Information for First Year Engineering Students

Not sure yet? We encourage you to look at our signature research areas, opportunities for undergraduates, and student spotlights. For details about the field of biomedical engineering, visit our careers page.

Prospective Purdue Engineering students should visit the Office of Future Engineers website for information on admission to Purdue and Engineering specifically.

Transition to the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering (BME) from First Year Engineering (FYE)

For general information about the Transition to Major (T2M) process, please consult with your FYE academic advisor directly.

Eligibility for T2M: You must complete all FYE courses with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Our ranking system prioritizes Engineering Admissions Index (EAI) first and then cumulative GPA. The maximum capacity is determined by the number of available seats in our teaching labs. This number varies annually based on a variety of circumstances and is determined usually in January.

For May:

Maximum capacity for incoming FYE students is 150 seats.

For August:

Maximum capacity for incoming FYE students is 10 seats.

Suggested Classes while in FYE

For the science selective, CHM 11600 is recommended for T2M into BME. Please see our Curriculum and Program Requirements for the suggested Plan of Study if you are on schedule with classes. If you are ahead, we have some suggestions for classes to take during FYE. BME courses are only open to students admitted into the program; however, you may be able to take advanced courses in other departments. 

If you are ahead in courses during FYE, please consider the following suggestions:

  • MA 26100, MA 26200
  • PHYS 24100 (or PHYS 27200 if pre-med)
  • CS 15900 (or CS 180 if considering a CS minor)
  • ME 27000
  • ME 20000 (only if you have already completed MA 26200)
  • University Core Curriculum courses
  • STAT 35000

Accepted Equivalents (in BME only):

Required Class

Accepted Equivalents

BME 29500 (Thermo in Biol Sys)

ABE 20200, or ME 20000

CHM 11600

CHM 13600

CS 15900

CS 18000 if considering CS minor

MA 16500 and MA 16600

MA 16100 and MA 16200 (Only 8 credits can count toward BSBME)

MA 26100

MA 27100

MA 26200

MA 26500 and MA 26600

PHYS 24100

PHYS 27200 if pre-med

STAT 35000

STAT 51100, CHE 32000, IE 33000, or STAT 41600 and 41700

Annual Open House and Tours

BME hosts an annual Open House every October. Check your email for an invitation during the Fall semester.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, BME offers daily tours on weekdays at 1:30 pm in MJIS 1021. No registration necessary. These tours are led by current BME students and are open to the public. During the summers, please call (765) 494-2995 in advance to schedule a tour.

Considering Medical School?

About 10% of graduating BME students go on to medical school. Please use the resources available through the Center for Pre-Professional Advising and the BME-specific course info page for pre-med students.

You might also consider enrolling in the 0-credit Spring course, BIOL 39600 Premed Planning Seminar.

Co-Ops and Internships

  • BME offers 3-session co-ops, due to industry demands for foundational coursework.
  • Co-ops commonly start during the sophomore or junior year.
  • If you obtain an offer for a co-op during FYE, then you must make an appointment with Corey Linkel (765-494-2995) to discuss the rotations if you plan to join BME. Be aware that obtaining a co-op in a BME company does not guarantee admission into the BME program.
  • Also consider a summer internship. To find companies to contact or search for internships, look at websites such as indeed.com, simplyhired.com, thelabrat.com, and pathwaystoscience.org.

Scholarships

We do have a limited number of small scholarships for admitted BME students, however they are merit based and quite competitive.

Please refer to the College of Engineering and University-wide scholarships websites to investigate other opportunities.

Contact Us

You are welcome to make an appointment with a staff member to discuss any questions you have.

Please call (765) 494-2995, or stop by MJIS 1021 to request a meeting with one of the following:

  • For questions about career planning, the field of BME, study abroad, internships, and co-ops, request a meeting with Corey Linkel, Associate Director of the Undergraduate Program.
  • For questions about the BME curriculum, suggested classes during FYE, minors, certificates, and your personal academic plan, request a meeting with Chantalle Brown, Academic Advisor.
    • Please note that Chantalle may not be readily available during the registration season. Please call to check for her availability.