Biomedical Engineering with Professional Experience

Biomedical engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering to problems in medicine and healthcare, creating the devices, systems, and processes that underpin modern diagnosis and treatment. It encompasses the design of medical imaging systems, prosthetics and implants, diagnostic equipment, drug delivery systems, and the software and sensors used in patient monitoring. It is a discipline that sits at the boundary of the life sciences and engineering, requiring both biological understanding and rigorous engineering design skills, and its graduates contribute to some of the most significant advances in contemporary healthcare.

At the University of Reading, this four-year full-time programme incorporates professional experience within the degree, giving you direct exposure to biomedical engineering in a real professional or research context. You will study biology, anatomy, physiology, materials science, electronics, signal processing, biomechanics, and the mathematical and computational tools used in biomedical analysis and design. Laboratory and project work are central to the programme, allowing you to apply your engineering knowledge to real biomedical problems and develop the practical skills that employers in medical devices, clinical engineering, and healthcare technology require.

The professional experience element takes you into a working environment related to biomedical engineering, significantly strengthening your understanding of how the discipline operates in practice and your readiness for employment on graduation.

Biomedical engineering graduates work in medical device companies, the NHS clinical engineering departments, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and government bodies including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Roles include medical device design engineer, clinical engineer, regulatory affairs specialist, and research scientist. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in biomedical engineering, medical physics, or related clinical sciences, and some move into medical school after completing the degree.