Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering to the understanding and solution of problems in medicine and biology. It is a discipline born of the recognition that the bodies of knowledge that underpin engineering and the life sciences can be powerfully combined, and that doing so opens up technologies and therapies that neither discipline could produce alone. Medical imaging systems, prosthetic limbs, cardiac devices, diagnostic instruments, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering scaffolds are all products of biomedical engineering thinking.
At Aston University, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, making it one of the most practically engaged biomedical engineering degrees available. The sandwich year places you in a professional setting for an extended period, which gives you industry experience that is genuinely distinctive on your record when you graduate. The year abroad adds international breadth, allowing you to encounter biomedical research and clinical engineering in a different national context.
You will study engineering science, including mechanics, electronics, materials, and systems modelling, alongside biological sciences, physiology, and the clinical contexts in which biomedical devices and systems are used.
The degree develops your ability to work across disciplinary boundaries, drawing on physics, mathematics, biology, and clinical knowledge simultaneously to address problems that do not respect the borders between subjects. You will develop strong quantitative and computational skills, the ability to design and evaluate devices and systems rigorously, and an understanding of the regulatory environment in which medical technologies are developed and approved.
Biomedical engineering graduates are sought across the medical devices industry, the pharmaceutical sector, hospitals and NHS trusts, research institutes, and the growing field of digital health. Roles in device design, clinical engineering, research and development, regulatory affairs, and technical sales are all accessible. The combination of engineering rigour and biological understanding also opens routes into postgraduate research, whether a taught masters or a PhD in biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, medical imaging, or related fields.
Chartership through professional engineering bodies is the typical professional development pathway for graduates entering industry.