Undergraduate Minor in Biomedical Engineering

student working in laboratory

Overview

The Biomedical Engineering minor is a unique opportunity for engineering students to acquire a multi-disciplinary engineering and biology background for entering the field of biomedical engineering. The program is open to all undergraduate engineering students at Iowa State University. This minor will provide students with a foundation of core biology and engineering relevant to further study in biomedical engineering along with an introduction to the application of engineering principles to biomedical problems from a multidisciplinary perspective as well as the applications within the majors of the College of Engineering.

Minor Requirements

A minimum of 17 cr. meeting the six requirements below with a minimum of 9 of those credits not being used to meet degree requirements and a minimum of 6 cr. at the 3000 level or above. No more than 3 cr. of 4900 credit may be applied to this minor.

Course  Course name Credits
BIOL 2120 Principles of Biology II 3 Note: You do not need to take BIOL 2110.
BME 2200 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering 3
BIOL 2560 Fundamentals of Human Physiology 3 Note: You do not need to take BIOL 1010.
or BIOL 3350 Principles of Human and Other Animal Physiology 3 Note: You do not need to take BIOL 2110.
Engineering Introduction elective 3
Advanced Engineering elective 3
Professional elective 2-3

Note: Ideally you would take BIOL 2120, then together take BME 2200 and BIOL 2560 or 3350. Electives could follow at your convenience but pay attention to when they are offered. 

Elective Courses

How to Declare

To declare the Biomedical Engineering Minor, follow these steps:

  1. Complete the “Curriculum Change” form (PDF) available from the Iowa State University Registrar’s office. The specific elective courses you plan to take must be noted in the additional notes section.
  2. Submit to your advisor for signature and continued routing.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult either their undergraduate academic advisor or the Biomedical Engineering advisor for assistance with selecting elective courses.