Streams Curriculum: For students who entered UBC in 2020W and Prior

The Biomedical Engineering program offers four streams for students to customize their degree to their interest area. Students take common core courses for their second year which prepare them for specialization in one of four streams of our undergraduate program. In third year, they focus their studies in one of the streams: Cellular Bioengineering, Biomechanics & Biomaterials, Biomedical Systems & Signals, or Biomedical Informatics.

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. 

CATEGORY 1Calendar page for Category 1
2020WEntered UBC1st year student
2021WEntered BMEG2nd year standing
2022WGoing into Streams3rd year standing
CATEGORY 2Calendar page for Category 2
2021WEntered UBC1st year student
2022WEntered BMEG2nd year standing
2023WGoing into Specializations3rd year standing

 

 

The 2022/2023 Academic Calendar contains a note that says “the intake of students into streams was discontinued after the 2021W Year 3 Cohort”. To clarify further, this change from Streams to Specializations applies to students who entered UBC in 2021W and achieve third year standing in 2023W.

 

Current students with questions about their curriculum should review the Course Planning and Registration Guide or 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

 

CodeTitleCredits
BMEG 201Technical Communication for Biomedical Engineers
3
BMEG 210Thermodynamics in Biomedical Engineering
3
BMEG 220Circuits and Electromagnetics with Application to Biomedical Engineering
4
BMEG 230Biomechanics I
4
BMEG 245The Fundamental Units of Life: From Cells To Systems
4
BMEG 250Cellular Physiology and Biophysics
4
BMEG 257Biomedical Engineering Design I
4
CHBE 251Transport Phenomena I
3
CPEN 221B OR CPEN 223 1Principles of Software Construction OR Software Design for Engineers
4
MATH 253Multivariable Calculus
3
MATH 256Differential equations
3
MATH 2642Vector Calculus for Electrical Engineering
1
Total
40

1 Students interested in pursing the Biomedical Informatics or Biomedical Systems and Signals streams should take CPEN 221
2 Delivered with BMEG 220


 

YEAR 3

 

CodeTitleCredits
BIOC 202Introductory Medical Biochemistry
3
BMEG 310Introduction to Bioinformatics
4
BMEG 321Biomedical Instrumentation
3
BMEG 350Human Structure/Function from Cells to Systems
4
BMEG 357Biomedical Engineering Design II
3
BMEG 371Transport Phenomena within Cells and Tissues
3
CHEM 233Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences
3
CHEM 235Organic Chemistry Laboratory
1
STAT 251Elementary Statistics
3
Technical Electives
9
Complementary Studies Electives
3
Total
39


 

YEAR 4

 

CodeTitleCredits
BMEG 401Economics of Heath Care Solutions
3
BMEG 455Professionalism and Ethics in Biomedical Engineering
3
BMEG 457Biomedical Engineering Design Project
6
STAT 300Intermediate Statistics for Applications
3
Technical Electives
18
Complementary Studies Electives
6
Total
39


 

Stream Courses

 

 

 

 

STREAM COURSES

By the end of their second year, students will be able to start focusing their learning in any of our four broad streams. This offers you the chance to make your undergraduate experience truly tailored to your interests.

 

 

BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS

The Bioinformatics stream explores the use of patient health care information to understand disease and pathophysiology, and to improve outcomes.

Core Stream Courses

 

CodeTitleCredits
BIOC 302*General Biochemistry*
3
CPSC 221Basic Algorithms and Data Structures
4
CPSC 340Machine Learning and Data Mining
3
CPSC 1211Models of Computation
4
OR
MATH 220Mathematical Proof
3
Total
13 or 14

* This course is not required if you entered this Stream in 2022W, but it is a valid technical elective. Students who are not required to take BIOC 302 need to take an additional 3 credits of technical elective from the list below to make up a total of 27 credits of all stream courses (core and electives).
1 CPSC will accept APSC 160 and CPEN 221 to exempt CPSC 110


 

Stream Electives

 

Choose 13 (if taking CPSC 121) or 14 credits (if taking MATH 220) from electives*

CodeTitleCredits
APSC 486New Venture Design
6
BMEG 400BLinear Systems in Optics
3
BMEG 400CModern Biomedical Optical Imaging
3
BMEG 400DClinical Informatics
3
BMEG 400EGenome Informatics
3
BMEG 400FBiomedical Robotics
3
BMEG 400HSynthetic Biology Bootcamp
3
BMEG 400MWorkshop
2
BMEG 420Medical Imaging
3
BMEG 490A OR BMEG 490BIntroduction to Academic Research
3/6
CHBE 381Bioprocess Engineering I
3
CPEN 321Software Engineering
4
CPEN 421Software Project Management
4
CPEN 441Human Computer Interfaces in Engineering Design
4
CPSC 302Numerical Computation for Algebraic Problems
3
CPSC 303Numerical Approximation and Discretization
3
CPSC 304Introduction to Relational Databases
3
CPSC 320Intermediate Algorithm Design and Analysis
3
CPSC 322Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
3
CPSC 344Introduction to Human Computer Interaction Methods
3
CPSC 425Computer Vision
3
CPSC 445Algorithms in Bioinformatics
3
ELEC 221Signals and Systems
4
ELEC 331Computer Communications
4
ELEC 462Sensors and Actuators in Microsystems
3
STAT 406Methods for Statistical Learning
3
Total
13 or 14

*A minimum of 7 credits must be taken from APSC 486; BMEG 400B; BMEG 400C; BMEG 400D; BMEG 400E; BMEG 400F; BMEG 400H; BMEG 400M; BMEG 420; BMEG490A/490B; CHBE 381; CPEN 321; CPEN 421; CPEN 441; ELEC 221; ELEC 331; ELEC 462

Note: CPSC courses are typically in high demand campus-wide, and there are no reserved seats for technical electives. SBME students will have to register in the general seat pool; this pool can fill up quickly, as these seats are available to students in other departments as well.


 


 

 

BIOMECHANICS & BIOMATERIALS

The Biomaterials & Biomechanics stream focuses on the application of principles of classical mechanics to problems in biological systems and views the body as an engineered structure.

Choose 17 credits from electives

Core Stream Courses

 

CodeTitleCredits
APSC 278Engineering Materials
3
APSC 2791Engineering Materials Laboratory
1
BMEG 330Biomechanics II
3
MECH 260Introduction to Mechanics of Materials
3
Total
10

1 not required for students who started their stream in September 2019. Those students take 18 credits of stream electives.


 

Stream Electives

 

Choose 17 credits from electives

CodeTitleCredits
APSC 486New Venture Design
6
BIOC 302General Biochemistry
3
BMEG 372Biomedical Materials and Drug Delivery
3
BMEG 373Microfluidics
3
BMEG 400BLinear Systems in Optics
3
BMEG 400CModern Biomedical Optical Imaging
3
BMEG 400FBiomedical Robotics
3
BMEG 400HSynthetic Biology Bootcamp
3
BMEG 400MWorkshop
2
BMEG 420Medical Imaging
3
BMEG 470 (Previously BMEG 370)Cellular Responses to Forces and Biomaterials
3
BMEG 490A OR BMEG 490BIntroduction to Academic Research
3/6
CPEN 3121Digital Systems and Microcomputers
3
MECH 360Mechanics of Materials
3
MECH 380Fluid Dynamics
3
MECH 410DEngineering Dynamics
3
MECH 4332Biofluids
3
MECH 436Fundamentals of Injury Biomechanics
3
MECH 462Finite Element Analysis
3
MECH 463Mechanical Vibrations
3
MECH 469Dynamic System Modeling
3
MTRL 495Biomaterials
3
Total
17

1 BMEG students may take CPEN 312 with BMEG 220 and CPEN 221. Please note students may be required to learn diodes and transistors (BJTs and MOSEFTs) content through self-study outside of class. Contact registration@ece.ubc.ca for registration.
2 BMEG students may take MECH 433 without MECH 380. Please contact course instructors for registration.


 


 

 

BIOMEDICAL SYSTEMS & SIGNALS

Biomedical System and Signals stream provides an understanding of the fundamental processes that produce and transform signals in biological systems, and the method by which these signals are transformed to general information.

Core Stream Courses

 

CodeTitleCredits
BMEG 320Bioengineering Feedback Systems and Controls
3
ELEC 221Signals and Systems
4
Total
7


 

Stream Electives

 

Choose 20 credits from electives*

CodeTitleCredits
APSC 486New Venture Design
6
BIOC 302General Biochemistry
3
BMEG 400BLinear Systems in Optics
3
BMEG 400CModern Biomedical Optical Imaging
3
BMEG 400DClinical Infomatics
3
BMEG 400EGenomic Informatics
3
BMEG 400FBiomedical Robotics
3
BMEG 400HSynthetic Biology Bootcamp
3
BMEG 400MWorkshop
2
BMEG 420Medical Imaging
3
BMEG 490A OR BMEG 490BIntroduction to Academic Research
3/6
CHBE 381Bioprocess Engineering I
3
CPEN 3121Digital Systems and Microcomputers
3
CPSC 121Models of Computation
4
CPSC 221Basic Algorithms and Data Structures
4
CPSC 330Applied Machine Learning
3
CPSC 340Machine Learning and Data Mining
3
ELEC 321Stochastic Signals and Systems
4
ELEC 331Computer Communications
4
ELEC 421 OR ELEC 422Digital Signal and Image Processing OR Biosignals and Systems
3
ELEC 442Introduction to Robotics
3
ELEC 462Sensors and Actuators in Microsystems
3
ELEC 463Micro/Nanofabrication and Instrumentation Laboratory
3
ELEC 464Nanotechnology and Nature
3
ELEC 465Microsystems Design
3
ELEC 473Biological Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
3
MATH 220Mathematical Proof
3
MECH 4642Industrial Robotics
3
Total
20

* A minimum of 13 credits must be taken from APSC 486; BMEG 400B; BMEG 400C; BMEG 400D, BMEG 400E, BMEG 400F; BMEG 400H; BMEG 400M; BMEG 420; BMEG 490A/490B; CHBE 381; CPEN 312; ELEC 321; ELEC 331; ELEC 421; ELEC 422; ELEC 442; ELEC 462; ELEC 463; ELEC 464; ELEC 465; ELEC 473; MECH 464.
1 BMEG students may take CPEN 312 with BMEG 220 and CPEN 221. Please note students may be required to learn diodes and transistors (BJTs and MOSEFTs) content through self-study outside of class. Contact registration@ece.ubc.ca for registration.
2 MECH 464 will accept BMEG 320 as pre-requisite for this course.

Note: CPSC courses are typically in high demand campus-wide, and there are no reserved seats for technical electives. SBME students will have to register in the general seat pool; this pool can fill up quickly, as these seats are available to students in other departments as well.


 


 

 

CELLULAR BIOENGINEERING

Cellular Bioengineering stream applies the engineering principles of design, analysis, and methodology to cellular and molecular biology for the development cell-based therapeutics in regenerative medicine and drug delivery.

Core Stream Courses

 

CodeTitleCredits
BIOC 302General Biochemistry
3
BMEG 374 Cellular Bioengineering: Laboratory and Design
3
BMEG 470Cellular Responses to Forces and Biomaterials
3
CHBE 3811Bioprocess Engineering I
3
Total
12

1 CHBE 381 will accept BMEG 245 instead of BIOL 112. Please us our contact form for registration requests.


 

Stream Electives

 

Choose 15 credits from electives*

CodeTitleCredits
APSC 486New Venture Design
6
BMEG 372Biomedical Materials and Drug Delivery
3
BMEG 373Microfludics
3
BMEG 400BLinear Systems in Optics
3
BMEG 400CModern Biomedical Optical Imaging
3
BMEG 400DClinical Informatics
3
BMEG 400EGenome Informatics
3
BMEG 400FBiomedical Robotics’
3
BMEG 400HSynthetic Biology Bootcamp
3
BMEG 400MWorkshop
2
BMEG 474Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
3
BMEG 490A OR BMEG 490BIntroduction to Academic Research
3/6
CAPS 4212Advanced cellular & molecular physiology
3
CHBE 481Bioprocess Engineering II
4
CHEM 211Introduction to Chemical Analysis
4
MICB 2023 & 4Introductory Medical Microbiology and Immunology
3
MICB 2124Introductory Immunology and Virology
3
MICB 302Immunology
3
MICB 306Molecular Virology
3
Total
15

* A minimum of 9 credits must be taken from APSC 486; BMEG 372; BMEG 373; BMEG 400B; BMEG 400C; BMEG 400D; BMEG 400E; BMEG 400F; BMEG 400H; BMEG 400M; BMEG 474; BMEG 490A/490B; CHBE 481.

1 Credit will only be given to either BMEG 490A or BMEG 490B, not both.

2 CAPS 421 will accept all of BMEG 245, BMEG 250, BMEG 350 as pre-requisites for this course. Please contact course instructors for registration.
3 MICB 202 will accept all of BMEG 245 and BMEG 250 as pre-requisites for this course. Please us our contact form for registration requests.
4 MICB 212 will be accepted as an equivalent of MICB 202 during years that MICB 202 is not offered. Three (3) credits for either MICB 202 OR MICB 212 will count towards the total elective credits for the Cellular Bioengineering stream. 


 


 

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