Undergraduate and Transfer Student Admissions
Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the BME program (see below how to apply to BME through each university UNC/ NC State). Each class at each school is limited to 80 students to provide high-quality education and focused learning and mentoring. Students may apply to the program after completing the following five courses with the listed grade (or with matching AP or IB credit):
- Calculus 1 and 2 – C or better
- Chemistry 1 – C or better
- Physics 1 (Mechanics) – C or better
- First-year English – C- or better
Admission is based on GPA – with special attention given to the chemistry, math and physics courses listed above – and the essay (link or pop-up with details that are in “Essay Guidelines” on the next page). Transferred grades from other colleges are used as reported, and AP exam scores are converted to grades according to NC State’s policy.
Meeting the minimum grade requirements is NOT a guarantee of admission to BME, as we typically have more applicants than spots. Strong candidates have As and Bs in their required courses, though we accept students with lower grades, provided they have a strong essay. Each applicant is carefully evaluated by a committee of BME faculty.
Students must be enrolled at the university for a minimum of one semester before applying, even if they already have credit for all the courses listed above. After the first semester, students may apply during any of the three application periods shown in the table below. The percentage of the total class admitted per semester is also listed in that table.
| Application Period | Admissions Committee Decision By | Approx. % of class admitted |
| Fall: 9/16-12/1 | December 31 | 15% |
| Spring: 2/2-5/1 | June 15 | 80% |
| Summer: 7/2-8/1 | One week before start of fall semester | 5% |
Sophomores can apply after completing their third semester, though they may have to take summer classes to stay on track for graduation. While rising juniors can apply, they will almost certainly need summer classes, and graduation may be delayed.
Students not admitted can reapply during the next cycle without penalty. To be admitted upon reapplication, students should demonstrate strong performance (3.5 GPA or higher) in three or more STEM classes. Participation in engineering- or medical-related jobs, internships or research will also help. Students are strongly encouraged to select a different major if not accepted after the third semester.
To apply for admission to the program, students must complete the following two steps:
- Apply to CODA. Follow the College of Engineering guidelines. To be considered for BME, students MUST select BME as the first choice. Students that select BME as a second or third choice will NOT be considered.
- Complete the online essay application. The application asks for some information and has a submission link for your essay.
Decisions
A decision letter will be emailed once the committee has finished the review process. The letter will include details about recommended courses and what further steps must be taken before the start of the next semester.
To apply for admission to the program, complete the following steps:
1. Apply for a Major/Minor Change in ConnectCarolina.
- Log in to Connect Carolina and go to the Student Center.
- Click on the “other academic…” dropdown menu and select “Apply for Major/Minor Change.”
- Select the option below that corresponds with your application window:
| Fall: 9/16-12/1 | Biomedical & Health Sci Engineering-Joint NCSU |
| Spring: 2/2-5/1 | Biomedical & Health Sci Eng-Joint NCSU-Deadline 1 |
| Summer: 7/2-8/1 | Biomedical & Health Sci Eng-Joint NCSU-Deadline 2 |
2. Receive your online application link. After submitting your Major/Minor Change request, you will receive an email within 24 hours with a link to the online application site, as well as a username and PIN to log in.
- Please note that emails are only sent Monday-Friday. If you apply for a Major/Minor Change on a weekend, please expect to receive your email on Monday morning.
- If you cannot find the email, first check your spam folder.
If you do NOT receive the email, please contact bme_student_services@unc.edu.
3. Complete the online application with essay. The online application has multiple sections, including:
- Applicant information
- BME Application Essay (see “Essay Guidelines” below)
- Certification
- Application status review
Decisions
A decision letter will be emailed once the committee has finished the review process. The letter will include details about recommended courses and what further steps must be taken before the start of the next semester.
If you are accepted into the program, you must accept your invitation by the date listed below in order to secure your place in the program.
| Application Period | Student Decision Deadline |
| Fall: 9/16-12/1 | Friday before the first day of spring semester |
| Spring: 2/2-5/1 | August 1 |
| Summer: 7/2-8/1 | Friday before the first day of fall semester |
Students will be charged an additional fee of $750/semester ($1,500/year). The money is directly applied to the undergraduate program to enhance the undergraduate laboratory, internship, and outreach experience.
Transfer Student Admissions Applications
Transfer students who are seeking admission to UNC are required to apply through the Common Application. To be eligible, students must complete equivalents of the five courses listed below and an essay:
- Calculus 1 and 2 – C or better
- Chemistry 1 – C or better
- Physics 1 (Mechanics) – C or better
- First-year English – C- or better
Classes accepted for transfer in previous years are available for UNC and NC State. If classes are not listed, then you can contact the appropriate campus’s admissions department with questions. The BME department can only approve courses that transfer to BME-prefixed courses; we cannot approve substitutes for other departments’ courses.
The best time to transfer is after fulfilling the course requirements listed above. Completing an Associate Degree does not provide a significant advantage, as the BME program will still most likely require three years.
Application instructions – UNC
To apply to BME at UNC, see the procedure on the transfer students admissions website.
If you are eligible for admission directly into BME, then we will receive and review your application carefully. If denied admission into BME, you can still matriculate at UNC into the College of Arts and Sciences and choose another major. You may reapply in a later admissions cycle, though you must have demonstrated strong academic performance in UNC STEM classes to be a competitive applicant.
Application instructions – NC State
To apply to BME at NC State, see the procedure on the College of Engineering transfer admissions page.
You must be accepted into BME to be also accepted into the NC State College of Engineering. If you are not accepted into the program, then you will not be accepted to NC State.
Essay Guidelines
In Biomedical Engineering, we would like to learn more about the students who are applying and require an essay in addition to the CODA score as part of the matriculation process. In <300 words, please address any/all of the questions at the end. Please do not include any identifying information like your name. Note that there is no correct essay, and the committee is more interested in your honesty and motivation.
1) Why are you interested in BME?
2) What experiences have led you to choose BME as your intended major?
3) What BME- or STEM-related extracurricular activities have you engaged in?
4) What do you plan on doing with your BME degree when you graduate? Finally, feel free to include any other information (hardships, challenges, personal motivations) that may help the committee make its decisions.
The specific course numbers for the required classes at NC State are as follows:
- MA 141 – Calculus I
- MA 142 – Calculus II
- CH 101 – Chemistry – A Molecular Science and General
- CH 102 – General Chemistry Laboratory
- PY 205 – Physics for Engineering and Scientists I
- PY 206 – Physics for Engineering and Scientists I Laboratory
- ENG 101 – Academic Writing and Research
Additionally, these courses are required only at NC State with a C- or better:
- E 101 – Introduction to Engineering and Problem Solving
- E 102 – Engineering in the 21st Century
- E 115 – Introduction to Computing Environments
The specific course numbers for the required classes at UNC are as follows:
- MATH 231 – Calculus of Functions of One Variable I
- MATH 232 – Calculus of Functions of One Variable II
- CHEM 101 – General Descriptive Chemistry I
- CHEM 101L – Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I
- PHYS 116/118 – Mechanics/Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity
- ENGL 105 – English Composition and Rhetoric
Contacts
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Lianne Cartee
(919) 515-6726
lacartee@email.unc.edu
Assoc. Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Naji Husseini
(919) 966-1176
najihuss@email.unc.edu
Primary UNC Student Services Contact
Theresa Jones
(919) 966-1176
BME_Student_Services@unc.edu
NC State Student Services Coordinator
Kari Williams
919-515-4799
BME_Student_Services@ncsu.edu