2026-2027
Biomedical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science in Engineering (Reynolds Community College)
Associate degree
Associate of Science in Engineering (G3 program)
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
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.
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
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:
- Completion of associate degree (A.S. in Engineering)
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- Earn a minimum grade of "B" in all your math, science and engineering classes
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 301 and MATH 310 and STAT 441
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- Minimum overall and minimum in-major GPA: 2.0. All engineering, math, and physics courses must be completed with grades of “C” or better.
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2026-2027
Biomedical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Engineering)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Register for SDV 100 or SDV 101.
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor and review your Reynolds advising workbook.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the College of Engineering and Biomedical Engineering department websites.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Find out if you are eligible for the NEXT STEP VCU program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Familiarize yourself with Handshake and explore Career Pathways on the VCU Career Services’ Website.
- Browse careers and occupations related to biomedical engineering.
- Explore iGrad to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Take a career assessment to explore job options.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor.
- Meet with your NEXT STEP advisor or submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU College of Engineering, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Use Handshake to explore jobs and internships that match your interests and skills.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
2026-2027
Biomedical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Engineering)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||||
| SDV 101 (or SDV 100) | Orientation to STEM Disciplines | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 263 | Calculus I (consult with your Reynolds advisor about prerequisites for this class) | MATH 200 | 4 | Major |
| EGR 121 | Foundations of Engineering (both EGR 121 and EGR 122 must be completed to receive credit for VCU equivalents) | EGRB 102 + EGRB 104 | 2 | Major |
| CHM 111 | General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | Major |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 264 | Calculus II | MATH 201 | 4 | Major |
| EGR 122 | Engineering Design (both EGR 121 and EGR 122 must be completed to receive credit for VCU equivalents) | EGRB 102 + EGRB 104 | 3 | Major |
| PHI 220 | Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | General education |
| EGR 125 | Introduction to Computer Programming for Engineers | EGRE 245 | 4 | Major (Technical elective) |
| Year 2 | ||||
| PHY 241 | University Physics I | PHYS 207 | 4 | Major |
| EGR 240 | Solid Mechanics (Statics): both EGR 240 and EGR 246 must be completed to receive credit for VCU equivalents | EGMN 102 and EGRB 203 | 3 | Elective |
| UCGS Fine Arts or Literature Elective | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education | |
| MTH 265 | Calculus III | MATH 307 | 4 | Major |
| EGR 246 | Mechanics of Materials (both EGR 240 and EGR 246 must be completed to receive credit for VCU equivalents) | EGMN 102 and EGRB 203 | 3 | Major |
| CHM 112 | General Chemistry II | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Major |
| History | UCGS History elective | HIST | 3 | General education |
| PHY 242 | University Physics II | PHYS 208 | 4 | Major |
| UCGS Social/Behavioral Sciences Elective | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education | |
| MTH 266 | Linear Algebra | MATH 310 | 3 | Major |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I (substitutes for EGRB 111) | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major |
| Reynolds credits transferred to VCU | 69 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | |||
| EGRB 101 | Biomedical Engineering Practicum | 2 | Major |
| ENGR 395 | Professional Development(consider taking this class over the summer prior to your enrollment at VCU) | 1 | Major |
| EGRB 209 | Applied Physiology for Biomedical Engineers | 4 | Major |
| EGRE 206 | Electric Circuits | 4 | Major |
| MATH 301 | Differential Equations | 3 | Major |
| Select one: EGRB 215 Computational Methods in Biomedical Engineering OR BNFO 201 Computing Skills and Concepts for Bioinformatics OR CMSC 254 Introduction to Problem-solving | 3 to 4 | Major | |
| EGRB 307 | Biomedical Instrumentation | 4 | Major |
| EGRB 310 | Biomechanics | 4 | Major |
| EGRB 427 | Biomaterials | 3 | Major |
| Technical elective | 3 | Major | |
| Year 4 | |||
| EGRB 301 | Biomedical Engineering Design Practicum | 3 | Major |
| EGRB 303 or EGRB 308 | Biotransport Processes or Biomedical Signal Processing | 3 | Major |
| EGRB 315 | Device Design Methods | 3 | Major |
| STAT 441 | Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists | 3 | Major |
| Science or engineering elective | 3 to 4 | Major | |
| EGRB 401 | Biomedical Engineering Senior Design Studio | 3 | Major |
| Technical electives | 15 | Major | |
| EGRB 402 | Biomedical Engineering Senior Design Studio | 3 | Major |
| Credits completed at VCU | 67 to 69 | ||
| Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 128 | ||
| VCU offers students four options for accelerated B.S. and M.S. programs: B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical engineering, B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science, B.S. and M.S. in Engineering, and B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. These accelerated programs allow academically talented students to earn both the B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and M.S. degree in a minimum of five and a half years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Please consult with a VCU advisor for information about minimum qualifications for entrance to the accelerated programs. | |||