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Studying biomedical engineering degree guide

Studying biomedical engineering offers you the chance to learn about the machinery used in medicine and can also lead to chartered engineer status.

Eleanor Foulds
by Eleanor Foulds

Unlike a degree in biological sciences, biomedical engineering is unlikely to lead to a career in healthcare. Instead of providing healthcare to patients, with a biomedical engineering degree you’ll be looking at career options that include maintaining, designing, developing and refining medical equipment and machinery. You’ll be finding engineering solutions to medical problems, so you’ll be supporting doctors, nurses and healthcare providers to treat and diagnose patients.

Find biomedical engineering courses.

What do you need to get on a biomedical engineering degree?


Entry requirements vary depending on the university and the exact course you choose, but typical entry requirements are 104 – 144 UCAS points. You can achieve this through:

  • AAA – BBC in A-levels
  • DDD – DMM in BTECs
  • AABBB – BBBB in Scottish Highers
  • BBB – AB in Advanced Highers
  • 36 – 29 in IB

Your uni may ask that you’ve studied a related subject at advanced or higher level, such as maths, biology, physics, or chemistry.

Courses with a foundation year typically have lower entry requirements than this, while courses with an integrated master’s year may be higher.

Find out how to apply to uni through UCAS.

Learn how to write a winning personal statement.

What biomedical engineering degrees can you study?


Some of the biomedical engineering degrees on offer in the UK include:

You may also be able to study these courses with foundation year, work experience or a year abroad.

Learn about the different types of undergraduate courses.

What topics does a biomedical engineering degree cover?


The exact topics on offer will depend on the course you choose, as well as the optional modules you pick. Common topics covered, however, include:

  • Engineering principles
  • Human anatomy
  • Medical physics
  • Medical instrumentation
  • Research methods
  • Medical image processing
  • Ethics, regulation and clinical trials

What do you learn studying a biomedical engineering degree?


On a biomedical engineering course, you’ll learn a mixture of subject-specific and transferable skills. Subject-specific skills include:

  • How to use and maintain medical instruments
  • Skills in evaluating experimental results to suggest improvements to technology
  • Applying clinical decision-making
  • Designing clinical devices

Transferable skills include:

  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Lab skills
  • Organisation
  • Presentation skills
  • Research skills
  • Understanding of machinery

What professional accreditations can you get with a biomedical engineering degree?


Courses may be accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). Courses may also be accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).

What can you do with a biomedical engineering degree?


Some of the popular career paths graduates take are:

  • Biomedical engineer
  • Clinical engineer
  • Clinical scientist
  • Medical engineer
  • Prosthetic design engineer

Check out our careers guides here.

How long is a biomedical engineering degree?


Typically, a biomedical engineering degree is three years long. You may have the option to add a foundation year, integrated master’s year, placement year or year abroad. Typically, this would extend your degree to a four-year course, though you may be able to add two of the above options, which would extend your degree to a five-year course.

How will you be assessed?


How you’re assessed depends on the module you’re studying. Typically, biomedical engineering degrees are assessed through a combination of the following:

  • Coursework
  • Exams
  • Dissertation

What are the postgraduate opportunities?


Some of the postgraduate courses in the UK related to biomedical engineering include:

What alternatives are there to a biomedical engineering degree?


If you’re not sure if biomedical engineering is right for you, why not check out the following subjects?


Find biomedical engineering courses.