Biomedical Engineering - BEng (Hons)

This is an archived course for 2021 entry
2023 courses

This cross-disciplinary programme is designed for students with a strong interest in engineering and bio-medicine. Drawing from our established expertise in engineering technologies and from the research synergies with the School of Biosciences, this degree produces engineers with a solid knowledge in biology and medical science.

Overview

This degree utilises the School of Engineering’s experience in developing medical-electronic systems, and the considerable research expertise within the School of Biosciences. Our teaching is based on leading-edge research using case studies which incorporate hot topics within industry and emerging technologies.

Our programme is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), which enables fast-track career progression as a professional engineer.

Our degree programme

Business and research environments, such as biotechnology, increasingly require engineers who can design complete solutions involving complex integrated systems. Biomedical Engineering at Kent goes beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and educates engineers that can develop systems used in medical practice and biology research.

In the first year, you are given a broad grounding in biomedical engineering, including digital technologies, biochemistry, electronics, molecular and cellular biology, robotics and engineering mathematics. You also undertake laboratory-based practical work in both electronics and biology.

In the second year and final years, you study compulsory and optional modules that build upon the material learnt in the first year. Subjects include biomechanics, human physiology, bioinformatics and genomics, medical physics, programming and product development. You also complete a design or development-based engineering project.

Throughout the degree, you complete practical work, building bioscience-related electronic devices under the supervision of academics from engineering and biosciences. You also attend seminars delivered by experts in biomedical engineering working in private companies, research centres or NHS institutions.

Year in industry

It is possible to take this programme with a year in industry. For details, see Biomedical Engineering with a Year in Industry.

Study resources

We provide first-class facilities to support your studies, including:

  • 120-seat multi-purpose engineering laboratory
  • four air-conditioned computer suites housing around 150 high-end computers
  • CAD and development software
  • PCB and surface-mount facilities
  • an anechoic chamber
  • mechanical workshop staffed with skilled mechanical engineers.

Kent's School of Engineering has recently undergone a £3 million redevelopment and modernisation called the Jennison Design Hub, whereby you gain state-of-the-art engineering and design facilities which include:

  • a virtual reality suite
  • a production studio (including photography, video and green screen facilities)
  • a large teaching and design studio
  • engineering workshop and fabrication facilities
  • a dedicated makerspace.

Extra activities

There are a number of student-led societies at Kent which you may want to join. These include

  • UKC Digital Media
  • Kent Engineering Society
  • TinkerSoc – Kent’s Maker Society.

Professional network

The School has strong links with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). We have several visiting industrial professors who contribute to the strong industrial relevance of our programmes.

Featured video

We have 24-hour access to the computer labs, and that’s really, really helpful.

Camilla Felici - Biomedical Engineering BEng

Entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

  • medal-empty

    A level

    AAB - BBB including Mathematics at B plus at least one other science subject (preferably Biology, Physics, Electronics, Chemistry or Computing).

  • medal-empty Access to HE Diploma

    The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

    If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

  • medal-empty BTEC Nationals

    DDD - DMM in an Engineering subject including Further Maths/Further Maths for Engineering Technicians. Other subjects are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances.

  • medal-empty International Baccalaureate

    34 points overall or 15 points at HL, including Mathematics (not Mathematics Studies) 5 at HL or 6 or at SL or HL Maths: Analysis and Approaches at 5 (not Applications and Interpretations) and one other science subject 5 at HL or 6 at SL (preferably Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Computing).

  • medal-empty International Foundation Programme

    Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average and no grade lower than 60% in Fundamentals of Human Biology and Life Sciences. The required grade for mathematics must be achieved prior to entry (A level grade B minimum or equivalent).

Please contact the School for more information at CEMSadmissions@kent.ac.uk 

International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time

Modules 

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Stage 1

Compulsory modules currently include

EL313 - Introduction to Programming (15 credits)

EL323 - Engineering Design and Mechanics (15 credits)

BI307 - Human Physiology and Disease (15 credits)

EL305 - Introduction to Electronics (15 credits)

EL311 - First Year Engineering Applications Project (15 credits)

EL315 - Digital Technologies (15 credits)

EL318 - Engineering Mathematics (15 credits)

EL319 - Engineering Analysis (15 credits)

Stage 2

Compulsory modules currently include

BI513 - Human Physiology and Disease II (15 credits)

EL517 - Control and Mechatronics (15 credits)

EL577 - Entrepreneurship and Professional Development (15 credits)

EL516 - Biomechanics (15 credits)

EL515 - Physiological Measurements (15 credits)

EL561 - Image Analysis and Applications (15 credits)

EL562 - Engineering Group Project (15 credits)

EL519 - Introduction to Fluid Dynamics (15 credits)

Stage 3

Compulsory modules currently include

EL640 - Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)

EL600 - Project (15 credits)

EL614 - Biomaterials (15 credits)

EL683 - Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) (15 credits)

EL676 - Digital Signal Processing and Control (15 credits)

Optional modules may include

EL522 - Design & Manufacturing Technology (15 credits)

EL677 - Communication Network and IoT (15 credits)

PH513 - Medical Physics (15 credits)

EL509 - Virtual Reality (15 credits)

Fees

The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:

  • Home full-time £9,250
  • EU full-time £15,400
  • International full-time £20,500

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Additional costs

There are no mandatory course-specific costs but please refer to our general additional costs page.

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

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University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. 

The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching/learning

Lectures; tutorial lectures; demonstrator-led examples classes; tutor-led small group supervisions; project work; laboratory experiments and computer-based assignments.  Case studies on industry hot topics and emerging technologies. In particular the first, second and third-year projects give hands-on experience of electronic design and project management.

Problem-solving workshops allow you to develop skills in applying biomedical knowledge to solution of problems. Practical classes teach specific laboratory skills and demonstrate how they can be used to investigate biomedical systems.

Assessment

Written unseen examinations; assessed coursework in the form of examples, class assignments, laboratory write-ups, assessed project work, assignments and essays and class tests.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • Educate students to become engineers who are well equipped for professional careers in development, research and production in industry and universities, and who are well adapted to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing subject.
  • Produce professional engineers skilled in Biomedical engineering with a well-balanced knowledge of Electronic System Engineering.
  • Provide proper academic guidance and welfare support for all students.
  • Create an atmosphere of co-operation and partnership between staff and students, and offer the students an environment where they can develop their potential.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • Mathematical principles relevant to bioengineering
  • Scientific principles and methodology relevant to bioengineering
  • Advanced concepts of instrumentation and systems engineering.
  • The value of intellectual property and contractual issues
  • Business and management techniques which may be used to achieve engineering objectives
  • The need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering 
  • Current manufacturing practice with particular emphasis on product safety and EMC standards and directives
  • Characteristics of materials, equipment, processes and products 
  • Appropriate codes of practice, industry standards and quality issues
  • Contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied 
  • The structure, function and control of the human body
  • The main metabolic pathways used in biological systems in catabolism and anabolism, understanding biological reactions in chemical terms
  • The variety of mechanisms by which metabolic pathways can be controlled and the way that they can be co-ordinated with changes in the physiological environment
  • The main principles of cell and molecular biology, biochemistry and microbiology
  • Immunological disease/disorders
  • The main methods for communicating information on biomedical sciences

Intellectual skills

You gain the following intellectual abilities:

  • Analysis and solution of problems in bioengineering using appropriate mathematical methods
  • Ability to apply and integrate knowledge and understanding of other engineering and bioscience disciplines to support study of bioengineering
  • Use of engineering and bioscience principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key bioengineering processes
  • Ability to identify, classify and describe the performance of systems and components through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques
  • Ability to apply and understand a systems approach to bioengineering problems
  • Ability to investigate and define a problem and identify constraints including cost drivers, economic, environmental, health and safety and risk assessment issues
  • Ability to use creativity to establish innovative, aesthetic solutions whilst understanding customer and user needs, ensuring fitness for purpose of all aspects of the problem including production, operation, maintenance and disposal
  • Ability to demonstrate the economic and environmental context of the engineering solution
  • Integrate scientific evidence, to formulate and test hypotheses
  • Recognise the moral and ethical issues of biomedical investigations and appreciate the need for ethical standards and professional codes of conduct

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following:

  • Use of mathematical techniques to analyse problems in bioengineering.
  • Ability to work in an engineering laboratory environment and to use a wide range of electronic equipment, workshop equipment and CAD tools for the practical realisation of electronic circuits
  • Ability to work with technical uncertainty
  • Ability to apply quantitative methods and computer software relevant to engineering in order to solve bioengineering problems
  • Ability to design electronic circuits or systems to fulfil a product specification and devise tests to appraise performance.
  • Awareness of the nature of intellectual property and contractual issues and an understanding of appropriate codes of practice and industry standards
  • Ability to use technical literature and other information sources and apply it to a design 
  • Ability to apply management techniques to the planning, resource allocation and execution of a design project and evaluate outcomes
  • Ability to prepare technical reports and presentations.

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in the following:

  • Ability to generate, analyse, present and interpret data
  • Use of Information and Communications Technology
  • Personal and interpersonal skills, work as a member of a team
  • Communicate effectively (in writing, verbally and through drawings)
  • Learn effectively for the purpose of continuing professional development
  • Ability for critical thinking, reasoning and reflection
  • Ability to manage time and resources within an individual project and a group project

Independent rankings

Biological Sciences at Kent was ranked 24th out of 103 institutions in The Complete University Guide 2021. It was also ranked 5th for graduate prospects.

Careers

Graduate destinations

The School of Engineering has an excellent record of student employability. Previous graduates have gone on to careers in:

  • design of electronic and computer systems
  • software engineering
  • real-time industrial control systems
  • computer communications networks.

Other graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

  • BAE Systems
  • RAF
  • CISCO
  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (MOD).

Help finding a job

The School of Engineering holds an annual Employability and Careers Day where you can meet local and national employers and discuss career opportunities. Ongoing support is provided by the School's dedicated Employability Officer.

The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:

  • apply for jobs
  • write a good CV
  • perform well in interviews.

Career-enhancing skills

Alongside specialist skills, you also develop the transferable skills graduate employers look for, including the ability to:

  • think critically 
  • communicate your ideas and opinions 
  • work independently and as part of a team.

You can gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.

Professional recognition

Our programme is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), which enables fast-track career progression as a professional engineer.

Apply for Biomedical Engineering - BEng (Hons)

This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk

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