Biomedical Engineering
79 courses · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026
BME 1 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 3
Introduction to the central topics of biomedical engineering. Offers a perspective on bioengineering as a discipline in a seminar format. Principles of problem solving, design, engineering inventiveness, entrepreneurship, information access, communication, ethics, teamwork, and social responsibility are emphasized.
BME 3 Engineering Innovations in Treating Diabetes
- Units
- 4
Innovations in diabetes treatment from the 1800s until the present: purification of insulin, measuring and control of blood glucose, recombinant DNA, clinical trials, and ethics. Solving optimization problems in engineering with Excel.
BME 50A Cell and Molecular Engineering
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- CHEM 1C or CHEM H2C
Molecular, structural, genetic, biophysical, and cellular principles of life and bioengineering. Introduction to molecular bioengineering, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and cell biology. Applications to genetic and biomolecular design.
BME 50B Cell and Molecular Engineering
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 50A
Physiological function from a cellular, molecular, and biophysical perspective. Introduction to genetics, structure and function of cells and tissues, cell cycle control, cancer, and immunology.
BME 60A Engineering Analysis/Design: Data Acquisition
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- PHYSICS 7D
Fundamentals of data acquisition programming, basics of computer-based experimentation, establishing interface between computer and data acquisition instrumentation, signal conditioning basics. Materials Fee
BME 60B Engineering Analysis/Design: Data Analysis
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- MATH 3A (may be taken concurrently)
Overview of MATLAB; numeric, cell, and structure arrays; file management; plotting and model building; solving linear algebraic equations; signal and image processing. Materials Fee
BME 60C Engineering Analysis/Design: Computer-Aided Design
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 1 (may be taken concurrently)
Introduction to SolidWorks and Computer-Aided Design software; design; analysis; rapid prototyping; visualization and presentation; manufacturing planning. Materials Fee
BME 98 The Heart of MedTech: Innovation and Career Discovery
- Units
- 2
Offers a real-world look at how medical devices are developed, from concept to market. Topics include manufacturing, regulatory, marketing, supply chain, and intellectual property.
BME 110A Biomechanics I
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- PHYSICS 7C and MATH 3A and MATH 3D and BME 60B
- Corequisite
- BME 60B
Introduction to statics and dynamics. Topics include rigid bodies, analysis of structures, forces in beams, moments of inertia, friction, kinetics, work, and energy.
BME 110B Biomechanics II
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 110A
Introduction to biomechanics from subcellular to tissue levels. Introduction to stress, strain, and constitutive laws of cells and tissues. Emphasis is placed on biosolids. Introduction to elastic and viscoelastic behaviors with emphasis on the standard linear model of viscoelasticity.
BME 110C Biomechanics III
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 110B
Introduction to human biomechanics with emphasis on cardiovascular biomechanics and biofluid mechanics.
BME 111 Design of Biomaterials
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 50B or BIO SCI 99) and CHEM 1C
- Corequisite
- BME 50B or BIO SCI 99
Natural and synthetic polymeric materials. Metal and ceramics implant materials. Mechanical properties, degradation, surface characterization, and design of materials. Wound repair, blood clotting, foreign body response, biocompatibility of material. Artificial organs and medical devices. Government regulations.
BME 112 Finite Element Modeling for Bioengineers
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 60B and BME 60C and BME 110A
Introduction to finite-element simulation; fundamentals of Multiphysics simulation; essential skills in performing simulations with COMSOL®.
BME 114 Genetic Engineering and Synthetic Biology
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (CHEM 1C or CHEM H2C) and MATH 3D and BME 50A and BME 50B
Exploring how biological function can be engineered and "synthesized" from the DNA level up.
BME 120 Sensory Motor Systems
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 60B or EECS 10 or EECS 12 or ENGRCEE 20 or ENGRMAE 10) and MATH 3D and PHYSICS 7D
A quantitative and systems approach to understanding physiological systems. Systems covered include the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
BME 121 Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 60B or EECS 10 or EECS 12 or ENGRCEE 20 or ENGRMAE 10) and MATH 3D and BME 150 and BME 110A
A quantitative and systems approach to understanding physiological systems. Systems covered include the cardiopulmonary, circulatory, and renal systems.
BME 126 Astronaut Physiology: Biomedical Engineering for Space
- Units
- 4
Applies engineering principles to physiological microgravity adaptation. Qualitative symptoms are analyzed, producing quantitative measurements for assessing countermeasures. Students (voluntarily) experience simulated microgravity (parabolic flight) or hypergravity (high angle turns) in single engine aircraft. Materials Fee
BME 130 Biomedical Signals and Systems
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 60B and (MATH 3A or I&C SCI 6N) and MATH 3D. Recommended: STATS 8
- Corequisite
- BME 60B
Analysis of analog and digital biomedical signals; Fourier Series expansions; difference and differential equations; convolutions. System models: discrete-time and continuous-time linear time-invariant systems; Laplace and Fourier transforms. Analysis of signals and systems using computer programs.
BME 132 Introduction to Computational Biology
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- MATH 2D or MATH 3A or STATS 7 or STATS 8
The use of theories and methods based on computer science, mathematics, and physics in molecular biology and biochemistry. Basics in biomolecular modeling. Analysis of sequence and structural data of biomolecules. Analysis of biomolecular functions.
BME 135 Photomedicine
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- PHYSICS 3C or PHYSICS 7D
Studies the use of optical and engineering-based systems (laser-based) for diagnosis, treating diseases, manipulation of cells and cell function. Physical, optical, and electro-optical principles are explored regarding molecular, cellular, organ, and organism applications.
BME 136 Engineering Medical Optics
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- PHYSICS 7E or PHYSICS 3C
Principles of optics and photonics, integration of optical components into systems and devices, and analysis of physiological signals obtained from Biophotonics measurements.
BME 137 Introduction to Biomedical Imaging
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 130 or EECS 50 or EECS 150
Introduction to imaging modalities widely used in medicine and biology, including X-ray, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine (PET and SPET), ultrasonic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical tomography, imaging contrast, imaging processing, and complementary nature of the imaging modalities.
BME 138 Spectroscopy and Imaging of Biological Systems
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (MATH 3A or I&C SCI 6N) and MATH 3D. Recommended: STATS 8
Principles of spectroscopy; absorption; molecular orbitals; multiphoton transitions; Jablonski diagram; fluorescence anisotropy; fluorescence decay; quenching; FRET; excited state reactions; solvent relaxations; instruments; microscopy: wide field, LSM, TPE; fluorescent probes, fluctuations spectroscopy; optical resolution and super-resolution; CARS and SHG microscopy.
BME 140 Design of Biomedical Electronics
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 60A and BME 130
Analog and digital circuits in bioinstrumentation. AC and DC circuit analysis, design and construction of filter and amplifiers using operational amplifier, digitization of signals and data acquisition, bioelectrical signals, design and construction of ECG instrument, bioelectrical signal measurement and analysis. Materials Fee
BME 142 Microfabrication
- Units
- 4
Essentials of photolithography, soft-lithography, microfabrication, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), BioMEMS; applications in biomedical engineering.
BME 147 Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 110C
Introduction to principles of microfluidics and state-of-the-art micro Total Analysis Systems (uTAS). Lab-on-a-Chip for bimolecular assays with device design principles for microscale sample preparation, flow transport, bimolecular manipulation, separation and detection, and the technologies for integrating these devices into microsystems.
BME 148 Microimplants
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 111
Essential concepts of biomedical implants at the micro scale. Design, fabrication, and applications of several microimplantable devices including cochlear, retinal, neural, and muscular implants.
BME 150 Biotransport Phenomena
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 60B or ENGRCEE 20) and MATH 3D and CHEM 1C and PHYSICS 7E and MATH 2D
- Corequisite
- BME 60B or ENGRCEE 20
Fundamentals of heat and mass transfer, similarities in the respective rate equations. Emphasis on practical application of fundamental principles.
BME 160 Tissue Engineering
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 50B or BIO SCI 99) and BME 111 and BME 121 and BME 150
Quantitative analysis of cell and tissue functions. Emerging developments in stem cell technology, biodegradable scaffolds, growth factors, and others important in developing clinical products. Applications of bioengineering.
BME 161 Introduction to Modern Bioengineering Tools
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- (BME 50A and BME 50B) or (BIO SCI 97 and BIO SCI 98 and BIO SCI 99)
A broad picture of diverse modern bioengineering tools, including genetic engineering and its risks to society, how to sequence DNA/RNA molecules with single base resolution, how to manipulate small biomolecules one at a time.
BME 170 Biomedical Engineering Laboratory
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 50B and BME 120 and BME 130
Measurement and analysis of biological systems using engineering tools and techniques. Laboratory experiments involve living systems with the emphasis on measuring physiological parameters. Materials Fee
BME 179 Biomedical Engineering Design: Addressing Unmet Clinical Needs
- Units
- 1
Introduction to unmet clinical needs identification and evaluation in biomedical engineering design.
BME 180A Biomedical Engineering Design
- Units
- 3
- Prerequisite
- (BME 60B or ENGRMAE 10 or EECS 10) and (BME 60C or ENGRMAE 52 or EECS 31L) and (BME 140 or ENGRMAE 106 or EECS 170B) and BME 179. BME 180A, BME 180B, and BME 180C must be taken in the same academic year
Design strategies, techniques, tools, and protocols commonly encountered in biomedical engineering; industrial design experience in group projects; ethics, economic analysis, and FDA product approval. Materials Fee
BME 180B Biomedical Engineering Design
- Units
- 3
- Prerequisite
- BME 180A. BME 180A, BME 180B, and BME 180C must be taken in the same academic year
Design strategies, techniques, tools, and protocols commonly encountered in biomedical engineering; industrial design experience in group projects; ethics, economic analysis, and FDA product approval. Materials Fee
BME 180C Biomedical Engineering Design
- Units
- 3
- Prerequisite
- BME 180B. BME 180A, BME 180B, and BME 180C must be taken in the same academic year
Design strategies, techniques, tools, and protocols commonly encountered in biomedical engineering; industrial design experience in group projects; ethics, economic analysis, and FDA product approval. Materials Fee
BME 195 Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 1-4
- Prerequisite
- Prerequisites vary
Studies in selected areas of Biomedical Engineering. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
BME 197 Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 2
Presentation of advanced topics and reports of current research efforts in Biomedical Engineering.
BME 198 Biomedical Engineering Internship
- Units
- 2-12
Students majoring in BME may receive credit for an approved internship, working at a company under the supervision of an industry mentor and a faculty advisor. Enables students to gain valuable experience in a professional setting and enhance their skills.
BME 199 Individual Study
- Units
- 1-4
Independent research conducted in the lab of a biomedical engineering core faculty member. A formal written report of the research conducted is required at the conclusion of the quarter.
BME 199P Individual Study
- Units
- 1-4
Supervised independent reading, research, or design for undergraduate Engineering majors. Students taking individual study for design credit are to submit a written paper to the instructor and to the Undergraduate Student Affairs Office in the School of Engineering.
BME 201P Biomedical Big Data
- Units
- 4
Analysis and visualization of large biomedical datasets. Topics covered include cloud computing, learning Structured Query Language (SQL), database normalization and joins, using Google’s BigQuery, using the statistical analysis package R, machine learning algorithms, application of machine learning for classification problems.
BME 202P Biomedical Imaging and Biophotonics
- Units
- 4
Designed as a subfield of optical imaging and biophotonics as it applies to their applications to basic lifesciences and in vivo imaging to diagnose disease. Topics span all of of the areas of biophotonics and techniques.
BME 203P Digital Health
- Units
- 4
Digital health is the convergence of genomics and technology to radically change the way health and medicine is practiced. Explores the history of healthcare in the U.S., its current status, and the future of digital health.
BME 210 Molecular and Cellular Engineering
- Units
- 4
Engineering of physiological function at the genetic, cellular, and tissue scales. Topics include cloning and genetic engineering, extracellular matrix biomaterials, principles of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and experimental design.
BME 210P Molecular and Cellular Engineering
- Units
- 4
Engineering of physiological function at the genetic, cellular, and tissue scales. Topics include cloning and genetic engineering, extracellular matrix biomaterials, principles of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and experimental design.
BME 211 Microscale Tissue Engineering
- Units
- 4
Engineering of physiological function at the scale of individual cells. Topics include cell micropatterning, microfluidic tissue culture, engineering the cellular microenvironment, and microphysiological systems.
BME 211P Microscale Tissue Engineering
- Units
- 4
Engineering of physiological function at the scale of individual cells. Topics include cell micropatterning, microfluidic tissue culture, engineering the cellular microenvironment, and microphysiological systems.
BME 212 Cardiovascular Mechanobiology
- Units
- 4
Advanced topics in cellular engineering and mechanobiology, with focus on the cardiovascular system. Tools and techniques used to manipulate and measure mechanical forces at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels, and their applications in cardiovascular devices and tissue engineering.
BME 212P Cardiovascular Mechanobiology
- Units
- 4
Advanced topics in cellular engineering and mechanobiology, with focus on the cardiovascular system. Tools and techniques used to manipulate and measure mechanical forces at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels, and their applications in cardiovascular devices and tissue engineering.
BME 213 Systems Cell and Developmental Biology
- Units
- 4
Introduces concepts needed to understand cell and developmental biology at the systems level, i.e., how the parts (molecules) work together to create a complex output. Emphasis on using mathematical/computational modeling to expand/modify insights provided by intuition.
BME 215 Linking Modeling and Experiments in Bioengineering
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- BME 220 with a minimum grade of B- and BME 221 with a minimum grade of B-
Overview of modeling based on experimental techniques in bioengineering. Construct and evaluate models of varying complexity and to relate them to experimental data.
BME 220 Sensory Motor Systems
- Units
- 4
A quantitative and systems approach to understanding physiological systems. Systems covered include the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
BME 220P Sensory Motor Systems
- Units
- 4
A quantitative and systems approach to understanding physiological systems. Systems covered include the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
BME 221 Organ Transport Systems
- Units
- 4
A quantitative and systems approach to understanding physiological systems. Systems covered include the cardiopulmonary, circulatory, and renal systems.
BME 221P Organ Transport Systems
- Units
- 4
Applies engineering models and mathematics to understand human physiology in order to understand the physiology. Covers the pulmonary, cardiac, and cardiovascular systems focusing on transport phenomena.
BME 226 Astronaut Physiology: Biomedical Engineering for Space
- Units
- 4
Applies engineering principles to physiological microgravity adaptation. Qualitative symptoms are analyzed, producing quantitative measurements for assessing countermeasures. Students experience simulated microgravity (parabolic flight) or hypergravity (high angle turns) in single engine aircraft. Materials Fee
BME 230A Applied Engineering Mathematics I
- Units
- 4
Analytical techniques applied to engineering problems in transport phenomena, process dynamics and control, and thermodynamics.
BME 230B Applied Engineering Mathematics II
- Units
- 4
Focuses on biomedical system identification. Includes fundamental techniques of model building and testing such as formulation, solution of governing equations, sensitivity theory, identifiability theory, and uncertainty analysis.
BME 232 Introduction to Computational Biology
- Units
- 4
The use of theories and methods based on computer science, mathematics, and physics in molecular biology and biochemistry. Basics in biomolecular modeling. Analysis of sequence and structural data of biomolecules. Analysis of biomolecular functions.
BME 233 Dynamic Systems in Biology and Medicine
- Units
- 4
Introduces principles of system theory to analyze biological, biochemical, physiological, and bioengineering systems. Analytical and computational tools are used to model and analyze dynamic systems such as population, neuronal and heart dynamics, biochemical and physiological systems, oxygen diffusion and similar.
BME 233P Dynamic Systems in Biology and Medicine
- Units
- 4
Introduces the elements of system theory, and applies these principles to analyze biomedical, chemical, social, and engineering systems. Using analytical and computational tools to model and analyze various dynamic systems.
BME 234 Neuroimaging Data Analysis
- Units
- 4
Knowledge and understanding of recent techniques for the analysis of healthy and pathological structure and function in neuroimaging data.
BME 234P Neuroimaging Data Analysis
- Units
- 4
Knowledge and understanding of recent techniques for the analysis of healthy and pathological structure and function in neuroimaging data.
BME 235 Analysis of Neural Time Series
- Units
- 4
Hands-on introduction to techniques for the analysis of neural time series data, with a primary focus on the electroencephalogram (EEG). Topics may include the physiological basis of EEG, time-frequency analysis, spatial filtering, and methods of assessing connectivity.
BME 238 Spectroscopy and Imaging of Biological Systems
- Units
- 4
Principles of spectroscopy; absorption; molecular orbitals; multiphoton transitions; Jablonski diagram; fluorescence anisotropy; fluorescence decay; quenching; FRET; excited state reactions; solvent relaxations; instruments; microscopy: wide field, LSM, TPE; fluorescent probes, fluctuations spectroscopy; optical resolution and super-resolution; CARS and SHG microscopy.
BME 238P Spectroscopy and Imaging of Biological Systems
- Units
- 4
Principles of spectroscopy; absorption; molecular orbitals; multiphoton transitions; Jablonski diagram; fluorescence anisotropy; fluorescence decay; quenching; FRET; excited state reactions; solvent relaxations; instruments; microscopy: wide field, LSM, TPE; fluorescent probes, fluctuations spectroscopy; optical resolution and super-resolution; CARS and SHG microscopy.
BME 240 Introduction to Clinical Medicine for Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 4
An introduction to clinical medicine for graduate students in biomedical engineering. Lectures and rotations through nephology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, and critical care cardiology.
BME 240P Introduction to Clinical Medicine for Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 4
An introduction to clinical medicine for graduate students in biomedical engineering. Lectures and rotations through nephology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, and critical care cardiology.
BME 251 Engineering Medical Optics
- Units
- 4
Principles of optics and photonics, integration of optical components into systems and devices, and analysis of physiologic signals obtained from Biophotonics measurements.
BME 251P Engineering Medical Optics
- Units
- 4
Principles of optics and photonics, integration of optical components into systems and devices, and analysis of physiologic signals obtained from Biophotonics measurements.
BME 255 Cardiovascular Devices
- Units
- 4
Cardiovascular implants, the science around those, regulatory affairs, and cardiovascular device market and related business opportunities. Students form practice startups around a clinical unmet need and use their knowledge from the course to plan it accordingly.
BME 260P Microfluids and Lab-on-a-Chip
- Units
- 4
Introduction to microfluidics and state-of-the-art micro Total Analysis Systems (uTAS). Lab-on-a-Chip for biomolecular assays with device design principles for microscale sample preparation, flow transport, biolmolecular manipulation, separation and detection, and the technologies for integrating these devices into microsystems.
BME 262P Microimplants
- Units
- 4
Essential concepts of biomedical implants at the micro scale. Design, fabrication, and applications of several microimplantable devices including cochlear, retinal, neural, and muscular implants.
BME 295 Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 1-4
- Prerequisite
- Prerequisites vary
Studies in selected areas of Biomedical Engineering. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
BME 295P Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 4
- Prerequisite
- Prerequisites vary
Studies in selected areas of Biomedical Engineering. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
BME 296 Master of Science Thesis Research
- Units
- 1-16
Individual research or investigation conducted in the pursuit of preparing and completing the thesis required for the M.S. in Engineering.
BME 297 Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Research
- Units
- 1-16
Individual research or investigation conducted in the pursuit of preparing and completing the dissertation required for the Ph.D. in Engineering.
BME 298 Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
- Units
- 2
Presentation of advanced topics and reports of current research efforts in biomedical engineering. Designed for graduate students in the Biomedical Engineering program.
BME 299 Individual Research
- Units
- 1-16
Individual research or investigation under the direction of an individual faculty.