Biomedical Engineering, B.A.
Learning Outcomes
- Ability to understand and apply basic science and perform technical skills to solve problems related to health and healthcare.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
- Ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in healthcare, and understand societal and global impact of biomedical engineering solutions.
Academic Standards
Program GPA
Program GPA requirement policies are described in the College of Engineering and Computing section of this bulletin. For the purpose of these policies, the following courses are used to determine the Program GPA for the Biomedical Engineering B.S. program: all Biomedical Engineering Major courses and all courses used to satisfy Biomedical Engineering Electives.
Entrance Requirements
Admission requirements for freshman are established by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Admissions requirements for transfer, major change and readmitted students are established by the College of Engineering and Computing. For the BA Biomedical Engineering program, transfer applicants from regionally accredited colleges and universities must have a cumulative 2.75 GPA on a 4.00 scale. Current University of South Carolina students who wish to enter the College of Engineering and Computing, and former students seeking readmission, must have an institutional GPA of 2.50 or better on at least 15 hours earned at USC.
Degree Requirements (120-126)
See College of Engineering and Computing for progression requirements and special academic opportunities.
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Carolina Core Requirements | 32-42 |
| College Requirements | 0 |
| Program Requirements | 46-52 |
| Major Requirements | 36-38 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-42 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-7 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Score two or better on foreign language placement test; or complete the 109 and 110 courses in FREN, GERM, LATN or SPAN; or complete the 121 course in another foreign language.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
- any CC-GSS course
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
- 1
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours for this program must add up to a minimum of 34 hours.
2. College Requirements (0 hours)
No college-required courses for this program.
3. Program Requirements (46-52 hours)
Supporting Courses (46 hours)
Foundational Courses (19 hours)
Complete the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 102 | Biological Principles II | 3 |
| BIOL 102L | Biological Principles II Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 201 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHYS 201L | General Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 112L | General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 333 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 331L | Essentials of Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| or CHEM 333L | Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | |
| CSCE 106 | Scientific Applications Programming (Scientific Applications Programming) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 19 | |
Specialty Courses (27 hours)
Students must take 27 credit hours of specialty electives. Undergraduate courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement are listed below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 222 | Survey of Accounting | 3 |
| ANTH 101 and above | ||
| BIOL 120 and above | ||
| CHEM (except CHEM 111/CHEM 111L, CHEM 112/CHEM 112L, CHEM 333, CHEM 333L, CHEM 331L) | ||
| CLAS 220 and above | ||
| CRJU 101 and above | ||
| CYBR 390 | Special Topics in Cyber Intelligence | 3 |
| CSCE higher than 106 | ||
| ECHE 200 and above (except for ECHE 310) | ||
| ECIV 200 and above | ||
| ECON 224 | Introduction to Economics | 3 |
| EDCE 210 | Career Planning and Development | 3 |
| EDCE 340 | Counseling Through a Multicultural Lens: Understanding Self and Others | 3 |
| EDCE 350 | Interpersonal Communication Skills | 3 |
| EDCE 360 | Introduction to the Counseling Profession | 3 |
| EDEX 205 | Understanding the Foundations of Disability | 3 |
| EDEX 301 | Introduction to Students with Autism | 3 |
| EDEX 523 | Introduction to Exceptional Children | 3 |
| EDFI 300 | Schools in Communities | 3 |
| EDFI 361 | Comparative and International Education | 3 |
| EDLP 317 | Law and Policy Studies in Education | 3 |
| EDPY 401 | Learners and the Diversity of Learning | 3 |
| EDTE 202 | Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility through Education | 3 |
| EDTE 218 | Convergence and Divergence in African American and Jewish Relations: Historical and Contemporary | 3 |
| ELCT 200 and above | ||
| EMCH 200 and above | ||
| ENCP 200 and above | ||
| ENGL 300 and above | ||
| ENHS 223 and above | ||
| ENTR 201 | Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise | 3 |
| ENTR 301 | Startup Finance, Legal Structures, and Business Systems | 3 |
| ENTR 401 | Applied Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTR 501 | Independent Study in Entrepreneurship | 1-3 |
| ENVR 101 and above | ||
| EPID 349 and above | ||
| EXSC 191 and above (except EXSC 335 if used as Biomedical Elective) | ||
| FINA 333 | Finance and Markets | 3 |
| HGEN 400 and above | ||
| HPEB 300 and above | ||
| HSPM 401 and above | ||
| ITEC 200 and above | ||
| MATH (except MATH 122) | ||
| MGMT 371 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MGSC 290 | Computer Information Systems in Business | 3 |
| MKTG 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| NSCI 300 and above | ||
| PEDU 302 | Foundations of Coaching | 3 |
| PEDU 420 | Motor Learning in Physical Education | 3 |
| PEDU 520 | Observational Analysis of Sports Techniques and Tactics | 3 |
| PHIL 200 and above | ||
| PHYS 200 and above (except PHYS 101/PHYS 101L, PHYS 102/PHYS 102L, PHYS 151/PHYS 151L, PHYS 155/PHYS 155L, PHYS 201/PHYS 201L | ||
| POLI 101 and above | ||
| PSYC 101 and above | ||
| PUBH 302 and above | ||
| SOCY 101 and above | ||
| SPCH 200 and above | ||
| STAT except for STAT 201, STAT 205, or STAT 206 | ||
| UNIV 101 | The Student in the University | 3 |
Electives (0-6 hours)
A minimum of 120 hours are required for the Biomedical Engineering, B.A. Electives are required if needed to reach to that total. Any course in the university can be used to satisfy the elective requirement (including additional electives in the major).
4. Major Requirements (36-38 hours)
Major Courses (24-26 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMEN 101 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 1-3 |
| or ENCP 101 | Introduction to Engineering | |
| BMEN 240 | Cellular and Molecular Biology with Engineering Applications (must be passed with a grade of C or better) | 4 |
| BMEN 345 | Human Anatomy and Physiology for Biomedical Engineers | 4 |
| BMEN 270 | Materials in Medicine | 3 |
| BMEN 360 | Biomedical Analysis | 3 |
| BMEN 302 | Professional Development and Ethics in Biomedical Engineering | 2 |
| BMEN 340 | Biochemistry with Engineering Applications | 4 |
| BMEN 363 | Biomedical Instrumentation | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 24-26 | |
Biomedical Engineering Major Electives (12 hours)
Students must take 12 credit hours of Biomedical Engineering electives. Of these 12 credit hours, at most 3 credit hours may come from BMEN 499. Undergraduate courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement are listed below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMEN 212 | Fundamentals of Biomedical Systems (must be passed with a grade of C or better) | 3 |
| BMEN 263 | Introduction to Biomechanics | 3 |
| BMEN 290 | Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems | 3 |
| BMEN 342 | Infectious Disease & Immunology for Biomedical Engineers | 3 |
| BMEN 346 | Medical Microbiology for Biomedical Engineers | 3 |
| BMEN 389 | Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering for Undergraduates | 1-3 |
| BMEN 392 | Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering | 3 |
| BMEN 499 | Independent Research | 1-3 |
| BMEN 532 | Micro/nanofluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip | 3 |
| BMEN 537 | Bio Nano/Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems | 3 |
| BMEN 546 | Delivery of Bioactive Agents | 3 |
| BMEN 547 | Immunoengineering | 3 |
| BMEN 548 | Cardiovascular System: From Development to Disease | 3 |
| BMEN 565 | Advanced Biomechanics | 3 |
| BMEN 572 | Tissue Engineering | 3 |
| BMEN 575 | Engineering of Soft Materials | 3 |
| BMEN 589 | Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering | 1-3 |
| ECHE 430 | Chemical Engineering Kinetics | 3 |
| EMCH 580 | Mechanics of Solid Biomaterials | 3 |
| EXSC 335 | Biomechanics of Human Movement | 3 |
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.