Biomedical Engineering

General

Biomedical engineering is a fast growing and dynamic field integrating engineering and medicine.  The objective of biomedical engineering is to apply the methods of the engineering discipline to understand, modify, or control biological systems and thus improve the quality of life.  It uses the laws of nature in a systematic way to make tools, devices and methods to extend human ability beyond its natural limitations for this purpose.  Biomedical engineering is a new field in Iceland, but has more than a fifty years long tradition in Europe and N-America. 

Work

Biomedical engineers work in three main areas: as a clinical engineer in health care, as a biomedical design engineer for industry and as a research scientist.  Tasks of the biomedical engineer include designing equipment, quality control of devices or procedures in hospitals, medical treatment of patients, in the industry sector designing and producing tools to be used by individuals as well as by professionals in the medical field, and biomedical engineers participate in the dynamic field of research in engineering and medicine at universities and hospitals. 

Educational program at RU

The structure of the educational program at Reykjavik University (RU) is based on three main pillars, physics, mathematics and physiology, on which we build both general classes in engineering and special classes in biomedical engineering.  After the first two years in the program, there is a range of optional classes to select from.  The biomedical engineering program at RU is so constructed that after completing the three year program (first cycle, BSc) students will have a solid foundation in engineering and can then continue their study in engineering in various fields.