Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

The Master of Engineering is not administered by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please check the UBC Engineering website for admission requirements, deadlines and application procedure.
 

Overview

Biomedical Engineers apply their knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine to healthcare and medical device industries. Biomedical Engineering is a distinct field that encompasses engineering disciplines, biology, life sciences, medicine, clinical applications, and the improvement of human health. Since 2006, our MEng program has been training students who wish to enhance their professional skills in biomedical engineering. Students engage in a combination of course work and internship or co-op work experience. The program emphasizes the clinical and industrial aspects of biomedical engineering and prepares students for careers in hospitals and private industry. Many students find employment as clinical engineers. Students wishing to pursue a PhD should apply to the Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Biomedical Engineering.

What makes the program unique?

The Biomedical Engineering Program at UBC is a part of the School of Biomedical Engineering. This unique interdisciplinary structure provides students with unparalleled access to engineering experts across varied Biomedical Engineering research areas at UBC. It emphasizes a balance of biomedical engineering and life science study with a focus on clinical and industrial application. Our graduates have gone on to become industry leaders, especially in the medical device industry, and provide a network of professionals within the community.

 

Program Enquiries

If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry

Research Information

Research Highlights

UBC Biomedical Engineering researchers work in a wide range of areas. Our main research themes include Cellular and Molecular Engineering (including Regenerative Medicine, Synthetic Biology, and Imumune Engineering); Imaging and Computational Biology (including AI & Multiscale Imaging, Bioinformatics/Systems Biology, and Computational Modeling & Automation); Human Interfacing Devices (including Therapeutic Delivery Systems & Nanodevices, Bionics & Bio-Sensors, Biomaterials, and Biomechanics/Injury Prevention).

We are now building capacity to increase research opportunities in areas of global importance including molecular and cellular engineering and synthetic biology, genomics and nano-devices, immune-engineering and advanced biomaterials, regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence and simulation systems with biomedical application, visualization and imaging from nanomolecular to physiological scales.

Research Focus

UBC Biomedical Engineering researchers work in a wide range of areas. Our main research clusters (RC) include: Imaging, Modeling, Simulation, and Guided Interventions; BIOMEMs and Bio-Optics; Musculoskeletal Biomechanics, Injury, Disease, and Restorative Treatments; Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies and Human-Environment Interactions; Physiological Modeling and Control; and Computational and Synthetic Biology.

Program Components

Students in the MEng program complete an internship or co-op in Biomedical Engineering in one of three formats: hospital internship, industry internship or co-op placement, or supervised research project.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$114.00$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$2,234.71$8,369.77
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)
$6,704.13$25,109.31
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) Not applicable
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)$1,116.60 (approx.)
Costs of livingEstimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.
Deposit to accept offer (if admitted)
Deposit requirement$1000.00$1000.00
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.

Program Funding Packages

The MEng program does not provide funding for students. 

Employer support

Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Options

The MEng program in Biomedical Engineering is designed to prepare students for employment in the public or private sector, or to pursue further studies. Recent graduates have gone on to work at Vancouver Island Health Authority, Winnipeg Health Authority, Vancouver Costal Health, Neovasc Inc, and Canadian Standards Association. Many have started their own companies, like NrSign Inc, Arbutus Medical, and S2N Engineering Services. Those looking to pursue their MD or PhD have gone on to study at Berkeley and UBC. A burgeoning field, ample opportunities exist in the medical instrument industry, pharmaceutical/biochemical industry, hospitals, medical research facilities and educational institutions, and regulatory bodies, governments, and industry associations.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEng). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

 20222021202020192018
Applications153157112100133
Offers4452202040
New Registrations1927111116
Total Enrolment3133212620

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 97% based on 36 students admitted between 2014 - 2017. Based on 59 graduations between 2019 - 2022 the minimum time to completion is 0.33 years and the maximum time is 2.04 years with an average of 1.18 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Further Information

Specialization

Biomedical Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that involves the application of engineering techniques and technologies to medical and healthcare areas. Opportunities for interdisciplinary education and research exist in areas such as biomechanics, biomaterials, biochemical processing, cellular engineering, imaging, medical devices, micro-electro-mechanical implantation systems, physiological modelling, simulation, monitoring and control, as well as medical robotics.

Faculty Overview

Program Identifier

VGMMEN-CU
 
 
Program Enquiries
If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry
 
 

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.

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