Research Courses

Brief descriptions below; for additional details, see application.

BM(M)E 295 - General Credit

This 1-3 credit hour course appears on students’ transcripts and counts toward the GPA, but does not satisfy any BME major requirements. Students are expected to complete three hours of research work per week for each credit hour. Approval standards for BM(M)E 295 are the least rigorous of these course options. For example, students can perform data collection with a graduate student but are not required to analyze the data. Students often use BM(M)E 295 as an opportunity to gain research experience before designing an independent project for B(M)ME 495 in a later semester.

• Requirements: research lab work, written paper and oral presentation

BM(M)E 495 - Specialty Elective 

This 3-credit hour course appears on students’ transcripts, counts toward the GPA, and counts as a BME Specialty (or STEM) Elective. Students are expected to complete nine hours of research work per week. BM(M)E 495 is independent research on a novel topic that builds upon engineering concepts taught in junior- and senior-level courses. While students may be supervised by a faculty member or graduate student, they are expected to participate in experimental design, data collection and data analysis and interpretation. Prior work, either as BM(M)E 295 or informal research, can be incorporated into the project. This course is typically taken in junior year spring or senior year and may only be taken once. 

• Requirements: research lab work, written paper and oral presentation

BME 491/2 ; BMME 691H/2H - Department Honors 

These two 3-credit hour courses appear on students’ transcripts, count toward the GPA, but do not satisfy any BME major requirements. These courses are typically taken in Fall and Spring of senior year and students are expected to complete nine hours of research work per week. It is an independent, original research project that builds upon skills learned in junior- and senior-level courses. If taken after BM(M)E 495, it must be an original and substantially different idea and not just a modification or simple extension of a previous research project. 

• Eligibility: cumulative GPA 3.3 or higher; meet prerequisites for senior design

• Requirements: research lab work, written thesis, oral thesis defense, advanced study course, and seminar attendance (2 per semester)

BM(M)E 295 & BM(M)E 495 Application 

Application download link

BME 491/2 ; BMME 691H/2H Application 

Application download link

Application Deadlines 

FALL ENROLLMENT

• 1st Monday in April (Notified before the first day of Spring final exams)

OR 

• 2nd Monday in July (Notified before the first day of Fall classes)

SPRING ENROLLMENT

• 3rd Monday in October (Notified before the first day of Fall final exams)

SUMMER ENROLLMENT

• 1st Monday in April (Notified before the first day of Spring final exams)

• Learn about research with the BME Undergraduate Research Guide

• Explore research labs in BME and other departments

  • BME department research labs by specialization area

  • Tips for finding a mentor

  • Visit research labs you are interested in and talk to the people there! Note: some labs require keycard access.

• Improve your introductory email to labs

  • Read and apply 'Tips for Writing an Email to Faculty about Research' and 'Anatomy of a Research Inquiry Letter'

  • Personalize your email to each lab you contact to convey your genuine interest. It helps to mention specific research or a paper they have produced and how it related to your own interests.

  • Mention relevant skills you have and attach your resume.

  • Have a friend proofread your email.

• Connect with the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)

  • Sign up for their newsletter (UNC listserv / NC State listserv)

  • Attend a workshop or event (UNC events / NC State events)

  • Meet with an OUR Student Ambassador to learn more about their research journey

• Build relevant skills through campus resources!

  • UNC Makerspace 

  • NC State Makerspace

  • UNC BME Fabrication lab

  • NC State Fabrication lab: Contact Lab Manager Shaphan Jernigan (srjernig@ncsu.edu) to request training.

1. Can I do research with a lab outside of the BME department?

Yes! The research must be BME-related and an engineering project, but the research advisor does not have to be a BME faculty member. If your research advisor is not a member of the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, then you must have an Instructor of Record who is a member of our department (see application for details).

2. Do the research courses fulfill any degree requirements?

BM(M)E 495 counts as a Specialty (or STEM) Elective for the BME major. BM(M)E 295 and the departmental honors courses do not fulfill any BME major requirements.

At UNC, BMME 295, 495, 691H, and 692H fulfill the Research and Discovery (RESEARCH) requirement. However, BME students are required to take BMME 698 Senior Design, which also fulfills RESEARCH. Because the High Impact Experience (HI) requirement may be met by completing a second Research and Discovery course, BME students may instead use their research course to fulfill the HI requirement.

3. Can I take any of these courses more than once?

While BM(M)E 295 is typically only taken once, you may take it multiple times for no more than 3 total credit hours. BM(M)E 495 and department honors courses may only be taken once.

4. Can I take a research course if my research is paid?

Yes. If you are being paid by your research mentor, you must identify a separate Instructor of Record who is a member of our department (see application for more details). Exception: if you are being paid by the Abrams scholarship and working with a faculty member within the BME department, you do NOT need an Instructor of Record.

5. How do research courses appear on my transcript?

The course number and grade will appear on your transcript. For departmental honors, a successful thesis defense results in the designation of Honors in Biomedical Engineering noted on your transcript. At UNC, the designation of Highest Honors in Biomedical Engineering may be earned if the quality of the work is deemed to be at the level of a scientific journal publication.

6. Do I have to be in the university honors program to do departmental honors?

No.

7. What if my GPA is just below 3.3 and I want to do departmental honors?

Students whose GPA is close to the eligibility standard and who have a reasonable chance of meeting the requirement within a semester of additional coursework may begin a senior honors thesis project on a probationary basis. Such exceptions must be approved in advance by the BME Director of Undergraduate Research. Students who fail to raise their GPAs to meet the standard at the end of the probationary semester may not continue as candidates for graduation with honors or highest honors. They should receive graded course credit for the work completed and may, at the discretion of the BME Undergraduate Research Committee, continue their projects in the 2nd semester as an independent study. Students who continue on that basis are not eligible to graduate with BME honors.

8. Who should I contact for more information?

NC State-based students should contact Nita Bhave (nita_bhave@ncsu.edu). UNC-based students should contact Theresa Jones (tjones96@unc.edu).

Joint BME Undergraduate Research Scholarships

• Abrams Scholars

  • Hands-on, mentored research project throughout the academic year

  • Eligibility: sophomores, juniors, seniors (can participate multiple years)

  • Research Timeline: fall and spring

  • Research Location: NC State or UNC

  • Size: around 60-70 students

  • Course Credit: BM(M)E 295 or BM(M)E 495 (optional)

  • Funding: $2000-3000, paid in two installments

  • Deadline: application due early September

  • Contact: Dr. Alon Greenbaum, agrinba@ncsu.edu

• Lucas Scholars

  • Intensive independent research program including UNC summer undergraduate research fellowship

  • Eligibility: juniors

  • Research Timeline: juniors spring + summer + senior fall

  • Research Location: UNC

  • Size: around 4 students

  • Course Credit: BM(M)E 295 spring (optional) and BM(M)E 495 fall (required)

  • Funding: about $5000 summer stipend

  • Deadline: faculty nomination required; application due late October

  • Contact: Dr. Scott Magness, magness@med.unc.edu