Undergraduate Majors and Minors

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biomedical Engineering

The bachelor of science degree program in biomedical engineering offers four specialized degree options. Each option provides a tailored academic plan, allowing students to focus on key areas, including biochemical engineering, biomaterials, medical imaging and devices, and biomechanics.

Biochemical Option

• Possible Career Directions: Pharmaceutics, manufacturing, vaccine development, medicine, quality control
• Courses: Organic Chemistry; Bio-transport Phenomena; Bio-Fluid Mechanics; Reaction Kinetics of Biological Systems
• Academic Plans:
  • View the Biochemical Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State Before Summer 2018
  • View the Biochemical Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State After Summer 2018

Biomaterials Option

• Possible Career Directions: Medical device design, development, manufacturing, quality control
• Courses: Organic Chemistry; Intro to Material Sciences; Biomedical Materials; Biomedical Polymeres
• Academic Plans
  • View the Biomaterials Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State Before Summer 2018
  • View the Biomaterials Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State After Summer 2018

Medical Imaging and Devices Option

• Possible Career Directions: Medical device design, development, manufacturing, quality control
• Courses: Circuits and Devices; Electrical Circuit Design or Engineering; Electromagnetics or Digital Signal Processing; Medical Imaging
• Academic Plans
  • View the Medical Imaging and Devices Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State Before Summer 2018
  • View the Medical Imaging and Devices Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State After Summer 2018

Biomechanics Option

• Possible Career Directions: Design, develop, and test medical devices (e.g., prosthetic limbs, surgical tools, cardiovascular implants)
• Courses: Dynamics; Mechanical Response to Engineering Materials; Bio-fluid Mechanics
• Academic Plan:
  • View the Biomechanics Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State Before Summer 2018
  • View the Biomechanics Option Academic Plan for Students Entering Penn State After Summer 2018

Minor in Biomedical Engineering

Overview

The Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering offers an undergraduate minor in biomedical engineering. The minor is open to students in any undergraduate program, but it is particularly suitable for engineering students seeking careers in health-related professions.

The biomedical engineering minor allows students to develop interests in medical engineering applications while pursuing an undergraduate degree in another engineering major, physics, or other applied science.

View the biomedical engineering minor information in the Penn State Bulletin »

Admission Requirements

All students who wish to apply to the biomedical engineering minor should be in their fifth semester at Penn State, admitted to a major, and have completed the required courses:

• PHYS 211 GN(4)
• PHYS 212 GN(4)
• MATH 250 or MATH 251

To apply for biomedical engineering minor, please follow these steps:

1. Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements.
2. You can apply for the minor by adding it in LionPATH. You should do this as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.
3. You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.

Minor Requirements

Students must complete 18-20 credits with a grade of C or better to successfully complete the minor. Nine credit hours must be completed in biomedical engineering coursework.

Choose 3-4 credits of physiology:

• BIOL 141
• BIOL 240W
• BIOL 472

Choose 3-4 credits of molecular/cell biology:

• BIOL 230W
• BMB 251
• BME 201

Choose 9-12 credits of supporting courses:

• Any BME 400-level or BIOE 500-level course

Choose 0-3 credits of electives:

• MATSE 403
• BME 443
• MATSE 404
• BME 444
• I E 327
• B E 308
• B E 468
• CH E 340
• CH E 438
• NUC E 420
• E E 455
• CMPEN 455
• E E 453
• PHYS 472
• M E 491 (offered at Behrend campus only)
• Other courses will be considered upon request

Questions and requests specific to the BME minor should be emailed to bmeminor@engr.psu.edu.

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Commonwealth Campus Information

Students enrolled at Penn State commonwealth campuses may generally satisfy the course requirements for biomedical engineering for the first three semesters. Students should enroll in E MCH 211 and E MCH 213 to substitute for the E MCH 210 requirement.

Provided progress has been made toward the biomedical engineering requirements, students should request a transfer to University Park beginning with the spring semester of their second year. This is required so that they can enroll in BME 201, which is only offered at University Park, and CMPSC 200, which is not offered at all other campus locations.