Biomedical engineering is a great course which offers many opportunities and has allowed me to have a wider range of knowledge.
Allayah
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Overview
As a biomedical engineer you will combine the study of engineering and biology to bring solutions to the medical and health care industries.
The use of technology is increasingly growing in all areas of our lives. Applying engineering solutions to biomedical problems is contributing to improving our health provision and saving lives.
Biomedical engineers are responsible for developing robots used in surgery, advanced prosthetics, machines for treating patients such as kidney dialysis, diagnostic equipment such as hospital NMR machines and artificial organs to name a few. They may utilise smart technologies and apply them to transmit data from patient treatment results directly to the clinics and hospitals to minimise the need for patients to travel for their health reviews. Emergency situations can also be caught early and prevent a decline in patient health.
Our foundation year option enables you to join the Biomedical Engineering course even if you don’t have the formal qualifications or experience to meet the entry requirements. It equips you with the knowledge to move into formal degree study, setting you up for future success.
Why Study Biomedical Engineering with Foundation Year?
The BEng (Hons) with Foundation Year provides creative and talented students, including those looking to change their career, those with experience and passion for the subject and those who may not have the usual entry requirements, with a direct route to an engineering degree. On successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will enrol on a BEng (Hons) that has been designed in collaboration with industry and a medical clinician to give you excellent prospects to work with a range of employers, and potentially become an Incorporated Engineer in a global professional institution.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements are typically 32-122 UCAS points including minimum 5 GCSEs (including Maths, English Language and Science). However students who have typically:
- 32-88 UCAS points at Level 3 and studied at least one of the following; A-level Maths, A-level Physics, A-level Applied Science, A-level Engineering, BTEC Engineering Diploma.
- 88-112 UCAS points at Level 3 and who have not studied; A-level Maths, A-level Physics, A-level Applied Science, A-level Engineering, BTEC Engineering Diploma.
- 32-112 UCAS points at Level 3 in Maths, Science or Engineering and who have not been in full-time/part-time education for many years.
Further entry requirements
5 GCSEs grade C/4 or above (including Maths, English Language, Science)
- Science can be Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Computer Science.
The course will provide you with further Science and Maths knowledge and understanding that underpins Biomedical Engineering and support developing your higher education learning skills in Science and Maths to support your further pursuit of studying Biomedical Engineering.
This course is also available as a BEng or MEng.
For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated web page.
32-122
UCAS Points
All about the course
The foundation year will provide you with the relevant theoretical and practical knowledge you need to be prepared for an engineering degree. You will develop your core knowledge and understanding of:
- human biology
- physics
- engineering concepts
- material science
- maths and statistics
- and you'll develop your Higher Education (HE) study skills.
On successful completion of the foundation year you will progress to the BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering degree. During the course you will be supported to develop your employability skills and job application skills to apply for placement opportunities. Placement opportunities in engineering often lead to opening doors to great potential engineering graduate employment opportunities with companies such as NHS, Burton Medical, Braun, Fielder Filter Systems, TwistDX, Futurenova, BMM Weston and many more.
This course equips you to be a practising professional graduate biomedical engineer. Biomedical engineering is a key area for growth in south-east England which presents exciting opportunities for graduates. You will be able to apply and develop technology to provide biomedical engineering solutions for the healthcare industry.
At the end of the foundation year, you will continue with the BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering degree and will be supported to develop your employability and job application skills. You will have the opportunity to apply for an optional placement to gain work experience and to help you stand out in the job market.
Module information
Please note that the list of optional modules and their availability may be subject to change. We continually review and where appropriate, revise the range of modules on offer to reflect changes in the subject and ensure the best student experience. Modules will vary when studied in combination with another subject.
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
Teaching is delivered through lectures, lab work and tutorials. Each 20-credit module typically involves the following amount of contact time:
- Foundation Year (Year 0) - 60 hours
- Year 1 - 60 hours
- Year 2 - 50 hours
- Year 3 - 40 hours
The modules are led by a team of engineering lecturers, senior lecturers and principal lecturers. Laboratory work is also supported by technicians and postgraduate demonstrators.
Each year you will complete a team CDIO project (typically sourced from industry) in a 40-credit module. These large group projects provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and apply your knowledge and understanding to a real-world scenario while building your confidence so you can:
- Work effectively and supportively in diverse and inclusive groups.
- Communicate effectively in groups and one-to-ones.
- Apply project management to group-work.
- Apply principles of commercial management and solutions considerations.
- Develop effective communication with professionals from other disciplines, especially clinicians.
- Contribute to industry through your solutions.
- Provide tangible results for your portfolio of evidence for future employment.
You'll also benefit from drop-in academic and peer learning mentoring sessions.
All programmes are informed by the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy 2015-2022.
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, undertaking research in the library, working on projects, preparing coursework assignments/examination, and preparing for workshops and seminars.
Your module tutor will direct you towards specific readings and/or activities that you will be expected to complete before class, so we want to make sure you have enough time to complete this work.
Each 20-credit module requires 200 hours of input over the academic year. This includes class contact time in lectures, tutorials, workshops, laboratory work, module preparation, module learning contextualisation, assessment research, development and submission, and examination revision.
The modules are led by our engineering academic team consisting of lecturers, senior lecturers, principal lecturers, and laboratory learning will be further supported by Senior and Junior technicians and Postgraduate demonstrators.
In the current era of booming healthcare sector, we are here to offer you an interesting opportunity with necessary technical and graduate skills to become a successful Biomedical professional.
Soumya MannaProgramme Director
How you’ll be assessed
Each academic year consists of a mix of modules that are assessed by coursework only, to modules that are assessed by examination and coursework. Examinations may be open-book or closed book exams. Coursework may include, Engineering log book, Technical drawings, Wiki pages, blogs, pitches to industry, posters, leaflets, engineering manual, etc.
The Foundation Year (Year 0) consists of 6 non-credit bearing modules.
Years 1-3 (Levels 4-6) each consist of 4 modules that are 20 credits each and 1 module that is 40 credits.
The 40 credits modules will provide you with the opportunity to work on a substantial group CDIO project typically sourced from industry. These projects will provide you with the opportunity to build your technical skills, as well as your professional practice skills. The pioneering CDIO approach is being designed to enable you to develop your creative skills to find solutions based on engineering science, principles and provide practical benefits to clinicians, patients and allied health professionals and patient carers. Could your group develop the mechanical spinal support prototype to be the next generational aid in supporting patients with scoliosis?
The Level 6 Professional Engineering Biomedical Project module will entail group and individual project work. The overall group project will be typically sourced from industry, and will require several individual projects to support a solution to the overall group project. Each individual project will entail a dissertation assessment. Each group will be led and managed by a Level 7 MEng student, providing peer and cross-fertilisation of learning.
Your future career
Biomedical Engineering is one of the fastest growing industries with some of the highest starting salaries. There are many opportunities to practice as a biomedical engineer, for example:
- Designing, implementing and maintaining bio-instruments and bio-equipment to aid diagnose and treat diseases.
- Designing and developing materials for implantation in the human body, which therefore need to be chemically inert, safe, and reliable
- Working with innovators, medics and computing professionals to engineer smart technology gadgets that interface with smart phones to provide alternative medical interventions to support or relieve medical symptoms of a patient
- Designing and developing hygienic surgery aids that enable high precision and timely surgery.
Biomedical Engineers are also sought after by a wide variety of other industries:
- Designing and developing automated mechanical devices for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, and those that require a focus on designing for hygiene, cleaning and sterility
- Manufacturing: because biomedical engineers have strengths in systems integration and knowledge and understanding of multiple fields of engineering
- Legal sector: because biomedical devices are such a high growth area of research and development there is demand for technical reviewing, advising and approval of patents.
Please note that some career paths are subject to further academic study and qualifications may require industrial sponsorship or be dependent on the employer and the economic or sector demand.
Future careers/what can I do next?
Biomedical engineers apply their knowledge of engineering and materials to provide solutions for healthcare. You could work as a bioengineer or as a clinical engineer in a hospital or clinic. You could become a design engineer working for a healthcare company. Biomedical engineers work in a range of different settings. You could work for a health care provider, a medical equipment manufacturer or work in research and development for a company or university.
Most biomedical engineers are employed by the NHS, pharmaceutical firms, and manufacturers of medical equipment suppliers. The IMechE has identified biomedical engineers within the NHS as making a valuable contribution, and are calling for a Chief Biomedical Engineer in every NHS Acute Trust. US Bureau Labor Statistics (2018) indicates that Biomedicine engineering is the 3rd fastest growing engineering career.
Your input and creativity may provide a solution that a person needs to maintain or restore their health. Biomedical Engineers may work in a number of different sectors in industry for example in biomedical electronics, biomaterials, computational biology, cellular, tissue and genetic engineering, medical imaging, orthopaedic bioengineering, bio nanotechnology, rapid prototyping for the repair or restoration of body tissues.
You would have common attributes required to undergo postgraduate studies (Masters and PhD) or other training relevant to your Personal Development Plan.
Fees
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time - Foundation Year 0 | £9,250 | £13,000 |
| Full-time - years 1-3 * | £9,250 | £13,000 |
| Full-time - placement year * | £1,850 | N/A |
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.
* The tuition fees of £9,250 / £13,000 / £1,850 relate to 2021/22 only. Please read the 2021/22 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding 2021/22 tuition fees and year on year fee increases.
- Read advice about funding your degree
- See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
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The Office for Students (OfS) regulates Canterbury Christ Church University. The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It aims to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Further details about its work are available on the OfS website.
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Duration:
4 yearsUCAS code:
H100Location(s):
CanterburyAny questions?
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