Biomedical Engineering
What can you do with a degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME)? BME is among the most versatile degrees you can earn to make a difference at the intersection of engineering and medicine. Biomedical engineers work in clinical research, in the medical device or pharmaceutical industries, for government agencies such as the FDA or US Patent and Trademark Office, and often pursue advanced degrees in BME, medicine, management, or law. Where will your degree take you? This rigorous program prepares you for a career in the medical industry and is an ideal stepping-stone to graduate, medical, or law school. Biomedical Engineering majors may pursue our Six-year Engineering/Law program to work as a patent attorney in the medical field, saving time and tuition.
Why Choose Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical engineers directly impact the health and well-being of people across the world. With knowledge of both engineering and biological principles, biomedical engineers are at the cutting edge of medical breakthroughs such as novel surgical technologies or individualized cancer treatments. By imagining and developing devices and procedures, biomedical engineers can change the face of medicine.
What Will You Study?
Our core curriculum spans the field of biomedical engineering with courses such as bioinstrumentation, engineering physiology, biomechanics, and biomaterials. To apply knowledge learned in the classroom, you will complete four laboratory courses where you’ll hone your experimental skills. In your junior and senior years, you will choose four “sequence electives” that will allow you to specialize in a particular field. Sequences offered include Bioinstrumentation, Biomaterials, Biomedical Micro and Nanodevices, Business, Cell and Tissue Engineering, Manufacturing, Premedical Science, and Prosthetics and Orthotics. The curriculum is capped off by your two-semester Senior Design Project. You will also have the opportunity to study Global Health and Technology in a unique study abroad summer seminar in Guatemala.
We also offer programs to accelerate your studies to achieve your personal goals. These programs include:
- Five-year Bachelor/Master of Science in Engineering Management
- Five-year Bachelor/MBA Program
- Six-year Engineering/Law Program
Each of these accelerated programs allows you to finish both your Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and one of the graduate programs a year earlier, saving you both time and money.
Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes
Educational Objectives
Graduates of the Western New England University Biomedical Engineering Program will, in their professional endeavors,
- function as productive team members and leaders in a variety of environments including industrial, hospital/clinical, governmental, or academic; solving engineering problems, including those at the interface of medicine and engineering while continuing to uphold safety, sustainability and ethical concerns.
- be actively engaged in life-long learning such as participating or leading relevant professional societies, continuing their education, or attending relevant workshops, meetings, or seminars.
Student Outcomes
The program has documented student outcomes that support the program educational objectives. Attainment of these outcomes prepares graduates to enter the professional practice of engineering. Student outcomes are listed below:
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Enrollment and Degree Statistics
Enrollment
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
|
| Full-time |
91
|
92
|
114
|
108
|
97
|
107
|
105
|
108
|
102
|
77
|
| Part-time |
1
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Bachelor's Degrees Awarded
| Academic Year |
2013-14
|
2014-15
|
2015-16
|
2016-17
|
2017-18
|
2018-19
|
2019-20
|
2020-21
|
2021-22
|
2022-23
|
| Degrees |
18
|
17
|
20
|
27
|
27
|
23
|
21
|
23
|
21
|
23
|
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Biomedical Engineering program find employment in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in hospitals, research organizations, and government agencies. Our alumni have worked at companies such as Medtronic/Covidien, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, AngioDynamics, BIND Therapeutics, and FloDesign Sonics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, biomedical engineering employment is predicted to grow 27% from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average occupation.
Alternatively, our graduates pursue advanced degrees in fields such as biomedical engineering, engineering management, medicine, dentistry, prosthetics and orthotics, and public health. Recent graduates have been accepted at prestigious institutions including Cornell University, Duke University, St. Louis University, University of Arizona, University of Limerick, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, Wake Forest University, West Virginia University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Internships and Study Abroad
Internships
Students are encouraged to take on internships to apply their classroom knowledge to the engineering industry. Recent internship sites include BIND Therapeutics, Boyd Technologies, CIRTEC Medical Systems, Coherent, Inc., FloDesign Sonics, Cardinal Health, Sanofi-Genzyme, AngioDynamics, Inanovate, Inc., Materion Corporation, Medtronic/Covidien, DEKA Research and Development Corp., and Stryker Orthobiologics.
Engineering Abroad
Biomedical Engineering students may participate in the University-wide Global Health & Technology course that includes a 10-day trip to Guatemala for healthcare assessments in both rural and urban settings.
Research Opportunities
Our students participate in research projects with faculty and collaborate on projects within their majors and beyond. They also have opportunities to travel regionally and nationally to present their design projects and research papers at professional conferences.
Recent examples of research include:- Working with Dr. Andrea Kwaczala on an assistive golf device for a stroke patient
- Working with the Center for Global Health Engineering to create sustainable healthcare solutions for developing countries
- Working with Dr. Devina Jaiswal on a tissue engineering device for tendon growth
- Working with Dr. Anthony English on the development of test platforms for cancer drug research, which could have a significant impact on cancer drug development
- Creating a breathalyzer device that accurately tests the blood sugar of people with diabetes with Dr. Michael Rust and Dr. Ronny Priefer
Student Competitions
There are several student competitions each year that allow you to present your hard work and go head-to-head with students from other schools. Entries include design projects, academic papers, and research conducted with faculty members. Students have recently won awards from the American Society for Engineering Education Northeast Conference and the Northeast Bioengineering Conference, presented research at the national Biomedical Engineering Society Conference, and participated in the Western Mass Innovation Jam.
Labs and Facilities
Sleith Hall, home to the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has recently completed a $12.8 million renovation and expansion. Constructed and renovated as part of the project, the Biomedical Engineering Labs include a Bioinstrumentation Lab, a Hospital Suite built to simulate a hospital room environment, and a Physiology Lab with capabilities to analyze mammalian cells and physiological systems. Our students use our laboratories for design projects, experiments, and study.
Clubs & Organizations
Biomedical Engineering students may have interests in: Biomedical Engineering Society, Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), FIRST® Robotics Club, Math Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Pre-Med Club, and Pre-Law Society. Many of our students also participate in varsity and intramural sports, special interest groups, and student government.
Faculty
Nationally recognized for their teaching, research, and professional service, the Biomedical Engineering faculty will serve as mentors and advisors as well as your professors. With expertise spanning the biomedical engineering field, they will educate you on the latest topics in the field from biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, cell and tissue engineering, biomechanics, and beyond. Our Biomedical Engineering faculty have extensive experience in industry as well as academic and government labs.
Accreditation
Program leading to BS in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org
Unique Learning Opportunities
-
First Year Program
"Design, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking from day one" is the cornerstone of engineering education at Western New England University. Our first-year engineering program teams students up to design, code, and prototype a robot to compete in the Bot Battle at the end of the first semester. In the second semester, data acquisition and processing, ethical standards, communication, and business skills are developed. Student teams design a product to improve lives through the application of smart technology. The prototypes are presented at the Emerging Engineers Expo at the end of the year.
-
Senior Design Projects
Working with our clinical or industrial partners, you will take what you've learned in the classroom and use it to solve a real problem. You'll apply FDA design controls to your design, mimicking the regulatory processes you will follow in the medical industry, preparing you to make immediate contributions upon graduation. Several projects have resulted in patents for their designs. Examples of recent projects include a tear duct drainage device and a Lab-on-a-Chip device to diagnose Tracomp Disease in developing countries.
-
HERE'S WHAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY
What does a Fulbright Scholar researching regenerative medicine in the Netherlands, the president of his own startup company begun from a campus entrepreneurship competition, and recent law graduates pursuing careers in patent law have in common? They all graduated from the BME program. Read why they think you should, too!
In their Own Words
