Check out the new Research Courses page!
Perhaps your STEM elective or Specialty elective isn’t appearing in the correct location in your Tar Heel Tracker. Your BME Advisor will fix these inconsistencies at least one semester prior to graduation. If you need your Tar Heel Tracker corrected sooner for a time-sensitive reason, please email your BME advisor.
While either BMME 201 or COMP 116 will satisfy the computer programming major requirement, BMME 201 is a better preparation for BME. It is taught in MATLAB, a programming language that you will see in future BME courses, while COMP 116 is typically taught in Python. If you take COMP 116, you will need to do extra work later on to translate what you learned into a different coding language. COMP 116 is only recommended if you plan to double count it for a minor or second major or have an unresolvable scheduling conflict with BMME 201.
Note: because COMP 116 is scheduled by the Computer Science department, we cannot guarantee that it will be offered in any given semester or that it will not conflict with a core BME class.
High Impact Experience course options are listed in the UNC Course Catalog. Some common ways that BME students fulfill this requirement are:
Be an Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA) and enroll in BMME 291 (application required)
Complete a BME-related internship and enroll in BMME 293 (application required - see #11 below)
Participate in a UNC–Chapel Hill approved study abroad program (application required)
Complete qualifying undergraduate research and enroll in a Research for Credit course (BMME 295, 495, 691H, 692H) (application required)
Additionally, all BME students must take BMME 698, which counts as a Research and Discovery course. The High Impact requirement can be fulfilled by taking a second Research and Discovery course, so consider Research & Discovery options too!
Although they do not have an "H" designation, BMME 697 (3 credits) and BMME 698 (3 credits) qualify for honors credit because they are 600-level.
BMME 398H (2 credits) is offered as part of the Scotland Study Abroad summer program.
Students participating in the BME Departmental Honors Program enroll in BMME 691H (3 credits) and BMME 692H (3 credits). Application required (Honors Carolina participation NOT required).
Students are encouraged to pursue an Honors Contract to take other BMME courses for honors credit.
UNC students can request an underload (fewer than 12 credit hours) in their final semester at UNC. Be aware that underloading can affect financial aid, student load repayment, and student health insurance, so you should look into those effects before deciding to underload. Here are instructions for how to underload.
UNC students can request an overload (more than 18 credit hours in fall or spring, or more than 9 credit hours in a summer session) through UNC General Academic Advising. Here are instructions for requesting an overload.
You must contact UNC General Academic Advising to declare a second major or minor. Talk to your BME Advisor about how the major or minor will affect your BME course plan and if you have enough time to complete it before graduation.
On your Tar Heel Tracker, find the section titled "A Cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 is Required in the Major" (just above the "Additional: Biomedical Engineering" section). Your major GPA is listed next to the word "actual."
Students may elect to use one course completed with a grade of PS, not LP, towards major and/or minor “Core Requirements." Review which courses are Core Requirements and read UNC's pass/fail policy (under "Pass/Fail Option). Always consult with your General Advisor and BME Advisor before declaring a course pass/fail!
Funding to support UNC-based BME undergraduate student participation in the following experiences is currently available through the BME department.
external conferences
competitions
intensive courses/trainings
workshop and certificate programs
student organization initiatives
Please see instructions on how to apply for these funds. Additional guidelines for requesting conference funding can be found here. Funds cannot be used for food or entertainment. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and funds must be spent by June 2026.
Please note that travel for BMES 2025 has been handled through a separate process. Please DO NOT apply for travel to BMES 2025 through this process.
The UNC Office of Undergraduate Research also offers funding opportunities for UNC-based students.
Students must request enrollment in BMME 293 by following these steps:
Log into the Online Learning Contract Manager using your ONYEN and password
Select "+Add Contact"
Select "Continue"
Select "Biomedical Engineering" under "Unit" and "Kenneth Donnelly" under "Unit Faculty"
Select "BMME 293" under "Course"
Enter 1, 2 or 3 under "Credit Hours Sought"
Students are expected to complete at least 50 hours of internship work per credit hour. For example, if you will work 120 hours over the course of your internship, you can choose to be enrolled in either one or two credit hours, but not three (minimum 150 hours worked)
Fill in the remainder student information and click "save and continue"
Select "Upload supplemental syllabus file or completed unit learning contract form"
Upload your completed BMME 293 application
Click "Save and Continue"
Select the "Review" tab
Select the blue "Submit" button
Here are more detailed instructions with pictures. For technical support, please contact bme_student_services@unc.edu.