Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering to the challenges of human health and medicine, developing the devices, materials, diagnostic tools and therapeutic systems that modern healthcare depends on. It is a field at the frontier of two major human endeavours, engineering and medicine, and it demands practitioners who can move fluently between the language of biological systems and the language of design, analysis and manufacture. Medical devices from prosthetics and pacemakers to diagnostic imaging equipment and drug delivery systems are all products of biomedical engineering, and the field continues to expand as the possibilities of materials science, electronics and computational biology advance.
At the University of Kent this three-year, full-time programme develops your understanding of the engineering and biological science foundations of the field, covering topics including mechanics, electronics, biomaterials, cell biology, physiology, signal processing, medical imaging and the design of medical devices. You will engage with the full range of engineering disciplines, from mechanical and electrical engineering through to materials and computational methods, learning how to apply these to biomedical problems in ways that meet the demanding safety, regulatory and ethical standards of the healthcare industry. The programme draws on the university's connections with healthcare providers and industry to ensure that your learning is grounded in real clinical and commercial contexts.
Graduates of biomedical engineering programmes work in the medical device industry, NHS clinical engineering departments, research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, regulatory agencies and medical technology consultancies. Roles span research and development, design engineering, clinical applications, quality assurance and regulatory affairs. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in biomedical engineering, materials science, clinical engineering or related fields, and some pursue careers in clinical practice with additional healthcare training.