Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) offers an ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering, five-year combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science degree programs, and a minor in biomedical engineering.
In addition to our undergraduate program information, this page also contains helpful information on the biomedical engineering field. We encourage you to continue reading further down this page to learn more about the biomedical engineering field.
Bachelor of Science Degree Program
- Prospective and first-year students: The GW Bulletin carries the definitive curriculum requirements for your degree program. Please visit the Bulletin to find the program requirements for your degree program. A PDF of your curriculum is also available.
- All other current students: Please visit the curriculum sheets page on this site to find the program requirements for your degree program. Each student must follow the curriculum in place during his or her year of entry.
Combined Five-year Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs: All Students
Learn more about the our combined five-year bachelor of science/master of science degree programs and their requirements:
- Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering
- Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering/Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Undergraduate Minor
The department offers a minor in biomedical engineering. Please visit the GW Bulletin to see the requirements necessary to fulfill the minor.
Understanding Biomedical Engineering
What is biomedical engineering?
Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering practices to human health issues. Biomedical engineering technologies improve the lives of people every minute of every day. Examples of the technologies that biomedical engineers have developed and improved to diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases are:
- Improved imaging methodologies for cancer detection
- Novel methods to analyze medical images and present additional information to physicians
- New technologies to understand electrical conduction abnormalities in the heart to better respond to heart attacks and arrhythmias
- New technologies to provide selective delivery of drugs, such as chemotherapy agents, to areas of interest in the body without damaging healthy tissues
Biomedical Engineering at GW
GW’s Department of Biomedical Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). GW’s biomedical engineering (BME) program takes advantage of the unique combination of resources and opportunities that the engineering school can provide BME students through its connection with GW’s medical school and hospital, as well as the biotech industries and world-class laboratories in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. BME students can focus their studies, depending on their interests and career goals, by selecting appropriate technical electives. Potential focus areas include: bioinformatics, telemedicine, instrumentation, pre-medicine, biomechanics, imaging, and other areas as directed by the student’s academic advisor.
Students benefit from a program designed to go beyond the traditional engineering curriculum, including a BME seminar, a capstone design sequence, and assistance for securing summer internships at world-class research laboratories in the Washington, D.C. area.
Career Paths
The biomedical engineering degree prepares students to enter a variety of fields after graduation. Students may work in industry developing, building, and testing new medical instrumentation, or they may choose to work in private research laboratories. They may also elect to work in government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or others. Finally, students may wish to complete professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law or business) or they may undertake advanced study in biomedical engineering for a career as a university professor.
