Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles and methods to define and solve problems in medicine and biology. Students choose the biomedical engineering field to be of service to people, for the challenge of working with living systems and to apply advanced technology to health-care delivery.

Careers in Biomedical Engineering

Satisfying biomedical engineering careers can be found in industrial, health care, academic and government settings. The typical biomedical engineer will work in a team environment that may include engineers, clinicians and specialists in both the physical sciences and the life sciences.

High School Preparation

Engineering education requires strong high school preparation. Students interested in a biomedical engineering path should have at least one semester of trigonometry and at least one year each of elementary algebra, intermediate and advanced algebra, plane geometry, biology, chemistry and physics, thus developing their competencies to the highest possible levels and prepared to move into demanding college courses in calculus, calculus-based physics and chemistry for science majors.

It's also essential that students have the competence to read and comprehend rapidly, and to write clearly and correctly.

Biomedical Engineering at UT Dallas

The undergraduate program in biomedical engineering provides a foundation in mathematics, chemistry and biology before students advance to courses in physiology, biomechanics, electronics and instrumentation.

Many students see biomedical engineering as both a fascinating area in which to specialize and a way to contribute to people's overall quality of life. The steady need for biomedical engineers in Texas in particular is directly related to the fact that Texas is home to leading facilities for both clinical care and medical research.

"Among all engineering disciplines, the need for bioengineers is expected to grow the fastest," said Dr. Mathukumalli Vidyasagar, head of the Bioengineering Department and holder of the Cecil and Ida Green Chair of Systems Biological Sciences. "We believe our graduates will play a major role in applying engineering technology to improve disease diagnostics and treatment, and to enhance health care and people's overall well-being."

Internships and Fast-Track

The Erik Jonsson School operates one of the largest internship and cooperative education programs of its kind, averaging more than 500 student placements a year at Dallas-area high-tech companies, including Texas Instruments, Research In Motion, Raytheon, Alcatel-Lucent and Tektronix.

The Fast-Track Program enables exceptionally gifted undergraduate students to include master's level courses in their undergraduate degree plans. When Fast-Track students graduate with a bachelor's degree, they are automatically admitted to graduate school at UT Dallas. The hours required to complete the master's degree is reduced by the number of Fast-Track graduate hours completed. So a Fast-Track undergraduate who passed 12 hours of graduate coursework would have only 21 hours of graduate coursework left in order to complete a master's degree.

The University of Texas at Dallas www.utdallas.edu/enroll

Erik Jonsson School Of Engineering and Computer Science

Strategically located in the Telecom Corridor, home of the second-largest high-tech economy in the U.S., the Jonsson School recently completed a major public-private initiative that greatly expanded its capabilities and included construction of a new state-of-the-art 192,000-square-foot interdisciplinary research building.

With nearly 3,000 students, more than 100 faculty members and more than $35 million in research funding, the Jonsson School has five academic departments:

  • Bioengineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Materials Science & Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

In addition, the school recently added a minor in nanoscience and technology.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science: Biomedical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, telecommunications engineering

Master of Science: Biomedical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering and management, telecommunications engineering

Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, geospatial information sciences, materials science and engineering, software engineering, telecommunications engineering

Research

Research efforts under way at the school involve such cutting-edge technology as:

  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Micro-electromechanical systems
  • Semiconductor design and manufacturing
  • Wireless networking
  • Cochlear implant technology
  • Medical imaging
  • Speech recognition
  • Cybersecurity
  • Organic electronics
  • Materials characterization
  • Physical, chemical and biosensors

Additional Facts

  • The Jonsson School’s recent growth surge has helped propel its undergraduate programs into U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s top schools of engineering.
  • The school’s graduate program has continued its rise through the U.S. News rankings, now placing among the top 50 public university graduate programs in engineering.
  • The Jonsson School has significantly increased the size of its faculty in recent years, hiring top recent graduates of Stanford University, Cornell University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech and UCLA as well as seasoned professionals from Rutgers University, USC, UC Davis, and from companies such as Freescale Semiconductor and Texas Instruments.
  • The Jonsson School features a variety of student organizations that are actively involved in both academic and social activities. Completely student-run, these include the Association for Computing Machinery, the Game Development Group, the National Society of Black Engineers, a chapter of the scientific research society Sigma Xi, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.
  • Jonsson School students took first place in their division of the 2010 BattleBots National Championship, and they won second place in the 2008 International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition.

Read what recent Jonsson School graduates think about their education and how it prepared them to be successful in their subsequent careers:

ecs.utdallas.edu/students/profiles/studentprofiles5-10.html

Contact Information

Department of Bioengineering
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, EC-39
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021

Bioengineering Undergraduate Program
Laranda Eakin
Phone: 972-883-4657
Email: laranda@utdallas.edu
Website: be.utdallas.edu

Office of Admission and Enrollment Services
800 West Campbell Road ROC 11
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: 972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443
Email: interest@utdallas.edu
Website: utdallas.edu/enroll