Biomedical Engineering BEng
3-4 years
Biomedical Engineering transforms healthcare through customised medical devices, prosthetics, and even organs to improve people’s lives. We integrate practical skills and expertise in engineering and life sciences that takes you to the forefront of these latest medical technologies.
Start date:
Course information
Typical offer ABB
UCAS codes H500, H504, H501
International fee £24,500
Institute code L34
Taught by School of Engineering
Course description
Course description
- Do you want to build technology to help people overcome life-changing injuries and health conditions?
- Do you want to be part of a rapidly growing field that is at the forefront of innovative healthcare solutions?
That's Biomedical Engineering, transforming healthcare through customised medical devices, prosthetics, and even organs to improve people’s lives.
This BEng in Biomedical Engineering provides a comprehensive education in engineering technology combined with deeper understanding of human biology to enable you to build innovative rehabilitation technology and medical devices.
You will work alongside researchers at the leading edge of biomedical engineering to solve key problems and barriers to innovative healthcare technology.
We also have a 'with-industry' variant for a one-year placement in a MedTech/HealthTech company or hospital/clinic.
In Year 1 you will learn diverse core engineering technology skills to support you through the programmes: from mechanical engineering, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, engineering mathematics and programming, through to electrical engineering, digital electronics and communications. In parallel you will have the opportunity to explore human anatomy and physiology with biomedical engineering laboratories.
In Year 2 you will begin learning about medical technology and rehabilitation devices and how innovators get these to market. You will further your understanding engineering maths for system modelling and build expertise materials, bio-materials, control, mechatronics and embedded systems.
In Year 3 you will focus on latest technologies for wearable devices and prosthetics, covering machine learning algorithms for data analysis and biomechanics all of which are essential to building innovative healthcare
What's the difference?
Each of our Engineering subjects is available in six forms:
- BEng (3 years), BEng with Industry (4 years), BEng with Year Abroad (4 years)
- MEng (4 years), MEng with Industry (5 years), MEng with Year Abroad (5 years)
The MEng places greater emphasis on industrially-related project work, advanced technical content and leadership. The MEng shares its first three years with the corresponding BEng.
Accreditation
This programme is pending approval for Partial CEng/IEng accreditation by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Formal accreditation can only be granted after an accreditation visit and approval from the IET’s Academic Accreditation Committee. If accreditation is granted this may be backdated to the 2025 intake.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: ABB including Maths. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level. General Studies accepted.
- EPQ with A-levels: BBB + EPQ at grade B. A-level subjects to include Maths
- GCSEs: Grade C/4 in English Language.
- BTEC Nationals: DDM in Engineering including Further Maths at Distinction.
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30 points, with grade 5 in Maths HL. Must include minimum of grade 4 in English A or 5 in English B if minimum of grade 4/C not held in English Language at GCSE.
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass in Engineering Diploma with 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which are at Distinction. To include all level 3 Maths modules at Distinction.
- T Levels: Distinction in either: Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing or Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control (plus Maths test).
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you can apply for Engineering with Foundation Year BEng.
Second year entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the School of Engineering.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries ListFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
Tuition fees for 2025/26 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2024/25 were:
- £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,385 for that year
- Year in Industry: your fee will be £1,850 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £24,500 per year
- Year Abroad: £6,125, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
- Year in Industry: £3,675, which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Graduates can pursue careers in fields of medicine and engineering that lie at the frontier of innovative healthcare, MedTech and HealthTech, such as designing wearable devices to diagnose and treat disease, engineering tissues to repair wounds, developing cutting-edge prosthetics or developing AI algorithms for medical imaging.
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Facilities
You will have access to our electrical teaching labs, control systems labs, mechanics of materials labs, electronics project labs, VR motion tracking facility and specialised facilities for biomedical engineering experiments.
The School of Engineering has an Optitrack 3D motion capture and tracking laboratory that supports undergraduate modules in our Biomedical Engineering programme. For instance, you can use our motion tracking system for machine learning and data analysis of gait walking patterns, to support early diagnosis of diseases or to optimise the design of future prosthetics to flexibly support injury.
Our in-house VR facility supports modules to explore human anatomy.
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
- Sustainable Engineering Design
- Digital Electronics and Communications
- Principles of Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Mathematics with programming 1
- Solid Mechanics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Engineering Mathematics with programming 2
- Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
Core modules
- System Dynamics and Control
- Integrated Engineering Design
- Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers
- Engineering Management and Business Simulation
- Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering
- Engineering Management and Business Simulation
- Computational Engineering Methods
Option modules
Select one option module from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Optional Year Abroad or in Industry
Optional Year Abroad or in Industry
If you want to, you can spend the third year of the BEng studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement. Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years.
Year Abroad
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Year in Industry
If you choose a 'With Industry’ degree you will spend a year on an industrial placement with a sponsoring company between your second and third years at Leicester. You will undertake a programme of training and practical experience that is agreed between the sponsoring company and the University. Recent placements have included: Rolls-Royce, Force India F1 Team, Ford Motors, Intel UK, Network Rail, Porsche Engineering Services, Aero Engine Controls, Babcock International, Auto Electrical Services and Jaguar Land Rover.
A member of staff will be individually assigned to you as your industrial placement tutor, who will be in contact with you throughout your placement and will visit the sponsoring company. During the year you will return to Leicester to present details of your placement to other students studying for 'With industry' degrees.
A year in industry is a great opportunity which can give you first-hand experience of working in an engineering-related career while also enhancing your employability skills and allowing you to network with people in industry.
A year in industry still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year
Final Year
Core modules
- Individual Project
- Biological Imaging
- Biofluid mechanics
- Medical Devices and Prosthetics
- Computational Biology
- Biomechanics
Option modules
Select one option module from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester
This course emphasises the very latest advances in biomedical engineering technology focus across all key areas: A.I., biomaterials, biomechanics, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
The School of Engineering operates an Open Door policy meaning you can access support when you need it. We also keep our teaching groups small so you won't be a face in the crowd at Leicester.
Teaching and learning
Teaching
Teaching includes lectures and lab classes together with tutorials. For the practical aspects of the course you will work, with a partner or as part of a small team, in our well-equipped engineering labs. On your third year project you will work individually under the supervision of an academic member of staff.
Assessment
Continuous assessment of your experimentation, computing, design and project work will contribute about 30-50% of your overall mark, with the rest based on your performance in exams for each module. You will also be expected to give presentations about your work.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.
Academic support
Our Centre of Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | Attendance | UCAS Code | Start Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Biomedical Engineering | Qualification BEng | Duration 3 years | Attendance Full-time | UCAS Code H500 | Start Dates September each year | Availability How to apply |
| Course Biomedical Engineering with Year Abroad | Qualification BEng | Duration 4 years | Attendance Full-time | UCAS Code H504 | Start Dates September each year | Availability How to apply |
| Course Biomedical Engineering with Year in Industry | Qualification BEng | Duration 4 years | Attendance Full-time | UCAS Code H501 | Start Dates September each year | Availability How to apply |
