The Biomedical Engineering program is interdisciplinary, interconnected, collaborative and entirely customizable to your interests. It encompasses four broad BME themes: Cellular Bioengineering, Biomechanics & Biomaterials, Biomedical Systems & Signals, and Biomedical Informatics. As you move through your degree and learn more about each theme, you can begin choose courses that tailor your learning to your core interests, and truly make your degree your own. Any specialization you choose to pursue as an SBME Undergrad will give you the opportunity to work across any and all of these four themes.
At the end of your degree, whichever direction you choose to go, you’re a Biomedical Engineer. These specializations don’t show up on your degree, but they will help guide you as you move forward into your career.
Make your degree your own; we’re excited to see what you do with it.
The undergraduate program is fully accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
This curriculum list is unofficial. The official curriculum for a cohort (a group of students starting the same program in the same year) is determined by taking the appropriate UBC Calendar curriculum listing for four sequential years. Current students with questions about their curriculum should consult an advisor.
Not all courses will be available each year.

CORE COURSES
The below tables detail courses that all Biomedical Engineering Students take during their degree.
YEAR 2
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BMEG 201 | Technical Communication for Biomedical Engineers | 3 |
BMEG 210 | Thermodynamics in Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
BMEG 220 | Circuits and Electromagnetics with Application to Biomedical Engineering | 4 |
BMEG 230 | Biomechanics I | 4 |
BMEG 245 | The Fundamental Units of Life: From Cells To Systems | 4 |
BMEG 250 | Cellular Physiology and Biophysics | 4 |
BMEG 257 | Biomedical Engineering Design I | 4 |
CPEN 221 OR CPEN 223 1 | Principles of Software Construction OR Software Design for Engineers | 4 |
MATH 253 | Multivariable Calculus | 3 |
MATH 256 | Differential equations | 3 |
MATH 2642 | Vector Calculus for Electrical Engineering | 1 |
Total | 37 |
1 CPEN 221 is recommended for those interested in Bioinformatics and/or Biomedical Systems & Signals
2 Delivered with BMEG 220
YEAR 3
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIOC 202 | Introductory Medical Biochemistry | 3 |
BMEG 310 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | 4 |
BMEG 321 | Biomedical Instrumentation | 3 |
BMEG 350 | Human Structure/Function from Cells to Systems | 4 |
BMEG 357 | Biomedical Engineering Design II | 3 |
BMEG 371 | Transport Phenomena within Cells and Tissues | 3 |
CHEM 233 | Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences | 3 |
CHEM 235 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
STAT 251 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
Technical Electives | 6 |
|
Complementary Studies Electives | 3 |
|
Total | 36 |
YEAR 4

TECHNICAL ELECTIVES
This is where you get to make your degree your own!
Note the requirements here before viewing the course lists here:
15 Credits chosen from the RESTRICTED COURSE LIST
6 Credits chosen from either the RESTRICTED OR FREE COURSE LISTS
Maximum of two 200 level courses
Minimum of four 400 level courses
VIEW RESTRICTED COURSE LIST
CODE | COURSE NAME |
CREDITS |
New Venture Design |
6 | |
Bioengineering Feedback Systems and Control |
3 | |
Biomechanics II |
3 | |
Biomedical Materials and Drug Delivery |
3 | |
Microfluids |
3 | |
Cellular Bioengineering Lab |
3 | |
Linear Optical Systems |
3 | |
Modern Biomedical Optical Imaging |
3 | |
Clinical Informatics |
3 | |
Genome Informatics |
3 | |
Bioionics and Robotics |
3 | |
Medical Imaging |
3 | |
Cellular Responses to Forces and Biomaterials |
3 | |
Stem Cells and Regnerative Medicine |
3 | |
Introduction to Academic Research |
3 | |
Bioprocess Engineering I |
3 | |
Bioprocess Engineering II |
3 | |
Digital Systems and Microcomputers |
3 | |
Software Engineering |
4 | |
Software Project Management |
4 | |
Human Computer Interfaces in Engineering Design |
4 | |
introduction to relational databases |
3 | |
Intermediate Algorithm Design and Analysis |
3 | |
Introduction to Artificial intelligence |
3 | |
Applied Machine Learning |
3 | |
Machine Learning and Data Mining |
3 | |
Introduction to Human Computer Interaction Methods |
3 | |
Computer Vision |
3 | |
Stochastic Signals and Systems |
4 | |
Computer Communications |
4 | |
Digital Systems and Image Processing |
3 | |
Biosignals and Systems |
3 | |
Introduction to Robotics |
3 | |
Sensors and Actuators in Microsystems |
3 | |
Micro/Nanofabrication and Instrumentation Laboratory |
3 | |
Nanotechnology and Nature |
| |
Microsystems Design |
3 | |
Biological Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems |
3 | |
Solid Mechanics |
3 | |
Fluid Dynamics |
3 | |
Engineering Dynamics |
3 | |
Biofluids |
3 | |
Fundamentals of Injury Biomechanics |
3 | |
Finite Element Analysis |
3 | |
Mechanical Vibrations |
4 | |
Industrial Robotics |
3 | |
Dynamic Systems Models |
3 | |
Biomaterials |
3 |
VIEW FREE COURSE LIST
CODE | COURSE NAME | CREDITS |
Engineering Materials |
3 | |
Engineering Materials Laboratory |
1 | |
CHBE 251 | Transport Phenomena I | 3 |
Models of Computation |
4 | |
Basic Algorithms and Data Structures |
4 | |
Numerical Computation for Algebraic Problems |
3 | |
Numerical Approximation and Discretization |
3 | |
Algorithms in Bioinformatics |
3 | |
Signals and Systems |
4 | |
Introduction to Mechanics of Materials |
3 |