UMES’s New Biomedical Engineering Program Aims to Address Needs for Rural Area Heath Care

The Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences is slated to start a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME) within the School of Business and Technology (SBT) at UMES in Fall 2023. Biomedical engineers play a critical role in the design of artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, health management and care delivery systems, medical devices used in various medical procedures, and imaging systems. UMES’s BME program aims to offer perspective students the educational opportunity to pursue a four-year degree in biomedical engineering and take the inside track to a career that combines engineering and medical technology to find ways to improve the quality of human life.

Lack of educational opportunities and choices for minority and educationally disadvantaged students calls for development of high-quality and innovative academic programming in order to align academic programs with the educational needs of the region and the state of Maryland. With expertise spanning physiology, biology, healthcare and health informatics, mechanics, and engineering, biomedical engineers can combine their diverse skills to create solutions to continuing worldwide health issues, helping to change how patients are treated and lowering the cost of care, which becomes increasingly important and urgent for rural area healthcare system, for example, the eastern shore of Maryland.

The curriculum of the program consists of core engineering courses, supportive science and math courses, and major electives, in addition to the general education courses. The program consists of two tracks: (1) Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering track and (2) Bioelectric and Bio- computational Engineering track. This curriculum is designed to offer both a core understanding of traditional engineering disciplines, and an in-depth knowledge of the body. Our courses emphasize experimental and analytical coursework to gain a strong understanding of medical technology and complex living systems.

The Department is hiring tenure track professors with training and background in biomedical research. We welcome outstanding educators to join our team to advance learning and pursue knowledge in the field of BME.