen identify pre-BME as their major of choice and begin enrolling in the required critical tracking courses to prepare for upper division.

During the fall semester of sophomore year (Semester 3), pre-BME majors apply for admission to the upper division major, which begins in the Spring semester of sophomore year (Semester 4).

Current UF students must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the upper division program.

  • Minimum 3.0 grade point average in critical tracking courses (best attempt)*
  • No more than two attempts allowed for each critical tracking course (withdrawals included)
  • Minimum grade of C in each critical tracking course
  • Completion of the first three semesters of the Model Plan of Study by Fall semester of application
  • BME Departmental online application

*Only the best attempt in each critical tracking course is considered for admission to the upper division program.

All application requirements and details are available on the department website.  
More Info

Department Requirements

Minimum grades of C are required for BME 3508, BME 3053C, CHM 3217, COP 2271, COP 2271L, EEL 3003, and ENC 3246. The minimum C grade is part of the prerequisite requirement for several 3000/4000-level BME courses. The prerequisite course and subsequent course cannot be taken in the same term, even if the prerequisite is being repeated.

All BME Electives must be selected from an approved list. Students may petition to take courses not included in the approved list toward this requirement. The BME Electives allow students to explore topic areas within their interests and are designed to build upon biomedical engineering foundation courses and laboratories.

A biomedical engineering student whose cumulative, upper-division or department grade point average falls below a 2.0 or whose critical tracking grades do not meet department requirements will be placed on academic probation and be required to complete a probation contract with a BME academic advisor. Students normally are allowed a maximum of two terms (consecutive or non-consecutive) on academic probation. Students who do not satisfy the conditions of the first term of probation may be dismissed from the department.

All graduating seniors must complete an exit interview with their advisor before graduating.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

Semester 2

  • Complete 3 additional critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
  • 2.8 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses (lower division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
  • 2.8 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses (lower division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

  • Complete all critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
  • 2.8 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses (lower division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

  • Complete 4 of the remaining critical-tracking courses (lower division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

  • Complete 3 of the remaining critical-tracking courses (upper division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

  • Complete 3 of the remaining critical-tracking courses (upper division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

  • Complete all remaining Biomedical Engineering critical-tracking courses (upper division)
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

This program is limited access and competitive. Students cannot register for courses in semesters 5-8 before they have been admitted to the biomedical engineering major.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
BME 1008 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering 1
BSC 2010 Integrated Principles of Biology 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences) 3
BSC 2010L Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1 (Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences) 1
Select one: 3
General Chemistry 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Physical Sciences)
Chemistry for Engineers 1 (Critical Tracking)
CHM 2045L General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 1
MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
 Credits16
Semester Two
Select one: 3
General Chemistry 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Physical Sciences)
Chemistry for Engineers 2 (Critical Tracking)
CHM 2046L General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 1
ENC 1101 Expository and Argumentative Writing (State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement: 6,000 words) 3
MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
PHY 2048 Physics with Calculus 1 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 3
PHY 2048L Laboratory for Physics with Calculus 1 (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 1
 Credits15
Semester Three
Quest 2 3
CHM 3217 Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry 1 1 4
COP 2271 Computer Programming for Engineers 4 2
COP 2271L Computer Programming for Engineers Laboratory 4 1
MAC 2313 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
PHY 2049 Physics with Calculus 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 3
PHY 2049L Laboratory for Physics with Calculus 2 (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 1
 Credits18
Semester Four
BME 3053C Computer Applications for BME 2
BME 3060 Biomedical Fundamentals (Critical Tracking) 3
EEL 3003 Elements of Electrical Engineering 3
ENC 3246 Professional Communication for Engineers (Gen Ed Composition; writing requirement) 3
MAP 2302 Elementary Differential Equations (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
PCB 3713C Cellular and Systems Physiology (Critical Tracking) 4
 Credits18
Semester Five
BME 3101 Biomedical Materials 3
BME 3508 Biosignals and Systems (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4311
Molecular Biomedical Engineering (Critical Tracking)
or Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
3-4
BME 4503 Biomedical Instrumentation (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4503L Biomedical Instrumentation Laboratory (Critical Tracking) 1
EGM 2511 Engineering Mechanics: Statics 3
 Credits16-17
Semester Six
BME 3012 Clinically-Inspired Engineering Design (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 3323L Cellular Engineering Laboratory (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4632 Biomedical Transport Phenomena (Critical Tracking) 3
STA 3032 Engineering Statistics 3
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences with International; Writing Requirement: 6,000 words 3 3
BME elective 2 3
 Credits18
Semester Seven
BME 4409 Quantitative Physiology (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4621 Biomolecular Thermodynamics and Kinetics (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4882 Senior Design, Professionalism and Ethics 1 (Critical Tracking) 3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences; Writing Requirement, 6,000 words 3 3
BME electives 2 3
 Credits15
Semester Eight
BME 4531 Medical Imaging (Critical Tracking) 3
BME 4883 Senior Design, Professionalism and Ethics 2 (Critical Tracking) 3
State Core Gen Ed Humanities with Diversity 3 3
BME electives 2 6
 Credits15
 Total Credits131
1

Can substitute CHM 2210 and CHM 2211.

2

BME Electives: A total of 12 credits of 3000/4000-level courses (9 credits of BME electives selected from the departmentally approved list and 3 credits are free credits (any courses at the 2000-level or above), both of which must be selected from an approved list).

3

Courses should cover 24,000 words.

4

Course and corresponding laboratory to be completed in same language (Matlab or C++).

Students are also expected to complete the General Education International (GE-N) and Diversity (GE-D) requirements. This is often done concurrently with another General Education requirement (typically, GE-C, H or S).


Biomedical Engineering blends traditional engineering techniques with biological sciences and medicine to improve the quality of human health and life. The discipline focuses on understanding complex living systems via experimental and analytical techniques and on development of devices, methods and algorithms that advance medical and biological knowledge while improving the effectiveness and delivery of clinical medicine.

The Biomedical Engineering BS Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Before Graduating Students Must

  • Pass assessment by two or more faculty and/or industry practitioners of student performance on a major design experience.
  • Pass assessment in two courses of individual assignments targeted to each learning outcome. Assessment will be provided by the instructor of the course according to department standards.
  • Complete an exit interview in the final semester.
  • Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

  1. Solve biomedical engineering problems by applying knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering principles.
  2. Design and conduct biomedical engineering experiments and analyzing and interpreting the data.

Critical Thinking

  1. Design a biomedical device, component, technology, or process to meet identified clinical needs within realistic economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and regulatory constraints.

Communication

  1. Communicate technical data and design information effectively in speech and in writing to other biomedical engineers.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Courses SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3 SLO 4
BME 3060 A I I I
BME 4409 A I I R
BME 4503 R I R
BME 4503L A R R
BME 4882 A A
BME 4883 A A

Assessment Types

  • Assignments
  • Exams
  • Projects
  • Reports
  • Presentations