Undergraduate Program
Duke's Biomedical Engineering Department creates an interdisciplinary research and education environment that trains students to have an impact in industry and medicine. Our goal is to prepare graduates to be leaders in integrating engineering and biology for detecting and treating human disease. A unique aspect of our program is how we engage undergraduates in intensive research.
As a student, we will prepare you for professional employment in areas such as medical device industry, engineering consulting, biomechanics, and biotechnology; graduate work in biomedical engineering, or entrance into medical school. Our program is designed to be flexible to match your interests. Students with special interests can choose a dual major option or take an elective course sequence that provides specific knowledge in biomedical imaging and instrumentation, biomechanics, electrobiology, or biomolecular and tissue engineering.
Our students pursue many diverse careers. After graduation, about one-third of our students enter graduate schools in various engineering or basic science disciplines and one-third are accepted by medical or dental schools. (The rate of acceptance is significantly higher than the national average of all different undergraduate programs.) The rest go to law schools, business schools, industries, or consulting firms.
Accreditation
The Duke undergraduate major in biomedical engineering was the first accredited department (September 1972) by the Engineering Council for Profession Development (now the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410) 347-7700) and is consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the nation.
Program Outcomes
We expect that graduates of the BME program at Duke University will have the following capabilities upon completion of their degree:
- Apply mathematics, science, engineering and modern engineering tools to identify and solve problems at the interface between engineering and biology.
- Design experiments and acquire, analyze, and interpret data from living systems using modern engineering tools.
- Work in multidisciplinary teams to design within realistic constraints and evaluate components, systems or processes in the characterization of biomedical phenomena.
- Have the broad education necessary to address ethical, professional, and societal problems associated with the interactions between biological and non-biological systems.
- A recognition of the need to engage in advanced study, life-long learning, and be aware of current issues in biomedical engineering.
- Communicate effectively.