Biomedical Engineering Option

The undergraduate curriculum allows Electrical Engineering majors to specialize in one of three emphasis areas or options. The three options are structured as an Electrical Engineering degree and the only degree offered by the Electrical Engineering Department to undergraduates is the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. No distinction is made among the three options.

The electrical engineering (EE) option is the regular option providing students with preparation in electrical engineering with a range of required and elective courses across several disciplines.

The Computer Engineering (CE) option provides students with preparation in embedded systems, and software and hardware issues. Students replace some of the senior courses in the regular EE option with computer engineering-oriented courses or computer science courses.

The Biomedical Engineering (BE) option provides students with exposure to additional chemistry and life sciences courses and helps them meet most of the pre-med preparation requirements so that students will be prepared for careers in bio-engineering, medicine, or electrical engineering.

The programs requirements for students following the Biomedical Engineering option are as follows.

General Education

For information on University and General Education requirements, visit this page.

Preparation for the Major

Required:
Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL; Computer Science 31; Electrical Engineering 1, 2, 3, 10, M16 (or Computer Science M51A); Life Sciences 2, 3; Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, 33B; Physics 1A, 1B, 4AL, 4BL.

The Major

Required:
Electrical Engineering 101, 102, 103, 110, 110L, 113, 115A, 115AL, 131A, Mathematics 132, Statistics 105; three breadth courses (12 units) selected from an approved list available in the HSSEAS Office of Academic and Student Affairs; and three major field elective courses (12 units), one design course (4 units), and one laboratory course (2 units) selected from the biomedical engineering pathway as follows:

• Three major field electives from Electrical Engineering 132A, 141, and 176 or Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 105A.

• One design course from Electrical Engineering 113D or 180D.

• One laboratory course from Biomedical Engineering CM186C or Electrical Engineering M171L (or by petition from 194 or 199).

Policy regarding EE194 and EE199 courses

This policy applies to all majors (electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer engineering). Upon approval by the department advisor, students may use one EE194 or one EE199 (minimum 2 units and maximum 4 units) to satisfy degree requirements. The EE194 or EE199 units used in this way are only allowed to replace the laboratory course requirement within the student’s selected pathway as described above. The theme of the EE194 or EE199 work must be related to the student’s pathway. Additional EE194s and 199s will not satisfy any other degree requirement. At most one EE194 or EE199 course will be included in the Major Field GPA. The grade for the EE194 or EE199 course used to satisfy a degree requirement must be included in the Major Field GPA.