Undergrads.Prospective Students

Prospective undergraduate students in biomedical engineering

Biomedical engineering is a discipline that applies the principles in engineering sciences to advance knowledge and solve problems in biology and medicine. It is at the interface between traditional engineering and medicine. As a result, biomedical engineering education requires integration of life sciences and traditional engineering curricula.

Biomedical engineering is a rapidly evolving field over the past few decades. Currently, its areas of research and education include:

• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Biomechanics of Tissues, Cells, and Molecules
• Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
• Tissue Engineering and Artificial Organs
• Electrophysiology
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Neural Engineering
• Orthopedic Engineering
• Respiratory Systems Engineering
• Drug and Gene Delivery
• Biomedical Instrumentation and Devices
• Biomedical Imaging
• Biophotonics
• Genomic Technology

Some well-known accomplishments in biomedical engineering are cardiac pacemaker, computerized imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, artificial heart, biomechanical theories in orthopedics and sports medicine, and quantitative analyses of electrical phenomena in the brain, heart, and muscle. These accomplishments have significantly impacted diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases. Meanwhile, achievements in many new areas of biomedical engineering, such as tissue engineering, neural engineering, and drug and gene delivery, are providing enabling technologies for improving health care in the world.

The undergraduate major in biomedical engineering at Duke University was accredited in September 1972 by the Engineering Council for Profession Development (now the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology). It is one of the first accredited and the largest programs in biomedical engineering. It has been consistently ranked as one of the best biomedical engineering programs in the nation. The program has an excellent multidisciplinary environment, consisting of top life sciences departments in the nation, a world-renowned medical school, and a group of exceptionally capable engineering faculty.

The curricula in this program consist of interdisciplinary courses and many research opportunities for undergraduate students. Students can receive up to three academic credits for the participation in research sponsored by the biomedical engineering faculty. Examples of the areas of research include biomechanics, cardiac electrophysiology, neuroengineering, drug and gene delivery, medical imaging, tissue engineering, biosensors, biophotonics, genomic technology, and biomaterials. Through the research activities and course studies, students will be able to

• apply knowledge in sciences and engineering to solve problems at the interface between engineering and medicine,
• acquire, analyze, and interpret data from living systems,
• design and evaluate components, systems or processes in characterization of biomedical phenomena,
• address ethical, professional, and societal problems associated with interactions between biological and non-biological systems,
• engage in advanced study and life-long learning and be aware of current issues in biomedical engineering,
• work in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively.

The complete BME curriculum is described in the Undergraduate Program Handbook.

All engineering students at Duke University are required to declare a major in the sophomore year. The freshmen, who indicate an academic interest in BME on the ACES website for the first semester registration, will be assigned to faculty advisors in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the sophomore year. Biomedical engineering students who prefer to concentrate on specific areas can also choose to have a dual-major in biomedical engineering and either electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other disciplines in the Trinity College.

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.