Biomedical Engineering at Ulster University
Hi I’m Éadaoin, a 5th year MEng Biomedical Engineering Student, and I’m here to give you an insight into what you can expect while studying Biomedical Engineering at Ulster University!
Why I chose Biomedical Engineering degree at Ulster University
When I was choosing my UCAS choices, I knew I wanted to venture down the path of Engineering due to it being my favorite A-Level subject. I found the anatomy and orthopedic side of my Sport Science A-Level fascinating so I thought Biomedical Engineering would allow me to explore that. Since then, the course has exceeded my expectations and has fulfilled the curious side of me due to the constant supply of interesting knowledge. If you’re a naturally curious student who likes a challenge this course could be for you!
What does a Biomedical Engineer actually do
Biomedical Engineers create the tool and devices needed for the medical industry. This builds on the traditional Mechanical Engineering and makes it specific to healthcare, ideal for people who want a stimulating career while also undergoing rewarding work. You will likely be creating products that will impact and enhance the life of healthcare staff and patients all around the world. This could range from developing new orthopedic prothesis to designing groundbreaking heart stent systems to manufacturing globally acclaimed defibrillators.
What to expect in the life of a Biomedical Engineering student
The week in the life of a Biomedical Engineering student can be very engaging. The course content is extremely stimulating and touches base with a lot of aspects of STEM.
Year 1&2, in Biomedical Engineering you are in most of the week and have different range of classes ranging from general engineering principles to learning anatomy through dissections, to creating sensor circuits in a lab!
In Year 3, you will get the opportunity to secure an industrial placement with the top medical device companies in the world, due to Ulster’s great connections with top companies such as Stryker, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic to mention a few. You can go global with your placement and explore while you gain invaluable work experience, or you can stick around closer to home to develop your engineering skills further – whatever floats your boat!
In Year 4, you will return back to UU to finish up your studies with your Final Year Project... unless you decide you want to learn more and carry on with a master’s option like I did! For your final year project, you will get to carry out research in the state of the art NIBEC building on campus, which will provide you with industry relevant skills to serve you for graduate job opportunities which are in abundance at the moment.
Exams, big lectures & other scary stuff
You will be seated in lectures, practical and tutorial classes alongside Mechanical, Mechatronic and Electrical engineers for some of your lectures, which adds diversity in the engineering disciples you will crossover.
Lectures are sessions where the professor will go through the content while also engaging with the students from time to time. Tutorials are smaller classes where you can dissect the lecture material that week alongside the focused aid of a professor or possibly a PhD student. Practicals are the fun part where you get to try new experiments and processes relevant to your subject content.
Your assessments will contain from some coursework and group activity but will be heavily weighted by examinations throughout.
What social activities will be available at Ulster?
The USSE is Ulster’s Society of Student Engineers and welcomes all across all engineering disciplines. They put on social activities such as formals, meet-ups, and extra-curricular projects if you wanted to venture beyond your course. However, there are plenty of societies available for students to join if you wanted to try something different.
The Biomedical Engineering course has been even better than I imagined, and I wish you all the best in pursuing your chosen university course at Ulster University!