Bioengineering BS

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The undergraduate program at CU Denver is a highly rigorous program that instills competencies in biomedical science, engineering and mathematics and biomedical design, while emphasizing the professional competencies of leadership, communication, presentation and critical problem solving. Our mission is to improve human health through the application of engineering principles, ideas, methods and inventions to solve important clinical problems. Bioengineering is a highly interdisciplinary field that brings together: (1) biological, chemical and physical sciences; (2) engineering and mathematics; and (3) clinical medicine. The undergraduate bioengineering program provides training at both the Denver campus (years 1 and 2) and the Anschutz Medical Campus (years 3 and 4). Additional program details are available on the Department of Bioengineering website.

Students applying to the program must select pre-bioengineering (Pre-BIOE) as their “Field of Study” in the online application. If you are admitted to the Pre-BIOE program you will enroll in the core curriculum courses, which are offered at the Denver campus. Students in pre-bioengineering must apply to advance to major status in bioengineering. The earliest time period to apply for major status will be spring 2014 (specific deadline to be announced). Admittance to the major in bioengineering will be granted to students who have successfully completed all Pre-Bioengineering prerequisites and who meet the program’s selection criteria. All major courses will be taught at the Anschutz Medical Campus; note that these courses will not be available until fall 2015.

Graduates will be well-prepared for further education in graduate school, medical school or other advanced professional preparation. The department also offers a master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees in bioengineering. Please contact us for advising.

Bioengineering BS Curriculum Description

The BS-BIOE degree comprises three core areas, supplemented by elective courses based on one of two tracks that the student chooses to pursue. The three core areas are: (1) the pre-bioengineering core; (2) the major bioengineering core; (3) the general education core. Together these three core areas and your specialty track will define your program.

Pre-Bioengineering Core (56 credit hours)

Students must complete all of these courses before they may apply for bioengineering major status. Credit for some of these courses may be achieved through high school Advanced Placement (AP) course work and exams.

Mathematics (16 credit hours)

Biology (8 credit hours)

Chemistry (14 credit hours)

Physics (10 credit hours)

Bioengineering (8 credit hours)

BIOE 1010 - Bioengineering Design and Prototyping I
BIOE 1020 - Bioengineering Design and Prototyping II
BIOE 2010 - Bioengineering Research

BIOE 2020 - Computational Methods in Bioengineering

Major Bioengineering Core (36 credit hours)

Students admitted into the bioengineering major will undertake the majorb ioengineering core courses regardless of the track they choose. All BIOE major core classes will be taught at the Anschutz Medical Campus. These classes build upon pre-major courses and provide the next level of instruction in bioengineering. This instruction includes a year-long laboratory course, design experiences, and disciplinary subjects.

Bioengineering Track (12 credit hours)

At present, the BS BIOE contains three track specializations:
   (1) Biomedical Devices and Biomechanics
   (2) Imaging Instrumentation and Diagnostics
   (3) BS/MD Track (Track details available on the Department of Bioengineering website)

Courses in these tracks will be taught at the Anschutz Medical Campus and expansion of specialties will grow with the department and recruitment of new faculty. Our tracks will provide students with a more advanced understanding of specialized areas in Bioengineering. Students must take a minimum of 12 credit hours of the courses in these tracks. A minimum of 6 credit hours must be satisfied by courses offered by the Department of Bioengineering (BIOE-XXXX), and a minimum of 6 credit hours must be satisfied by courses at the 3000-level or above.

General Education Core

Students must satisfy the core curriculum requirements including 8 courses (24 credit hours) distinct from the math and science requirements, as described in the CU Denver Undergraduate Core Curriculum . These core curriculum courses from will be selected from the Intellectual Competencies, Knowledge Areas, International Perspectives and Cultural Diversity areas. BIOE students may receive college credit for several general education core courses through Advanced Placement.

University of Colorado Denver