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 not yet accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. All undergraduate engineering programs in Canada become accredited when the first cohort graduates.
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, beginning in the year a student starts the program. 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 39 |
|
| 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 |
| CHBE 251 | Transport Phenomena I | 3 |
| 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 |
1 Students interested in pursing the Biomedical Informatics or Biomedical Systems and Signals streams should take CPEN 221
2 Delivered with BMEG 220
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 38 |
|
| BIOC 202 | Introductory Medical Biochemistry | 3 |
| BMEG 310 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | 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 |
| ELEC 371 | Biomedical Engineering Instrumentation | 3 |
| STAT 251 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| Stream-based Technical Electives | 9 |
|
| Complementary Studies Electives | 3 |
Stream Courses
Students will be admitted to a stream at the end of second year by permission of the program director, based on academic achievement and demonstrated interested. Enrolment in each stream may be limited. Please note that some streams may be more restricted than others.
More information on each of the streams can be found here.
Biomedical Informatics
The Bioinformatics stream explores the use of patient health care information to understand disease and pathophysiology, and to improve outcomes.
Choose 14 (if taking MATH 220) or 13 (if taking CPSC 121) credits from electives*
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 14 |
|
| BMEG 390 | Medical Imaging | 3 |
| CHBE 381 | Bioprocess Engineering I | 4 |
| CPEN 321 | Software Engineering | 4 |
| CPEN 421 | Software Project Management | 4 |
| CPEN 441 | Human Computer Interfaces in Engineering Design | 4 |
| CPSC 302 | Numerical Computation for Algebraic Problems | 3 |
| CPSC 304 | Introduction to Relational Databases | 3 |
| CPSC 320 | Intermediate Algorithm Design and Analysis | 3 |
| CPSC 322 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CPSC 344 | Introduction to Human Computer Interaction Methods | 3 |
| CPSC 425 | Computer Vision | 3 |
| CPSC 445 | Algorithms in Bioinformatics | 3 |
| ELEC 221 | Signals and Systems | 4 |
| ELEC 331 | Computer Communications | 4 |
| ELEC 462 | Sensors and Actuators in Microsystems | 3 |
| STAT 406 | Methods for Statistical Learning | 3 |
*A minimum of 7 credits must be taken from BMEG 390; CHBE 381; CPEN 321; CPEN 421; CPEN 441; ELEC 221; ELEC 331; ELEC 462
Biomaterials & Biomechanics
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 18 credits from electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 18 |
|
| BIOC 302 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BMEG 370 | Cellular Responses to Forces and Biomaterials | 3 |
| CPEN 3121 | Digital Systems and Microcomputers | 3 |
| MECH 360 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| MECH 380 | Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| MECH 410D | Engineering Dynamics | 3 |
| MECH 4332 | Biofluids | 3 |
| MECH 4363 | Fundamentals of Injury Biomechanics | 3 |
| MECH 4624 | Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
| MECH 463 | Mechanical Vibrations | 3 |
| MECH 469 | Dynamic System Modeling | 3 |
| MTRL 495 | Biomaterials | 3 |
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.
3 MECH 436 will accept BMEG 230, BMEG 330, and MECH 260 as pre-requisites for this course. SBME Student Services will contact BMEG students in May/June about registration. Please note students may be required to learn vibrations content through self-study outside of class.
4 BMEG students do not need to take MECH 375 as a pre-requisite course for MECH 462. 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.
Choose 20 credits from electives*
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 20 |
|
| BIOC 302 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BMEG 390 | Medical Imaging | 3 |
| CHBE 381 | Bioprocess Engineering I | 4 |
| CPEN 3121 | Digital Systems and Microcomputers | 3 |
| CPSC 121 | Models of Computation | 4 |
| CPSC 221 | Basic Algorithms and Data Structures | 4 |
| CPSC 330 | Applied Machine Learning | 3 |
| CPSC 340 | Machine Learning and Data Mining | 3 |
| ELEC 321 | Stochastic Signals and Systems | 4 |
| ELEC 331 | Computer Communications | 4 |
| ELEC 421 | Digital Signal and Image Processing | 3 |
| ELEC 422 | Biosignals and Systems | 3 |
| ELEC 442 | Introduction to Robotics | 3 |
| ELEC 462 | Sensors and Actuators in Microsystems | 3 |
| ELEC 463 | Micro/Nanofabrication and Instrumentation Laboratory | 3 |
| ELEC 464 | Nanotechnology and Nature | 3 |
| ELEC 465 | Microsystems Design | 3 |
| ELEC 473 | Biological Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems | 3 |
| MATH 220 | Mathematical Proof | 3 |
| MECH 4642 | Industrial Robotics | 3 |
* A minimum of 13 credits must be taken from BMEG 390; 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.
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.
Choose 18 credits from electives*
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 9 |
|
| BIOC 302 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BMEG 370 | Cellular Responses to Forces and Biomaterials | 3 |
| CHBE 3811 | Bioprocess Engineering I | 3 |
1 CHBE 381 will accept BMEG 245 instead of BIOL 112. Please contact undergrad@bme.ubc.ca for registration.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 18 |
|
| BMEG 372 | Biomedical Materials and Drug Delivery | 3 |
| BMEG 373 | Microfludics | 3 |
| BMEG 474 | Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine | 3 |
| CAPS 4211 | Advanced cellular & molecular physiology | 3 |
| CHBE 481 | Bioprocess Engineering II | 3 |
| CHEM 211 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis | 4 |
| MICB 2022 | Introductory Medical Microbiology and Immunology | 3 |
| MICB 302 | Immunology | 3 |
| MICB 306 | Molecular Virology | 3 |
* A minimum of 9 credits must be taken from BMEG 372; BMEG 373; BMEG 474; CHBE 481.
1 CAPS 421 will accept all of BMEG 245, BMEG 250, BMEG 350 as pre-requisites for this course. Please contact course instructors for registration.
2 MICB 202 will accept all of BMEG 245 and BMEG 250 as pre-requisites for this course. Please contact undergrad@bme.ubc.ca for registration.