Why study with us?

Our interdisciplinary approach

Unlike many traditional engineering courses, you won't just learn about one subject area taught out of one department.

You will study concepts from across the scientific, mathematical and engineering spheres and be taught by academic experts from across the University. 

Through a comprehensive and detailed programme of study, you'll learn to draw connections between the varying subject areas to become a well-rounded, highly knowledgeable engineer.

What is the difference between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary?

Multidisciplinary education is when several branches of learning, concepts or areas of expertise run alongside each other. An interdisciplinary approach is when connections are made between them.

So on a multidisciplinary course, you would study several disciplines. Interdisciplinary courses such as ours cross traditional subject boundaries. You'll be encouraged to apply the knowledge you gain in one discipline to the other disciplines which make up the course, deepening your understanding of the breadth of Biomedical Engineering and resulting in a more meaningful learning experience.

Guided by industry

Our degrees are very much focused on preparing you for life after graduation. In industry, engineers work in multi-skilled teams to solve complex problems. By adopting this interdisciplinary approach too, we equip you with the knowledge and skills employers demand and which you'll need to excel in the workplace. 

You'll gain the transferable skills of communication, presenting, team work and project management that are so valued by today's employers. You'll have a breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding which is relevant across a range of sectors and you'll be able to think critically and provide innovative solutions to problems.

Whatever you go on to do after graduation - be it further study, a career in industry or a role in a different field, these skills will help you succeed. You'll leave the course as a highly employable graduate.

Learn from experts

You'll be taught by experts from nine outstanding departments who are specialists in:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Control Systems
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Management
• Materials Science
• Maths
• Mechanical Engineering

Interdisciplinary projects

You'll get to participate in two unique projects during years one and two. In interdisciplinary teams with students from other courses in the Faculty of Engineering, you'll work together to solve real-life engineering problems.

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Four unique streams

Our courses offer unparalleled levels of choice and flexibility. Alongside a comprehensive programme of core study, you'll get to choose the direction your studies will take.

No matter which course you choose, in the first year you'll study a broad-based introduction to Biomedical Engineering. You’ll learn about biology, physiology and anatomy. You’ll study the fundamentals of traditional engineering across a range of disciplines, from electronics to tissue engineering. Mathematics plays a big part too.

As well as giving you a strong grounding in basic engineering principles, this gives you the time to work out which topics you enjoy allowing you to start to specialising in your second year before further refining your choice to decide your chosen stream from your third year onwards.

There are four streams to choose from:

Biomedical engineering

Biomedical Engineering is all about using engineering principles to develop innovative solutions to safeguard and enhance human health. You’ll learn about designing advanced joint implants and prosthetic limbs, sensors to monitor and image the body and how to use sophisticated computer modelling to tailor treatments to the needs of individual patients.

Medical devices and systems

This stream focuses on the development of novel medical devices and the creation of new clinical engineering systems and tools to be used by medical practitioners, researchers and patients. These include new measurement and communication systems, intelligent medical sensors, diagnostic systems, health monitoring and control devices, imaging systems as well as advanced computational tools for the analysis of complex data and processes.

Biomanufacturing

The biomanufacturing stream will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges faced by the biopharmaceutical industry: Regenerative medicine, synthetic blood, antibody drug conjugates and new technologies to maintain quality of life in an ageing population. You’ll learn about the next generation of therapies emerging from stem cell research and how these are being translated from the lab into production and how to convert manufacturing away from petrochemical starting materials towards sustainable eco-friendly processes.

Subjects include:

• Biopharmaceutical engineering
• Computational biology
• Food and beverages
• Industrial biotechnology
• Pharmaceutical engineering
• Project management
• Protein engineering

Biomaterials science and tissue engineering

You’ll learn about biomaterials, human physiology, cell biology, materials processing and properties with a view to medical application on this stream. You’ll progress to taking a more applied approach, learning how one medical devices and biological constructs can be ‘engineered’ for addressing tissue and organ repair, and more broadly, many future healthcare problems.

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Course learning and assessment

Our teaching is innovative and challenging. You'll be taught by academic staff who are at the forefront of developments in tissue and bone engineering, 3D printing, biophotonics and more. In a rapidly evolving field, you'll learn about the very latest techniques and technology. Throughout, our assessment and feedback will help you develop and progress.

Teaching methods

• Lectures - Delivered by academic staff, lectures are usually made up of large groups of students and are designed to introduce you to a subject and provide guidance on further reading.
• Module tutorials - Support sessions to help academic learning of lecture material.
• Flipped learning - On some modules, the homework and lecture elements are reversed, meaning you'll engage with the tuition online ahead of class. This new, innovative approach restructures teaching to make the most of your contact time, giving you the opportunity to discuss your new knowledge in more depth.
• Labs and practicals - Most of the practical learning takes place in lab sessions where you'll get to apply the theory you've been taught in lectures and tutorials.
• Personal tutorials - You'll gain both academic and pastoral support from your personal tutor.
• Independent study - Alongside your formal learning, you'll also carry out independent study, such as research and further reading.
• Group work - A key skill for your future career, part of your learning will take place in teams.
• Innovative project work - In your first and second years, you'll take part in the Global Engineering Challenge and Engineering You're Hired! project weeks.

How you'll be assessed

You'll be assessed in a variety of ways throughout your course. Some assessments are intended to help you understand how you are doing and identify any areas for improvement. Some will also help you prepare for the assessments that count towards your overall marks.

You will be assessed by:

• Formal exams
• Online tests
• Coursework
• Oral and poster presentations
• Individual and group project work
• Peer assessment
• Laboratory skills

Enabling improvement

Feedback is an essential component of our courses and enables both us and you to improve.

Our feedback to you

Feedback takes many forms and will vary depending on the type of assessment you've undertaken. For example, an essay will include formal, written feedback from your tutor, whereas an online test will provide you with immediate feedback about your knowledge and understanding of a subject.

Your feedback to us

We're always looking for ways to improve and and we welcome feedback at any time. You'll be able to provide feedback in a number of ways, such as, participating in our regular staff-student committee meetings, completing a module survey, visiting the Biomedical Engineering office, or by completing our online feedback form.

High-level, intensive courses

As one of the UK's leading Biomedical Engineering courses, we attract the best students and we expect a lot of you whilst you're here. You will receive approximately 24 hours of contact time each week which can include lectures, labs, seminars or tutorials with academic staff.

You will also be expected to undertake approximately 16 hours of independent learning each week in addition to your formal programme of study.

A modular degree

Our courses are modular, which means you'll take a set number of modules each year. Each module is worth a certain number of credits - usually 10 or 20. To progress through each year, you'll normally be expected to pass 120 credits.

In each year of the course, you'll study a pre-set range of core modules. These are designed to give you the best foundation in Biomedical Engineering principles. The first year of study is the same across all courses and is made up solely of core modules. In the final year, you can choose one 10 credit module from across the Faculty of Engineering, subject to conditions, such as timetabling.

Module credits are awarded if you pass the assessment requirements for the module. You have to complete a total of 120 credits in your first year in order to progress to year two. To be awarded your degree, you have to gain a total of 240 credits (BEng) or 360 credits (MEng) across years two, three and four. The marks you gain in these years will contribute to your final degree classification. Extra weight is given to the results in third and fourth year modules.

Alongside the module title, your timetable will include a module code which indicates the area of study.

• ACS - Automatic Control and Systems Engineering
• BIE - Biomedical Engineering
• COM - Computer Science
• CPE - Chemical and Biological Engineering
• EEE - Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• MAT - Materials Science and Engineering
• MAS - Maths
• MEC - Mechanical Engineering
• MGT - Management
• MPY - Medical Physics