Biomedical Engineering Degree
Changing the Way We Practice Medicine
From designing and building imaging machines and advanced prosthetics to improving processes for genomic testing and drug development and administration, biomedical engineers bridge the medical and engineering worlds to improve healthcare.
Academic Focus Areas
Biomedical engineering is one of only a few approved College of Engineering pre-med programs. Undergraduate biomedical engineering students study at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and have three academic focus areas from which to choose.
- Biomaterials: materials-tissue interface and the creation of tissue mimicking systems
- Biomechanics: interaction of dynamic and static forces with the human body and mechanical engineering principles governing motility and stability of cells and organs
- Biosensors and Microtechnologies: biological principles for building disease-detecting sensors using microscopic and nanoscopic systems
Research Opportunities
UA biomedical engineers are changing the way we practice medicine. Researchers are deeply engaged in the following projects, for example:
- Developing imaging methods that use radio waves, light and ultrasound to visualize diseases
- Creating custom, implantable body parts to restore sight and repair the cardiovascular system
- Implanting sensors to analyze walking, predict frailty, and warn patients when joints and implants are overloaded
- Studying how mechanical properties of the eye work to maintain normal vision, how nerve paralysis might be caused by mechanical stress, and how vascular tissues remodel for proper circulation
- Pushing the limits on nanomedicine with tiny capsules that deliver drugs to different parts of the body and laboratories the size of a penny to detect bacterial and cancer cells
Outside the Classroom
The UA Biomedical Undergraduate Mentoring Program, in which upper-level students provide mentoring and networking opportunities with faculty and alumni, helps ensure students have the tools and resources to succeed academically and professionally. The UA Biomedical Engineering Societyhosts activities that help integrate its members into the academic, medical and business sectors.
Career Paths
Modern technology has become an inextricable part of medicine and healthcare. There is a growing need on both the technological and healthcare sides for professionals who understand increasingly complex biomedical problems. Not only is an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering a good foundation from which to study medicine or pursue graduate studies, but also it can lead to a number of exciting careers, including medical systems and product design, biomedical equipment testing and support, and clinical training, among others.
Undergraduate Admissions
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Join a Diverse Community of Thinkers, Inventors and Entrepreneurs
Welcome, and congratulations on all of your hard work getting here!
If you are looking to join a diverse group of students known for their hard work, academic excellence and dedication to making a difference in people’s lives, you have come to the right place! We look forward to helping you accomplish your academic and career goals.
Students apply to the University of Arizona and the College of Engineering through UA Admissions. And the University and College perform a comprehensive review of all applications.
Apply Today!
Please see the appropriate admissions guidelines.
Incoming Freshmen
High school graduates looking to call UA Engineering home for the next four years
Transfer Students
Students who have earned at least 24 credits from another institution
International Students
Non-U.S. citizens without permanent residence status
Current UA Students
Students who wish to switch to one of the College’s 14 majors
Helping You Achieve Your Educational Goals
In addition to the University’s scholarship package and financial aid options, the College of Engineering provides several merit- and need-based undergraduate scholarships to offset tuition, fees and other student expenses. Thanks largely to the support of alumni and donors, the College awarded over $1 million in scholarships in 2015 to more than 350 undergraduate and graduate students.
Incoming Freshman Scholarships > Continuing Students Scholarships >
Scholarship Universe
The UA Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid administers most College of Engineering scholarships through Scholarship Universe, a free searchable database, which -- based on characteristics such as gender, class standing and enrollment status -- matches student academic and professional interests with potential funding. Scholarships are awarded through federal and state agencies, private corporations, professional membership organizations, alumni and donors.
Jeremy Gin, electrical and computer engineering Class of 2015, was on a winning Design Day team: “I am grateful for the Thomas Brown Foundation’s investment in my education and development. I have been able to devote myself to my studies and to how my engineering skills can be used to best serve humanity.”
Scholarship opportunities are frequently announced in weekly emails from the College’s dean of academic affairs to all UA Engineering undergraduates
Scholarships for Incoming Freshmen
Incoming freshmen who have designated Engineering as their primary college and meet the scholarship criteria can apply for the following:
Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Scholarships
College of Engineering Grants (also available to transfer students)
Students who apply to the UA Honors College may also be eligible for Honors Scholarships.
For scholarship consideration, incoming freshmen are required to have submitted SAT or ACT test scores and official high school transcripts. A Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, must be on file with the UA Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for need-based scholarships.
Scholarships for Continuing Students
College of Engineering scholarships for continuing students match student profiles with donor specifications. The application for these scholarships is on Scholarship Universe from early February until the week after spring break.
Be sure to read the scholarship guidelines first. Remember to attach 1.) your résumé, including current employment and weekly hours worked or school and community activities, leadership roles and honors and 2.) a 250- to 500-word bio, including educational and professional goals, reason for interest in specific engineering major, and adversity overcome to attend college.
Visit UA Career Services for help with your résumé and UA Writing Skills Improvement Program for help with your bio.
For scholarship consideration, continuing students are required to have a Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, on file with the UA Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for need-based scholarships.
For more information about scholarships for continuing undergraduate students in the College of Engineering, please see Department Scholarship Contacts.