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Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
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2021-2022

Biomedical Engineering

College of Engineering

 
Program description

Biomedical engineering applies engineering expertise to analyze and solve problems in biology and medicine in order to enhance health care. Students involved in biomedical engineering learn to work with living systems and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. Biomedical engineers work with other health care professionals including physicians, nurses, therapists and technicians toward improvements in diagnostic, therapeutic and health delivery systems. Biomedical engineers may be involved with designing medical instruments and devices, developing medical software, tissue and cellular engineering, developing new procedures or conducting state-of-the-art research needed to solve clinical problems.


Students take hands-on REAL laboratories in each year of the curriculum. These required labs include EGRB 104, EGRB 209, and EGRB 310. All students complete a year-long capstone with REAL experience in EGRB 401 and EGRB 402.  All of these experiences prepare biomedical engineering students to become integrators of physiology, life science, and engineering to become innovative contributors to medical research and industry.

Career opportunities

Biomedical engineers develop devices and procedures that solve medical and health-related problems by combining their knowledge of biology and medicine with engineering principles and practices. Many do research, along with medical scientists, to develop and evaluate systems and products such as artificial organs, prostheses (artificial devices that replace missing body parts), instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems. Biomedical engineers also may design devices used in various medical procedures, imaging systems such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and devices for automating insulin injections or controlling body functions.


Most engineers in this specialty need a sound background in another engineering specialty, such as mechanical or electronics engineering, in addition to specialized biomedical training. Some specialties within biomedical engineering are biomaterials, biomechanics, medical imaging, rehabilitation engineering, and orthopedic engineering.  

Change of major requirements

VCU GPA of 3.0 or greater, with a minimum of 12 VCU credit hours earned. Completion of MATH 200, MATH 201, BIOL 151, and BIOZ 151, all with grades of "B" or higher. If attempted, CHEM 101, CHEZ 101, MATH 301, MATH 310, and PHYS 207 all must be completed with a grade of "B" or higher. All requirements must be completed in fewer than 56 VCU credit hours.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Business consultant
  • Clinical engineer
  • Human factors engineer
  • Manufacturing engineer
  • Patent examiner
  • Policy analyst
  • Product development engineer
  • Quality engineer
  • Regulatory affairs specialist
  • Research and development engineer
  • Sales engineer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • College Professor
  • Device Engineer
  • Director of Clinical Research
  • Medical Equipment Design & Development Engineer
  • Project Leader
  • Research & Development Engineer
  • Research Scientist
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 310
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • Students with a cumulative institutional GPA of 3.0+ and with grades of B or better in math and science courses are good candidates for this major. All interested students are encouraged to apply and will be evaluated for acceptance.

Contact information

Department name:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Building/room location:
Institute for Engineering and Medicine, 601 West Main Street
Phone:
(804) 828-7958
Email:
biomedicalengr@vcu.edu
https://egr.vcu.edu/departments/biomedical/
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map compass icon
Major map

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Complete your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
  • Set up a profile in the Student Opportunity Center to explore REAL opportunities.
  • Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
  • Seek research opportunities by applying for research funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
  • Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
  • Attend alumni and industry presentations that describe BME careers and fields.
  • Take ENGR 395 and gain key skills for finding internships, co-ops, or research opportunities.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Continue progression in engineering and mathematics coursework.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
  • Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Join a cultural or identity-related organization.
  • Identify ways in which you are culturally uninformed and begin to learn the historical and current events that have shaped cultures to which you have been underexposed.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Attend Alumni and Industry presentations that describe BME careers and fields.
  • Apply for internships, co-ops, and VIP Teams.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Consider attending a regional or national career fair like BEYA, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, or oSTEM to gain exposure to more employers.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Attend or present a poster at a scientific meeting or conference.
  • Begin consideration of your technical elective and preferred program “track.”
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
  • Practice communication and interpersonal skills that embrace cultural differences, particularly in professional settings.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Work on developing your professional online presence in LinkedIn and Github.
  • Attend the Senior Capstone Expo in April.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Research graduate programs to determine competitive applicant profiles, including GPA, prerequisite coursework, and entrance exam scores.

Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Choose courses emphasizing content and skills relevant to your preferred post-graduation opportunities.
  • Declare any outstanding minors for which you may already have credit like math, chemistry, or physics.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, Richmond Teacher Residency, or AmeriCorps.
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Participate in civic organizations related to your interests like tutoring and engineering outreach with local schools.
  • Volunteer at an organization devoted to the arts, environment, education, or policy.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • Visit the Museum District’s many offerings such as the VMFA and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
  • Present your research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) or another discipline-specific conference.
  • Reflect on your experiential learning thus far with current or potential mentors like peers, faculty, advisors, alumni, or industry professionals.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Research prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months prior to graduation.
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Biomedical Engineering

College of Engineering

Concentration(s):
No concentration
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Complete your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
  • Set up a profile in the Student Opportunity Center to explore REAL opportunities.
  • Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
  • Seek research opportunities by applying for research funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
  • Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
  • Attend alumni and industry presentations that describe BME careers and fields.
  • Take ENGR 395 and gain key skills for finding internships, co-ops, or research opportunities.
Experience Year 2
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Continue progression in engineering and mathematics coursework.
  • Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
  • Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
  • Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
  • Join a cultural or identity-related organization.
  • Identify ways in which you are culturally uninformed and begin to learn the historical and current events that have shaped cultures to which you have been underexposed.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Attend Alumni and Industry presentations that describe BME careers and fields.
  • Apply for internships, co-ops, and VIP Teams.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Consider attending a regional or national career fair like BEYA, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, or oSTEM to gain exposure to more employers.
Year 3
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Attend or present a poster at a scientific meeting or conference.
  • Begin consideration of your technical elective and preferred program “track.”
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
  • Practice communication and interpersonal skills that embrace cultural differences, particularly in professional settings.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Work on developing your professional online presence in LinkedIn and Github.
  • Attend the Senior Capstone Expo in April.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Research graduate programs to determine competitive applicant profiles, including GPA, prerequisite coursework, and entrance exam scores.
Excel Year 4
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Choose courses emphasizing content and skills relevant to your preferred post-graduation opportunities.
  • Declare any outstanding minors for which you may already have credit like math, chemistry, or physics.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, Richmond Teacher Residency, or AmeriCorps.
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Participate in civic organizations related to your interests like tutoring and engineering outreach with local schools.
  • Volunteer at an organization devoted to the arts, environment, education, or policy.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • Visit the Museum District’s many offerings such as the VMFA and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
  • Present your research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) or another discipline-specific conference.
  • Reflect on your experiential learning thus far with current or potential mentors like peers, faculty, advisors, alumni, or industry professionals.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Attend the College of Engineering’s internship and career fair.
  • Research prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months prior to graduation.