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Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department

Biomedical Engineering

A faculty member and student viewing the micro-CT imaging system

The Biomedical Engineering (BME) degree is an interdisciplinary major that blends engineering with the life sciences. Students learn biomechanics, biomaterials, structural properties and dynamics of cells and tissues, biological systems, biomedical instrumentation, electronics, sensors, and signal processing. The BME degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org/

BME Requirements

Broad description of BME curriculum

  • Core Courses: A sequence of required courses in math, science, and engineering with weekly hands-on laboratories.
  • Technical Electives: Upper-level courses in specialized topics such as polymeric biomaterials, orthopedic biomechanics, mechanobiology, biometrics, medical imaging, and neural networks.
  • Capstone Design Project: During their senior year, students work on projects in small teams with a faculty adviser.
  • Liberal Arts: A set of courses in literature, writing, arts and humanities, languages and cultures, and social sciences.

Summary of BME Major Requirements

  • Class of 2023 and beyond

    A total of 40 courses including the following:

    • Math and Science:
      1. Calculus through MTH-115
      2. PHY-120 and 121 (NOTE: IMP-120+121 is equivalent to MTH-115+117 and PHY-120+121)
      3. MTH-130 or 234
      4. CHM-101 (or higher)
    • General Engineering: ESC-100, CSC-10x
    • Biology: BIO-104, 205, 206, 3xx
    • Biomechanics & Biomaterials: BME-101, 201, 202, 210, 311, 331
    • Bioinstrumentation: BME-225, 240, 241, 386
    • BME Electives: Four courses from BME, ECE, or other engineering (subject to approval) (at least three must be > 300-level)
    • Capstone Design: BME-495, 496
    • GenEd: (HUL, HUM, LCC, SOCS, WAC, … )
    • Free Electives: (Up to 4 courses from any department)
  • Class of 2020 - 2022

    A total of 40 courses including the following:

    • Math and Science:
      1. Calculus through MTH-117
      2. PHY-120 and 121 (NOTE: IMP-120+121 is equivalent to MTH-115+117 and PHY-120+121)
      3. MTH-130 or 234
      4. CHM-101 (or higher)
    • General Engineering: ESC-100, CSC-10x
    • Biology: BIO-104, 205, 206, 3xx
    • Biomechanics & Biomaterials: BME-101, 201, 202, 311, 331
    • Bioinstrumentation: BME-225, 240, 241, 386
    • BME Electives: Four courses from BME, ECE, or other engineering (subject to approval) (at least three must be > 300-level)
    • Capstone Design: BME-495, 496
    • GenEd: (HUL, HUM, LCC, SOCS, WAC, … )
    • Free Electives: (Up to 4 courses from any department)

Full Description of BME Requirements (Academic Catalog)

BME Advising

Students work closely with their faculty adviser to formulate and implement a successful plan of study.

Teaching Excellence

  • Our focus solely on undergraduate education, small classes, and close faculty-student interaction are all hallmarks of the BME curriculum at Union.
  • All courses and laboratories are taught by Union College faculty members, and many classes have fewer than 20 students.

Successful Careers

The rigor and depth of a BME education combined with a broad study of the liberal arts provide an excellent background for careers in engineering as well as professions such as medicine, law, and business administration. Through our study abroad programs, undergraduate research opportunities, and personal attention given to each student, we educate well-rounded members of society who are prepared to excel in an increasingly multicultural and technological world.

Examples of some recent BME alumni:

  • Caroline Werner '23: Johnson & Johnson (Boston, MA)
  • Sarah Wright '23: Merck (West Point, PA)
  • Sarah Bresett '22: Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA)
  • William Duprey '22: Regeneron (Rensselaer, NY)
  • Audrey Goon '22: Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Lexington, MA)
  • Matthew Kreines '22: Medpace (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Saniyah Dar '21: Integra Life Sciences (Boston, MA)
  • Matthew Georgiades '21: Repligen (Marlborough, MA)
  • Katherine Gregory '20: Transonic Systems Inc. (Ithaca, NY)
  • Jack Beaty '19: Rethinc (New York, NY)
  • Brendan Laing '19: Albany Medical Center (Albany, NY)
  • Connor Mulvey '19: Repligen Corporation (Marlborough, MA)

A more detailed list of what recent BME majors have done after graduating from Union can be found here!