The biomedical engineering curriculum integrates selected engineering sciences and design methods with life science coursework. The program prepares students for careers in a variety of healthcare-related professions including work for medical device manufacturers and regulatory governmental agencies. The course content of the biomedical engineering curriculum complements the departmental strengths in mechanical engineering and includes comprehensive coverage of engineering materials and biomechanics applications. Elective courses are available to allow students to specialize their curriculum to areas of particular current interest in the marketplace such as cellular and tissue engineering applications. The biomedical engineering program also allows students to take medical school admission requirements with an appropriate selection of technical electives.
uTrack Requirements
Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who entered prior to Fall 2015.
Biomedical Engineering Major – Honors Concentration
In addition to satisfying the requirements for the biomedical engineering major, candidates for the honors concentration must also complete the following requirements.
Maintain an overall GPA of 3.4.
Four 100- or 200-level honors courses* (14 hours minimum, at least two courses must be from Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Fundamentals, Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, or MSE 207).
Complete two upper-division honors courses in biomedical engineering (BME 367, BME 477).
Satisfy the Breadth Requirements for the Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program.
*While most students fulfill this requirement with 100- and 200-level courses, students may substitute upper-level courses on approval of the Honors faculty.
Biomedical Engineering Major – Five-Year BS/MS Program
The department offers a Five-Year BS-MS program for qualified students. The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:
Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.4 to be admitted to the program. Conditional admission may be granted after completing 64 hours of required course work while full admission is granted after completing 96 hours of required course work with a minimum overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work.
Students must at least have conditional admission before taking graduate courses for both their bachelor's and master's degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the departmental chair of the program. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit. Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School.
Admission of students into this program must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.
Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in Graduate School.
