Biomedical Engineering
Entry requirements
A level
ABB with B in Maths or Physics. Or BBB with B in Maths or Physics and a second science. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science.
Access to HE Diploma
including relevant science units.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D3 M2 M2 including M2 in Maths or Physics. Or M2 M2 M2 including M2 in Maths or Physics and a second science subject. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science.
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths C (or 4), English Language or English Literature C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32 points including 5 in Maths or Physics at higher level. Or 30 points including 5 in Maths or Physics and a second science subject, both at higher level. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
including relevant science modules.
Scottish Higher
A,A,B,B,B-A,B,B,B,B
AABBB with B in Maths or Physics. Or ABBBB with B in Maths or Physics and a second science. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
On our BEng Biomedical Engineering course you will study with expert academics, develop your transferable skills, and learn how to diagnose, prevent and treat disease in this new and emerging field.
Do you have an innate curiosity for human physiology and a keen understanding of mathematics? Learn how the brain works, what techniques exist to monitor different tissues in the human body and to diagnose, prevent and treat disease and restore bodily functions. At Reading, we have the 3rd highest overall student satisfaction score for Bioengineering, Medical and Biomedical Engineering subjects (National Student Survey, 2021).
You will engage in practical lab-based classes enhancing different practical skills. You will also experience techniques such as immuno-fluorescent labelling, microscopy, DNA and protein analysis, EEG recordings, cell culture and aseptic technique and analytical methods. In the National Student Survey 2021, this course achieved a 95% score for overall satisfaction. 95% of students agreed that staff on this course are good at explaining things (NSS 2021).
We are conducting world-renowned research in the fields of neural engineering, rehabilitation and medical technology. During your degree you will have the opportunity to undertake original research in the above fields, while completing your final-year project.
Our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building opened in 2020. As the new home of the School of Biological Sciences, it offers state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building also houses the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.
**Placement**
The School of Biological Sciences has excellent relationships with a number of organisations in the world of biomedical engineering, including GSK and Microchip Ltd.
At the end of your second year as a BEng student, you can undertake a one-year placement within the industry. This offers you the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field while building a network of colleagues who may significantly aid you in your career. During your placement year, you will still be a student of the University of Reading and will have regular contact with an academic overseeing placements.
It is possible to start the three-year BEng programme without a year in industry and still undertake a placement, should you decide to do so - the decision on the placement can be postponed until the start of your second year.
Modules
The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change.
Core modules for this course:
Anatomy and Physiology
Mathematics
Programming
Cell and Molecular Principles of Life
Physical Essentials for Medicine
Robotics in Medicine and Prosthetics
Biomedical Sensors and Wearable Technology
Principles of Physical Interventions in Medicine
Biomedical Signal Processing and Feedback Systems
Biomedical Problem Solving
Research and Professional Skills
Research Project
The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Reading
School of Biological Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Bioengineering, medical and biomedical engineering
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Bioengineering, medical and biomedical engineering
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Bioengineering, medical and biomedical engineering
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£31k
£37k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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