Welcome to
Biomedical Engineering

The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) undergraduate curriculum prepares students to think like engineers through hands-on, practical learning experiences. These opportunities culminate with capstone (or senior) design—a year-long course where students engineer and design product prototypes based on actual biomedical engineering problems, working under the guidance of faculty and industry mentors.

Students create their capstone project as part of a team, granting real-world experience in collaboration, leveraging unique skills and dividing workloads to ensure successful project completion. It is a critical curriculum component for fourth-year students as they prepare to enter the workforce upon graduation. BME alumni often cite it as one of the key factors in preparing them for their future careers.

Capstone Project Sponsors

Project ideas come from physicians, industry leaders and researchers who have identified a technological gap that a new or improved device may address. Students and an engineering faculty member work with their project sponsor to specify the problem, identify and evaluate solutions, propose new or improved devices and prototype their best design.

At the end of the course, students will deliver a prototype and design report to their sponsor.

SUBMIT A PROJECT IDEA

Capstone Sponsor FAQs

Who owns Intellectual Property (IP)?

What kind of projects do you accept?

Do sponsors pay a fee to submit an idea?

Questions about the capstone project course or submissions? Contact the capstone design team at bme-senior-design@utexas.edu.

All undergraduate students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering are required to have a laptop. Some courses may require that you bring your laptop to every class or lab.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that his or her laptop meets the following requirements. Many options are available to meet these requirements, and we strongly recommend you read all information on this page to ensure your laptop is compliant. Download a printable PDF of the requirements.

Hardware Requirements

Operating System Requirements

Students are required to install specific software packages on their laptops for certain classes. Where possible, the university and BME try to provide students with the opportunity to obtain Mac OS/X versions of required software packages. However, some of the software packages used in our program are only available on the Microsoft Windows Platform. Due to this need, all students are required to have Windows.

Mac OS/X and Linux

Students with Mac OS/X and/or Linux operating systems will need to obtain and install an additional copy of Windows for their system. BME recommends that students use virtualization environments that permit both operating systems to run simultaneously.

Virtualization Tools

Virtualization software operates two distinct computer environments on the same laptop. The original Mac OS/X still continues to be the primary operating system, while Windows can be installed and run as a guest operating system inside a "virtual machine." Bear in mind that the "host" computer is now running two operating systems simultaneously, which will reduce the processing capability of botht he host and the guest OS.

Two recommended options for **non M1 Macs** are:

• Virtual Box product from Oracle Corporation
• Parallels (the current version supports M1 ARM processors for Mac)

Students must have a Windows license in order to run Windows in a virtualization environment. Installation ISO's and 64-bit Windows licenses are available through ENGR Direct for free.

Minimum Software Requirements

Software used in classes, such as LabVIEW and Multisim, is provided to engineering students at no cost by the Cockrell School of Engineering. 

Encryption

It is highly recommended that your laptop be encrypted using your operating system’s native encryption utility (e.g. BitLocker, FileVault 2, etc.) The encryption method chosen may depend on the hardware and operating system supported by the encryption utility. Laptops are highly vulnerable assets that contain a huge amount of personal information that is easily accessible by thieves unless encryption is enabled.

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to have their aid adjusted to include the cost of a laptop. 

Texas BME students are recruited and hired by top engineering companies from around the world. Our department sponsors an internship workshop each semester for students, and our online alumni network allows students to connect with Texas BME graduates for networking and career development opportunities.

The Biomedical Engineering department strongly encourages students to seek out internships at medical device or biotechnology companies in particular. For assistance in connecting with companies for internship opportunities, contact the Engineering Career Assistance Center (ECAC).

Engineering Career Assistance Center (ECAC)

In the Engineering Career Assistance Center (ECAC), students are guided through the recruitment process with career counseling and workshops to help develop resumes, interviewing and job-search skills. Throughout the year, ECAC hosts employers and recruiters for student interviews, career fairs and information sessions. During their academic careers at UT, students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through externships, co-ops and internship positions to help prepare them for full-time employment after graduation.

The Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering is an undergraduate degree that integrates engineering tools with life sciences. Graduates from this degree become engineers who have the foundational training to develop solutions to the complex problems at the interface of biology, medicine and engineering.

Interdisciplinary Training

Teams with diverse technical perspectives produce the best solutions to medical problems. Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field that combines aspects of chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering with human physiology to solve problems in health care.

We offer a foundational interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum covering engineering and science fundamentals, biomaterials, human physiology, instrumentation, biomechanics, engineering design/mechanics and more.

From years one to four, students take an engineering design lab to apply what they learn in classes in a hands-on environment. The BME building has three design labs just for BME students, and students also have access to the 25,000 square feet of facilities and lab space supporting tinkering and prototyping through Texas Inventionworks housed in the Engineering Education and Resource Center (EER).

Coursework

The program also provides students with the opportunity to take elective coursework in one of four academic tracks:

• Track 1: Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation
• Track 2: Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering
• Track 3: Computational Biomedical Engineering
• Track 4: Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics

The Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering requires 132 semester credit hours for completion. Many students can claim credit by exam for some degree requirements through college credit from eligible exam scores (AP, IB, etc.).

Required Semester Credit Hours

• UT Core Classes - 27 hours
• BME Core Classes - 51 hours
• Biology and Chemistry - 22 hours
• Calculus and Physics - 20 hours
• Technical Electives - 12 hours

For more information on degree requirements and coursework, visit the Cockrell School of Engineering degree catalogs and course descriptions.

Our mission is to provide comprehensive academic advising and effective student success programming to support a rewarding and successful college experience for all BME students. We do this through personalized academic advising, professional and personal development support, student success programming and career transition workshops.

SCHEDULE AN ADVISING APPOINTMENT

New Students

New incoming students are provided instructions for attending registration advising during new student orientation. Please register for UT Orientation after accepting your offer of admission.

All undergraduate students majoring in biomedical engineering are required to have a laptop. Ensure your laptop is compliant before starting classes. 

Current Students

All current BME students must receive academic advising every semester. During registration periods—typically in March and October—we communicate required advising procedures to students by email and on the BME Student Canvas site.

Current students can also find useful information via ENGR Direct (EID authentication required).

First-year Admissions

First-year applicants seeking admission to any department in the Cockrell School of Engineering must meet the calculus readiness requirement by the official admissions application deadline. Admission to all majors in the Cockrell School of Engineering is competitive, and automatic admission for eligible Texas applicants is restricted. Applicants can apply for engineering scholarships.

Questions about first-year admissions? Please contact the Office of Admissions. The Office of Admissions makes all undergraduate admissions decisions for the biomedical engineering program. 

Ready to Apply?

START YOUR APPLICATION

MORE APPLICATION INFO

Campus Visits

The BME Academic Advising Office participates in Undergraduate Info Sessions organized by the Office of Admissions. If you are interested in learning more about BME at UT Austin, we strongly suggest that you attend one of these in-person sessions.

If you are unable to attend a session, BME Peer Advisors in BME 3.308 are available to talk with prospective students and their families about what it is like to be a Texas BME student. Visitors can also pick up an information packet during normal business hours.

 External Transfer

Students currently enrolled at another college or university who want to apply for admission to the BME major at The University of Texas at Austin must apply for external transfer.

Questions about external transfers? Please contact the  Office of Admissions.

Internal Transfer

Students currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin in another major who wish to change their major to biomedical engineering should visit the Cockrell School of Engineering's Internal Transfer page for more information. 

Undergraduate Laptop Requirement

All undergraduate students majoring in biomedical engineering are required to have a laptop. Ensure your laptop is compliant before starting classes.