M.E. in Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of UVA’s Master of Engineering (ME) Program in Biomedical Engineering is to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and habits that will prepare them for a professional career in biomedical engineering or other problem-solving occupations, or for further graduate study. The ME Program in BME features a two-semester curriculum of carefully sequenced courses that give students the skills needed to develop and commercialize biomedical innovations. Students collaborate in teams to do hands-on engineering design projects and work closely with clinicians and other care providers to develop solutions to real medical problems. 

You will experience all these opportunities in the context of instruction and mentorship from BME and clinical faculty at one of the most translational biomedical engineering departments in the nation that is physically located in the UVA Medical Center. 

Students graduating with their ME Degree in BME will have: 

1. an awareness of their unique skills and expertise (i.e., their "superpowers") and how to market them, 
2. a job, or the next educational step, lined up and knowledge about what it will take to be successful in that job, or next educational step, before it starts, 
3. the habits of a successful professional, 
4. the ability to manage and collaborate with a diverse team to move a project from start to completion,
5. an understanding of the engineering design process in the context of biomedical industries, and
6. proficiency in identifying problems and solving problems. 

Applying is Free!

The School of Engineering and Applied Science is excited to announce that the GRE and standard application fee of $85 will be waived for 2025 admission to all our graduate programs. At UVA Engineering, our admissions process is designed to welcome a diverse, talented, ambitious and well-rounded pool of prospective graduate students. Admissions committees in each of our graduate programs review every applicant's entire package, looking for academic capabilities, research experiences, leadership and passion for his or her chosen field. Applicants are not required to submit a form or enter a code to receive the fee waiver, as it will be automatically applied to the application.

Unmatched Clinical Exposure

The UVA Department of Biomedical Engineering is located within a large regional medical center with top-ranked programs in a wide range of clinical specialties. You will observe physicians, nurses, and technical staff in the operating room, as well as at the bedside, gaining in-depth understanding of the way biomedical technology is embedded in clinical practice as well as the clinical, economic, and social factors that will shape the future of biomedical industries. Each student design team works closely throughout the 9-month duration of the program with their "Clinical Champion", who serves as mentor and facilitator for clinical immersion experiences.  

Emphasis on Biomedical Innovation

Moving technology into the marketplace has long been a department priority. Many of our BME faculty, students, and graduates are entrepreneurial and have founded and lead companies. The BME Department's Wallace H. Coulter Translational Research Center has an impressive record of bringing innovations discovered in BME at UVA into the marketplace. As a student in the ME Program, you’ll acquire the skills necessary for -- and participate in -- developing and commercializing biomedical innovations that solve clinical problems, bring hope to patients, and transform lives.

Design Informed by Clinical Data and Empathy 

Students build and strengthen skills in programming, machine learning/AI, and data analytics as applied to clinical data and electronic medical records to guide biomedical product development. Additionally, students learn how to integrate empathy as a core design principal into their engineered solutions by conducting stakeholder interviews, researching and discussing case studies, and through regular interactions with patients and medical providers in the clinical setting.  

Licensure Disclosure

• As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).
• Upon completion of an engineering degree program which prepares graduates for licensure or certification, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state. Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))
• Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only.  The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found here.