2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Core Requirements | ||
| BMES 2014 | Biomedical Engineering Professional Practice | 1 |
| BMES 2074 | Computational Methods in Biomedical Engineering | 2 |
| BMES 2104 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BMES 3024 | BME Cell Engineering Laboratory and Design | 2 |
| BMES 3034 | Bioinstrumentation Laboratory and Design for Living Systems | 2 |
| BMES 3184 | Problem Solving in BME | 3 |
| BMES 4015 | BME Senior Design and Project | 3 |
| BMES 4064 | Introduction to Medical Physiology | 3 |
| BMES 4134 | Global, Societal, and Ethical Considerations in Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| ECE 3054 | Electrical Theory | 3 |
| ESM 2104 | Statics | 3 |
| ESM 2204 | Mechanics of Deformable Bodies | 3 |
| ESM 2304 | Dynamics | 3 |
| ESM 3234 | Fluid Mechanics I-Control Volume Analysis | 3 |
| MATH 2114 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 2204 | Introduction to Multivariable Calculus | 3 |
| MSE 2034 | Elements of Materials Engineering | 3 |
| STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| or STAT 4604 | Statistical Methods for Engineers | |
| Subtotal | 52 | |
| Additional Course Requirements | ||
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGE 3900 Bridge Experience 1 | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 4 | |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select seven Technical Electives | 21 | |
| Subtotal | 21 | |
| Pathways to General Education | ||
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | ||
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| BMES 4016 | BME Senior Design and Project (1A) | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | ||
| Select six hours in Pathway 2 | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | ||
| Select six hours in Pathway 3 | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | ||
| PHYS 2305 | Foundations of Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 2306 | Foundations of Physics | 4 |
| Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking | ||
| MATH 1225 | Calculus of a Single Variable (5F ; C-) | 4 |
| MATH 1226 | Calculus of a Single Variable (5F) | 4 |
| MATH 2214 | Introduction to Differential Equations (5A) | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | ||
| Select one Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| ENGE 1215 & ENGE 1216 | Foundations of Engineering and Foundations of Engineering (6D) | 4 |
| or ENGE 1414 | Foundations of Engineering Practice | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | ||
| Pathways 7 should be double counted with either Pathways 2, 3, or 6a to avoid taking any additional credit hours. 2 | 3 | |
| Subtotal | 47 | |
| Total Credits | 124 | |
Career Bridge Experiences help prepare students for post-graduation life and develop a professional identity. Internships, Co-ops, and Undergraduate Research are examples of possible Career Bridge Experiences. Students must participate in a Career Bridge Experience to complete the BSBME degree. Because some of these experiences are not credit bearing, the ENGE 3900 course is used to track and assess student participation in Career Bridge and to record fulfillment of this degree requirement on the transcript. Students should enroll in ENGE 3900 during the semester (or one of the semesters) that they undertake the Career Bridge Experience. Enrollment in ENGE 3900 requires approval of a Career Bridge Plan. Further information about acceptable Career Bridge Experiences and the process for submitting a Career Bridge Plan are explained in BMES 2014.
A total of 6 hours of Pathways 2 and 6 hours of Pathways 3 courses must be completed. Only selected courses can simultaneously satisfy both Pathways 2/3 & 7 requirements. Use extra care when selecting this course.
The BME degree requires 21 credits of approved technical electives, of which a minimum of 12 credits must be taken from List A. Please see the below lists for technical elective choices. A 3/4000-level course in another discipline that has significant technical content relevant to the science or application of biomedical engineering can be used as a technical elective only with prior approval.
Note: Below listed technical elective courses have pre- and/or co-requisites, be sure to consult the University Catalog or check with your advisor.
(minimum of 12 credits from this list)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMES 3004 | Helmet Design: Biomechanics to Health & Social Disparities in Sports | 3 |
| BMES 3114 | Needs Identification in Healthcare | 3 |
| BMES 3124 | Introduction to Biomechanics | 3 |
| BMES 3134 | Introduction to Biomedical Imaging | 3 |
| BMES 3144 | Biomedical Devices | 3 |
| BMES 3154 | Biosignal Processing and Classification | 3 |
| BMES 3164 | Fundamentals of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering | 3 |
| BMES 3224 | Automobile Safety | 3 |
| BMES 3844 | Computational Neuroscience and Neural Engineering | 3 |
| BMES 4034 | Wearable Bioinstrumentation | 3 |
| BMES 4234 | Mechanics of Biological Systems | 3 |
| BMES/MSE 4574 | Biomaterials | 3 |
| BMES 4614 | Probability-Based Modeling, Analysis, and Assessment | 3 |
| BMES 5024 | Biomedical Engineering and Human Disease 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5044 | Engineering Mathematics 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5054 | Quantitative Cell Physiology 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5064 | Quantitative Organ Systems Physiology 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5074 | Biomedical Research Design 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5124 | Advanced Musculoskeletal Biomechanics 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5164 | Advanced Impact Biomechanics 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5174 | Biomechanics of Crash Injury Prevention 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5184 | Injury Physiology 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5204 | Laboratory Techniques in Injury Prevention 3 | 4 |
| BMES 5214 | Human Physical Capabilities 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5234 | Advanced Vehicle Safety Systems 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5304G | Advanced Biological Transport Phenomena 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5304 | Biological Transport Phenomena 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5305 | Biomechanics of the Cardiovascular System 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5306 | 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5314 | Introduction to Regenerative Medicine 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5434 | Polymeric Biomaterials 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5514 | Digital Signal Processing for Mechanical Measurements 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5525 | Stochastic Signals and Systems 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5534 | Advanced Computational Methods and Modeling for Biomedical Applications 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5554 | Imaging and Computing in Medicine 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5574 | Advanced Biomaterials 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5604 | Cancer Detection and Therapeutics 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5614 | Multiscale Cancer Engineering 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5714 | Biomedical Microdevices 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5724 | Biomedical Nanoengineering 3 | 3 |
| BMES 5764 | Modeling MEMS and NEMS 3 | 3 |
| ESM 4105 | Engineering Analysis of Physiologic Systems | 3 |
| ESM 4106 | Engineering Analysis of Physiologic Systems | 3 |
| ESM 4204 | Musculoskeletal Biomechanics | 3 |
| ESM 4224 | Biodynamics and Control | 3 |
| ESM 4234 | Mechanics of Biological Systems | 3 |
| ESM 4245 | Mechanics of Animal Locomotion | 3 |
| ESM 4246 | Mechanics of Animal Locomotion | 3 |
| ESM 4304 | Hemodynamics | 3 |
| ESM 5224 | Advanced Musculoskeletal Biomechanics 3 | 3 |
| ESM 5245G | Mechanics Animal Locomotion 3 | 3 |
| ESM 5246G | Mechanics Animal Locomotion 3 | 3 |
| ESM 5305 | Biomechanics of the Cardiovascular System 3 | 3 |
5000-level courses are typically restricted based on amount of total credit hours completed, GPA, and available seats after graduate student registration. Please contact the BME academic advisor regarding registering for 5000-level courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BCHM 3114 | Biochemistry for Biotechnology and the Life Sciences | 3 |
| BMES 4154 | Commercialization of BME Res | 3 |
| BMES 5154G | Advanced Commercialization of Biomedical Engineering Research 3 | 3 |
| BMVS 4054 | Laboratory Animal Management | 3 |
| BMVS 4074 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| CHEM 4554 | Drug Chemistry | 3 |
| ESM 3054 | Mechanical Behavior of Materials | 3 |
| ESM 3334 | Fluid Mechanics II-Differential Analysis | 3 |
| ESM 4024 | Advanced Mechanical Behavior of Materials | 3 |
| ESM 4044 | Mechanics of Composite Materials | 3 |
| HNFE 3634 | Epidemiologic Concepts of Health and Disease | 3 |
| HNFE 3824 | Kinesiology | 3 |
| MATH 3214 | Calculus of Several Variables | 3 |
| MATH 4234 | Elementary Complex Analysis | 3 |
| MATH 4445 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| MATH 4446 | Introduction to Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| MSE 4164 | Principles of Materials Corrosion | 3 |
| MSE 4304 | Metals and Alloys | 3 |
| MSE 4584 | Biomimetic Materials | 3 |
| MSE 4614 | Nanomaterials | 3 |
| NEUR 3044 | Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience | 3 |
| PHYS 3324 | Modern Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 3405 | Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 3406 | Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 4455 | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 4456 | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 4504 | Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 4574 | Nanotechnology | 3 |
| PHYS 4614 | Optics | 3 |
| PHYS 4714 | Introduction to Biophysics | 3 |
University Policy 91 outlines university-wide minimum criteria to determine if students are making satisfactory progress towards the completion of their degrees. The BEAM Department fully supports this policy. Specific expectations for satisfactory progress for Biomedical Engineering majors are as follows:
Each student must complete at least 124 semester credit hours with a minimum overall GPA of 2.00 and a minimum in-major GPA of 2.00. All BMES prefix courses count towards the in-major GPA.
Students must have had 2 years of a foreign language in high school or one year at the college level (6 credit hours) of the same language. College-level credits used to meet this requirement do not count towards the degree.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| MATH 1225 | Calculus of a Single Variable (C-) | 4 |
| ENGE 1215 | Foundations of Engineering | 2 |
| Pathways 2 or 3 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| MATH 1226 | Calculus of a Single Variable | 4 |
| MATH 2114 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| PHYS 2305 | Foundations of Physics | 4 |
| ENGE 1216 | Foundations of Engineering | 2 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| BMES 2014 | Biomedical Engineering Professional Practice | 1 |
| ESM 2104 | Statics | 3 |
| MATH 2204 | Introduction to Multivariable Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 2214 | Introduction to Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 2306 | Foundations of Physics | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BMES 2104 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| ECE 3054 | Electrical Theory | 3 |
| ESM 2304 | Dynamics | 3 |
| BMES 2074 | Computational Methods in Biomedical Engineering | 2 |
| MSE 2034 | Elements of Materials Engineering | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BMES 3024 | BME Cell Engineering Laboratory and Design | 2 |
| ESM 3234 | Fluid Mechanics I-Control Volume Analysis | 3 |
| ESM 2204 | Mechanics of Deformable Bodies | 3 |
| STAT 3615 or STAT 4604 | Biological Statistics or Statistical Methods for Engineers | 3 |
| BMES 4064 | Introduction to Medical Physiology | 3 |
| ENGE 3900 Bridge Experience 1 | 0 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BMES 3034 | Bioinstrumentation Laboratory and Design for Living Systems | 2 |
| BMES 3184 | Problem Solving in BME | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Pathways 2 or 3 | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BMES 4015 | BME Senior Design and Project | 3 |
| BMES 4134 | Global, Societal, and Ethical Considerations in Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Pathways 2 or 3 | 3 | |
| Pathways 6a | 3 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BMES 4016 | BME Senior Design and Project | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Pathways 2/7 or 3/7 | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 124 | |
Career Bridge Experiences help prepare students for post-graduation life and develop a professional identity. Internships, Co-ops, and Undergraduate Research are examples of possible Career Bridge Experiences. Students must participate in a Career Bridge Experience to complete the BSBME degree. Because some of these experiences are not credit bearing, the ENGE 3900 course is used to track and assess student participation in Career Bridge and to record fulfillment of this degree requirement on the transcript. Students should enroll in ENGE 3900 during the semester (or one of the semesters) that they undertake the Career Bridge Experience. Enrollment in ENGE 3900 requires approval of a Career Bridge Plan. Further information about acceptable Career Bridge Experiences and the process for submitting a Career Bridge Plan are explained in BMES 2014.
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