Undergraduate Program

Within the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, students have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at the University of North Carolina and NC State University. This unique relationship offers students opportunities for research, group collaboration, coursework and exposure to experts in medicine and engineering across both campuses.

What is Biomedical Engineering?

Biomedical engineering provides a well-rounded science education to students interested in changing the world through medicine, engineering and technology. Biomedical engineering covers a wide field of interests, including rehabilitation engineering, pharmacoengineering, drug delivery devices, prosthetic devices and medical imaging technology development (such as MRI, CT, Ultrasound and X-ray). 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that entry-level jobs available to biomedical engineering undergraduates will continue to grow faster than average over the next decade. Biomedical engineers are typically employed by hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, consulting firms, government agencies, universities and biotechnology companies. Some graduates will go on to further their education by attending graduate or professional school. 

To hear more about available job paths for biomedical engineering graduates, check out The BME Grad Podcast, hosted by Allie Mitzak and Brian Kim, both alumni of the Joint Department.

The Joint Program Experience

An undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering can be completed entirely through courses hosted at a student’s home campus. However, students may choose to take courses on either campus in order to suit their individual educational needs. Our students are never required to travel to the partner campus; however, the Joint Department offers the distinct benefit of permitting our students to access courses and resources across both universities.

NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill meet the unique needs of our students by ensuring they are entitled to full standing across each university system. After completing core courses and being accepted to the joint program through their admitting university, students are provided affiliate credentials to the partner campus.  This partnership provides students the flexibility to access both academic and non-academic opportunities at both campuses.

Upon completion of the program, students are awarded a degree in Biomedical and Health Sciences Engineering, which is accredited by ABET‘s Engineering Accreditation Commission. As a reflection of NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill’s commitment to the program, our students receive a diploma that bears the seals and signatures of both universities.

Our UNC | NC State Partnership

In 1998 a committee composed of faculty leadership from both universities began work on forming a joint biomedical engineering program. That proposal was embraced at both institutions and included a significant commitment of university resources to realize the Joint Department vision. In 2003, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University formally brought together their strengths and reputations to establish our department. 

The joining of these institutions provides an ideal environment for biomedical engineers to develop dynamic competencies in the pursuit of clinical-based problems facing our society. The nationally ranked UNC Heath System and UNC School of Medicine impart an innovative clinical environment for our students to gain experience in medicine. NC State’s College of Engineering is one of the world’s best engineering programs, and the university is also home to a nationally top-ranked College of Veterinary Medicine. In this setting, the Joint Department is able to realize both institutions’ mission of excellence in teaching and research.

Schedule a Visit

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