Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering combines biology and engineering, applying engineering principles and materials to medicine and healthcare. It spans a wide variety of disciplines – you could be working with artificial organs, surgical robots, advanced prosthetics or the development of new drugs.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
The course is four years in during (which includes a compulsory placement in year 3). The course is only offered as a full-time option.
Attendance
Classes are normally scheduled from Monday – Friday (contact the course director for further details). There are no timetabled activities on Wednesday afternoons.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
120 UCAS Tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher Level) to include English at H6 and Mathematics at H5 if studied at Higher Level or English at O4 and Mathematics at O3 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Course Specific Subject Requirements
Higher Level subjects must include at minimum Grade H6 two from Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics/Chemistry, Technology, Computing, Biology, Engineering or Design & Communication Graphics.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
• Almac Pharmaceuticals
• Heartsine Technologies
• Medtronic
• Randox
• Boston Scientific
• Cirdan
• Stryker
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
• BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER
• Biomedical R & D Engineer
• Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Project Engineer
• Quality Compliance Officer
• R&D Engineer
Career options
Biomedical engineers can take up employment in a range of different areas due to its interdisciplinary nature. Potential employers include:
1. The medical device and pharmaceutical industry (e.g. Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Stryker, Abbott, Heartsine, Intelesens, Randox, Almac, Norbrook, Trucorp, Siemens, Philips)
2. Hospital trusts (e.g. Northern Ireland, Ireland, UK and Australia)
3. Government and regulatory agencies (UK), and
4. Universities (e.g. Ulster University, QUB, KCL, Imperial College, Leeds, Southampton, TCD, UCD).
The biomedical engineer can play a vital role in any one of these sectors, working as research and development engineer in the medical device industry producing the next generation of heart valves, defibrillators, ECG systems, stents or hip replacements, right through to the specialist working in the hospital to operate and maintain sophisticated equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.
The biomedical engineering degree course at Ulster University provides graduates with a wide range of technical, professional and ethical competencies that will enable them to gain employment in this continually developing sector. Our graduates have built careers in the medical device industry and research laboratories and hospitals all over the world.
A significant number of students have also gone on to complete further studies (MSc/PhD) in the field of biomedical engineering and related subject areas at institutions all over the UK and Ireland.
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Combining engineering with medical sciences to design and create equipment, devices, computer systems and software.
Summary
Biomedical Engineering combines biology and engineering, applying engineering principles and materials to medicine and healthcare. It spans a wide variety of disciplines – you could be working with artificial organs, surgical robots, advanced prosthetics or the development of new drugs.
Biomedical Engineers (sometimes referred to as Bioengineers) are responsible for driving major innovations and advances in medicine they design and develop all of the equipment used by doctors and biomedical scientists.
The demand for Biomedical Engineers is increasing as machinery and technology become ever more essential to developments in medicine and healthcare. The combination of engineering principles with biological knowledge to address medical needs has contributed to the development of many revolutionary and life-saving concepts.
Biomedical Engineering is constantly evolving and expanding into new areas such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, a core research theme within the School of Engineering at Ulster University.
About
There is an increasing demand for more advanced and effective medical devices and therapies due to an ageing population and our increasingly demanding lifestyles. In order to meet these challenges the need for professional biomedical engineers with the right skills and competencies has never been greater.
The biomedical engineering course aims to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the core technical, professional and ethical principles that underpin this area. It is a challenging course, multidisciplinary in nature and equips graduates with the skills needed for a career in this ever-expanding sector. Likewise, it provides a solid platform to undertake further MSc or PhD study programs in this area.
As well as providing the student with all necessary competencies to gain successful employment (or further study opportunities) after graduating, the staff delivering the course put a lot of emphasis on looking after the students when they are at University. This includes both good academic support and pastoral care which is equally important to ensure each student reaches their full potential.
This course is currently in the process of renewing its Professional Body Accreditation. It is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers
Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
Engineering Mathematics
Analogue and Digital Electronics 1
Design and CAE 1
The Global Engineer
Year 2
Regulatory Affairs and Ethics
Mechanical Systems Analysis for Biomedical Engineers
Advanced Biomedical Engineering Topics
Embedded Systems and Microcontrollers
Engineering Programming
Design and CAE 2
Year 3
Industrial Placement - Optional
International Academic Studies - Optional
Study USA - Optional
Year 4
Design of Advanced Medical Sensors
Functional Biomaterials
Signal Processing and Data Analysis
Research Methods and Management
BEng Final Year Project
Nanotechnology - Optional
Object Oriented Programming - Optional
Environmental Engineering - Optional
Advanced CAE - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
Professional recognition
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
Work placement / study abroad
The BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering degree programme is a four year course - three years at University and one year on a compulsory industrial placement.
Students fulfilling the requirements of the course will be awarded an Honours degree with an accompanying award of a Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) for successful completion of a university approved placement in a clinical, industrial or academic establishment.
The placement year in year 3 of the course provides students with a valuable insight into the working environment and gives them a unique edge when they go to seek full-time employment after they graduate. Indeed, many placement providers end up offering employment to those students who completed a successful placement with them after they graduate.
Ulster University,
2-24 York Street,
Belfast
BT15 1AP
T: 02870 123 456