BlogUniversityWhat It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) at UTS

What It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) at UTS

Biomedical Engineering UTS - Fact Sheet

Are you interested in studying Biomedical Engineering at UTS? 

Well, we’re about to dive into everything you’ll want to know about this course, from the subjects you’ll take, the type of assessments you get, societies you can join, the career paths from this degree, and so much more!

Let’s get into it!

What is a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) at UTS?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into Biomedical Engineering at UTS
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

What is a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) at UTS?

Biomedical engineering is all about improving our lifestyle, particularly in terms of health. This means you’ll be combining skills and knowledge from all sorts of areas including technology, engineering, and medicine. 

In Biomedical Engineering at UTS you’ll be able to take on a range of subjects that will introduce you to the variety of fields. You’ll gain knowledge in areas like biomechatronics, neuroscience and artificial intelligence whilst learning to be collaborative with people from other disciplines working on a similar issue.

“It’s definitely a very collaborative degree… in a nutshell, Biomedical is basically a bit of Engineering, Biology, History and Business.” — Aarya Raghubanshi, Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) V at UTS

Honours

As Biomedical Engineering at UTS is a 5 year degree, it includes honours and 12 months worth of work placement and internships which we will dive into more detail later. 

Honours for this degree is completed in the fifth year of study and you’ll get to complete research and an Engineering Capstone project on a certain area of focus. This generally aligns with the two streams you choose, which you can read more about below majors!

Career Paths

In Biomedical at UTS you’ll be exposed to such a vast range of domains that the career options are limitless! Here are just a few of the career paths you could follow with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. 

    • Rehabilitation Engineer
    • Biomechanist
    • Medical Imaging
    • Orthopaedic Bioengineering
    • Biomedical Scientist
    • Manufacturing Engineer
    • Systems Physiologist
    • Biomaterials Developer
    • Clinical Engineering

Core Units for this Degree

With Biomedical Engineering at UTS you’ll take a wide range of core units to help give you an idea of different domains within the industry. 

Engineering Communication (48230) is a core unit you’ll take in first year which involves collaboration and innovation. As part of Engineering Communication you design and engineer a solution to a problem in disadvantaged or rural communities. 

Biomedical Engineering UTS - Student Quote

In Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Studio A (41162) you focus on the more biological side of things, including DNA studies, and how the copying and multiplying of DNA can be used to detect cancer cells and diagnose cancer.

In this subject you get to take on a project that requires you to innovate a more user friendly, cost friendly and efficient device. This will involve 3D printing, researching materials and developing an understanding of different components in the device. 

Electives

Alongside core units you get to take on electives specific to Biomedical Engineering. For instance Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic (49275), where you learn the foundations of artificial intelligence and how systems learn through data sets. You get to work with voice recognition systems, virtual, and augmented reality. 

Majors 

Within Engineering (Honours) and a Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice at UTS, Biomedical Engineering would be your major of choice. 

However, within this major, you get to choose 2 specific streams from the pool of 4 below:

  1. Biomaterials and Biomechanics
  2. Biomedical and Assistive Devices
  3. Genomics and Bioinformatics
  4. Health Economics and Innovation

Internships and Placement

If you’re studying Biomedical Engineering at UTS you’ll have to complete a total of 12 months worth of internships. This is normally split into two, 6 month placements in Semester 2 of your third and fourth year in the degree.

In terms of where you gain industry experience, you will have to source these placements yourself. Nonetheless, UTS provides you with support and the necessary skills to find these internship opportunities. 

“I’d rather have a lot of industry experience and okay marks than amazing marks and no industry experience… That sort of mindset has been drilled into us, as UTS has a very practical approach.” — Aarya Raghubanshi

 

How to Get into Biomedical Engineering at UTS 

The ATAR requirement for Biomedical Engineering at UTS is 86.10. However, there are a number of different admission pathways you can take to enter this degree.

Alternate Pathways

For instance, you can enrol with the UTS College in a Diploma of Engineering which will help catch you up to the degree, often fast tracking you straight into second year!

Assumed Knowledge

For Biomedical Engineering at UTS there are no prerequisite subjects, however Mathematics Extension 1, Physics and English Standard are all part of assumed knowledge. It is also recommended that you study Chemistry. 

You can also take the Year 12 engineering and IT Questionnaire which has the potential to add 1-2 points onto your selection rank!

Scholarships

There is a whole variety of scholarships available for Engineering students at UTS, specifically for Women in Engineering, and Biomedical Materials students. However, the types of scholarships you can apply for depend on you, so try the UTS scholarship search for more information. 

What’s the Teaching Format?

UTS runs in a semester format, and for Biomedical Engineering you can expect to have lectures, tutorials, labs, computer labs and workshops.

Class Structure

Biomedical Engineering UTS - Class Structure

Lectures

In classes of around 100 to 200 students, lectures run for 1 to 2 hours where you’ll focus on the theory side of content. It’s quite a formal setting, however there are occasional fun activities like Kahoot quizzes!

Tutorials

Tutorials run for 1 to 2 hours with one tutor and often a couple teaching assistants who are usually older students. In tutorials you’ll go over lecture content, engage in discussion and smaller activities.

These classes will typically have around 20 to 25 students.

Labs

Lab classes are generally for the more science based subjects such as cell biology, human anatomy and physiology. These classes usually run for 3 hours where you’re split into smaller workstations and get to use specialised equipment!

Much smaller than any of the other class types, there are only around 10 to 15 students in attendance.

Computer Labs

Computer labs are usually for subjects like programming fundamentals and mathematical modelling. These classes run for 1 to 2 hours and give you time to practice using industry related programs and applications. 

Similar to tutes in class size, there will be around 20 to 25 students in a class.

Workshops

Workshops are a very collaborative environment to present assignments and work on group projects. These types of classes are often for business and economic based subjects, and run for up to 3 hours.

Again, this class type is quite similar in size to tutorials so there will be around 20 to 25 students enrolled in one class.

How much time do you spend on campus?

As for the number of contact hours in Biomedical Engineering at UTS, it really depends on the types of subjects you take in that semester. Therefore, your contact hours can vary from around 15 to 25 hours worth of classes.

However, you’ll often find yourself on campus for longer hours as you’ll need to use labs or practical equipment to complete assignments and other tasks.

What are the assessments like?

If you’re studying Biomedical Engineering at UTS you can expect a good mixture of individual and group assignments, alongside smaller weighted quizzes and final exams. 

For projects you will definitely be completing a lot of research and investigation into the topic at hand. You’ll also become a pro at report writing! 

For the business and economics based subjects you’ll get to do class presentations and research projects. However, the more science based subjects like human anatomy and physiology are more exam heavy.

Skills That You Develop

Biomedical Engineering UTS - Skills

With Biomedical Engineering at UTS you develop a huge pool of skills as the degree dabbles in a range of areas from biology to economics, business, chemistry and finance. As it is an Engineering degree you also gain complex problem solving and critical thinking skills. 

You’ll learn really specific skills like how to utilise biomedical devices and complete image processing. However, you also develop skills in job searching and resume writing, to prepare you in sourcing work placements and finding a job after completing the degree!

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

Faculty

The Biomedical Engineering Faculty is considered really friendly and helpful. You can ask them questions, advice and further help beyond set classes. 

“Lecturers and tutors are very approachable and their turnaround time is really quick — they’ll often reply within an hour.” — Aarya Raghubanshi

Tutors will often meet up with you outside of class times to help with labs and further practice. There are also a number of assistant tutors, who are older uni students, that help out with assignment and exam preparation. 

Culture

The culture and overall vibe of Biomedical Engineering at UTS is considered very collaborative! You’re always working with other people, whether it’s a group assignment or individual task. This is likely due to the very practical and hands-on approach that UTS adopts. 

Biomedical Engineering at UTS really encourages its students to obtain practical and industry experience as you have to complete a year’s worth of work placement. 

“UTS does push you to really go for your practical experience because it will help you connect the dots between what goes on in the industry and what happens in your classes.” — Aarya Raghubanshi

Societies

Like every university, there are a number of societies you can join to meet like-minded people! More specifically, there is the Biomedical Engineering Society UTS (BESUTS) which focuses on professional development and being able to prepare yourself to enter the industry. 

Societies like BESUTS help you network and meet more students in the degree. It also provides guidance in sourcing internships and gaining advice from more senior students!

Resources and Support Programs

There are multiple support programs and additional resources available to UTS Biomedical Engineering students!

There’s the Academic Teaching and Learning Committee which collaborates with students and takes on feedback about different subjects. 

The UTS CareerHub is also incredibly helpful for finding work and industry placements. You can book in consultation sessions and ask someone to review your resume or cover letter, which is perfect for when you’re planning on sending it in for jobs!

There is also UPASS and UTS Peer Tutoring which is provided for free to UTS students. UPASS involves a senior student that helps provide guidance and help on a subject that they excelled in. Similarly, UTS Peer Tutoring is one on one assistance for students that need additional support. 

Interested in the pros and cons of this degree? Check out our article here!


Nandini Dhir is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Marketing) and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications), as a Dalyell Scholar, at Sydney University. She enjoys covering local issues in her area and writing about current events in the media. Nandini has had one of her pieces published in an article with the Sydney Morning Herald. In her free time, Nandini loves doing calligraphy, ballet, and sewing, or is otherwise found coddling her cats.  

 

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