Biomedical Engineering

Degree

Bachelor of Science, Major

School/College

School of Engineering and Computing

Three students huddled around looking at a computer with their teacher explaining something.

Biomedical engineering majors are taught how to make measurements on, and interpret data from, living systems. They also learn how to address problems associated with the interaction between living and non-living materials and systems.

Create solutions with a humanitarian focus

Through applying engineering design to the world around them, students learn to produce solutions that meet specified needs with a focus on public health, safety, and welfare.

Find opportunity through industry relations

Build meaningful relationships with engineering professionals throughout your time in the program. Industry partnerships and affiliations result in a high employment rate for Fairfield’s engineering graduates in all sectors of business, government, and academia.

Learn with integrity and understand social responsibility

Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.

Rise above with research opportunities

Throughout their comprehensive curriculum, students are given opportunities to conduct innovative, in-depth research with faculty mentors. This hallmark of a solid educational experience offers students a chance to put their academic skills to the test, explore their passions, and make a difference.

In keeping with the mission of Fairfield University’s Jesuit values, specifically the concept of men and women for others, the School of Engineering & Computing inspires students to become leaders of integrity within the industry. Through their comprehensive curriculum, students are given opportunities to conduct innovative, in-depth research with faculty mentors. This hallmark of a solid educational experience offers students a chance to put their academic skills to the test, explore their passions, and make a difference.

Under the leadership of faculty mentor Susan Freudzon, PhD class of 2025 biomedical engineering students Matthew Manduca, Maeve O'Connell, Jacob Bornstein, and Breanna Lowe partnered with Avitus Orthopaedics, a division of Zimmer Biomet, to redesign their DragonWing bone graft delivery device. The redesigned device features a motorized rack-and-pinion system that allows surgeons to control bone graft delivery with one hand, improving both precision and efficiency. Using SolidWorks, the team produced a 3D-printed prototype compatible with existing DragonWing components. The device was successfully tested with both synthetic and cadaveric bone graft materials, demonstrating its potential to reduce procedure times and improve surgical outcomes.

Biomedical engineering students Matthew Manduca, Aidan Rahill, Mikayla Haut, and Roy Cook under the guidance of John Drazan, PhD researched Achilles tendon loading during live recreational sports to better understand the growing incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures, particularly among middle-aged men. Using instrumented insoles, the study captures real-time loading data during on-court basketball activities across different age groups and experience levels, addressing a critical gap in current lab-based data. Researchers hypothesized that older adults and those with competitive basketball experience would show higher tendon loads relative to body weight. To broaden their findings, they also examined peak Achilles tendon loading in female collegiate volleyball players, comparing front and back row athletes to basketball players of varying experience levels. This work introduces a novel method for approximating Achilles tendon loads in real-world settings, offering valuable insights into injury risk and prevention.

In their research project, Ryan Jaworski, Antonio Medina, and Evan McCarthy with Naser Haghbin, PhD explored the development of magnetic biosensors using biodegradable, non-toxic polymeric materials and magnetic nanoparticles for potential medical diagnostics outside clinical settings. By leveraging electrospinning—a nanotechnology technique that creates porous, nanofibrous scaffolds with high surface-area-to-volume ratios—researchers embedded iron-based magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) and glucose oxidase enzymes within a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to detect glucose through changes in electrical impedance and magnetic strength. These changes serve as indicators of analyte presence, offering a novel, low-cost, and biocompatible approach to biosensing. The project employs scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to optimize scaffold morphology, with the goal of advancing biosensor sensitivity and reliability. Ultimately, this work aims to contribute to the future of biomedical engineering and point-of-care diagnostics.

Two students wearing suits walking in front of a building on campus talking and smiling at each other.

Internship Opportunities

With great emphasis on the practical application of learned skills, engineering students are given the knowledge and competence needed to thrive outside of the classroom and in the expanse of internship opportunities that awaits them prior to graduation.

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Course Requirements

Biomedical Engineering Major

127 credits

Contact Us

Undergraduate Admission
admis@fairfield.edu
(203) 254-4100

Accelerated Masters

Fairfield University School of Engineering and Computing offers a five-year accelerated bachelor’s/master’s in Biomedical Engineering for undergraduates enrolled in the program. This dual degree program reduces the time to obtain a master’s degree by at least a year and provides experiential learning through research and design projects giving graduates the credentials needed to prepare for a broad range of careers. Upon completing the program, graduates gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to solve the next generation of complex healthcare problems.

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Career Outlook

Career Outcomes

NASA
Nasdaq
Lockneed Martin
General Electric
Abbott

Job Fields

Medical Technology
Research Engineering
Bioprocess Engineering
Project Management
Systems Engineering

“It’s really important for bioengineering students to have experience trying out new ideas, testing them, getting feedback, and thinking outside of the box to try something different, plus it's super fun to work on projects like these.”

- Maeve O'Connell '25

The University Career Center serves Fairfield University students with comprehensive career support services, programming and resources.

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Fairfield supports the scholarly success and intellectual growth of our students by providing various resources on campus including the Science Center, Writing Center, DiMenna-Nyselius Library, and more.

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Accreditation Information

Fall 2017 Enrollment: 35
2017 Graduates: 0

Fall 2018 Enrollment: 41
2018 Graduates: 5

Fall 2019 Enrollment: 41
2019 Graduates: 5

Fall 2020 Enrollment: 35
2020 Graduates: 7

Fall 2021 Enrollment: 36
2021 Graduates: 7

Fall 2022 Enrollment: 32
2022 Graduates: 11

Fall 2023 Enrollment: 43
2023 Graduates: 9

The Program Educational Objectives are broad statements that describe what alumni do within a few years following graduation. The biomedical engineering program is committed to graduating engineers who within a few years of their graduation are expected to:

Utilize their interdisciplinary training to have successful careers in industry, research and development and in regulatory agencies, academia, or clinical work.

Demonstrate the organizational, leadership, and communication skills to achieve success in their chosen careers and make reasoned decisions based on a respect for diversity, and welcome it as a source for creativity, innovation, and inclusive collaboration..

Employ critical thinking and problem-solving skills to support interdisciplinary teams that may include physicians, nurses, molecular biologists, physiologists, other engineers, and business professionals.

Utilize life-long learning skills and the ethical tools for successful adaptation to the rapidly changing field of Biomedical Engineering.

Build upon their sound training in mathematics, biological sciences, the liberal arts, and engineering to facilitate successful pursuit of advanced degrees in medicine, law, business, engineering, or related fields.

Engineering Accreditation Commission

Fairfield University’s four-year Bachelor of Science program in electrical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Electrical, Computer, Communications, Telecommunication(s) and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria.

Problem Solving

Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.

Produce Solutions

Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.

Communicate

Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

Recognize

Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.

Cooperate & Collaborate

Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.

Draw Conclusions

Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

Apply Knowledge

Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering majors are taught how to make measurements on, and interpret data from, living systems. They also learn how to address problems associated with the interaction between living and non-living materials and systems.

What You'll Learn and Do

Create solutions with a humanitarian focus

Find opportunity through industry relations