A concentration within the College
Harvard says students choose a concentration, its word for a major. The pages read describe no separate application to Biomedical Engineering.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard Biomedical Engineering: engineering for living systems, chosen within the College
Harvard College says all prospective undergraduates, including those who intend to study engineering, apply directly to the College, and Biomedical Engineering is one of the concentrations they can choose once enrolled. Harvard describes a highly quantitative field at the boundary of the physical and life sciences, with A.B. and S.B. tracks. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to Biomedical Engineering.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard Biomedical Engineering
Taken from Harvard SEAS's Bioengineering undergraduate program page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Harvard's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Declared in the sophomore spring
Harvard's department says students declare a concentration during the sophomore spring, after applying directly to the College.
Quantitative engineering of living systems
Harvard describes mathematical analysis and modelling from subcellular to organism scales, aimed at working systems such as prosthetics and imaging.
A.B. and S.B. tracks
The department describes differences between the S.B. and A.B. tracks and flexible structures for different educational and professional goals.
Calculus is not an admission requirement
Harvard says it views math records holistically with no specific course required, and calculus is not required for admission.
The SAT or ACT is required
Harvard requires one of them; A-level and IB school reports carry predicted grades.
Official sources
- Harvard College: Concentrations (Liberal Arts & Sciences)college.harvard.edu
- Harvard SEAS: Bioengineering undergraduate programseas.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: Application Requirementscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Harvard SEAS's Bioengineering undergraduate program page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Harvard's course catalogue, the full requirement lists, fees, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the Biomedical Engineering concentration teaches
Harvard's concentrations page describes biomedical engineering as lying at the intersection of the physical and life sciences, using principles from physics and chemistry, with mathematical analysis and modelling from subcellular to organism scales. The overarching goal is to apply quantitative engineering analysis to understand living systems and to design novel systems for unmet needs in medicine and industry, such as prosthetic devices, imaging systems and biopharmaceuticals. Gateway courses include engineering-science courses such as Quantitative Physiology, a life-sciences introduction, mathematics and physics. This guide does not describe the A.B. and S.B. requirements, which sit on pages it did not read.
Is it the right concentration?
Biomedical Engineering beside Neuroscience and the other engineering routes
Harvard lists these as separate concentrations, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Biomedical Engineering fits if
you want to design and build systems for medicine, with mathematics, physics and engineering fundamentals.
Neuroscience fits if
your interest is the brain studied as biology. Avandy's Harvard Neuroscience guide covers it.
Engineering Sciences or Computer Science fit if
you want a different engineering or computing emphasis. Avandy's Harvard Computer Science and Engineering Sciences guide covers them.
Admission and testing
A College application, an SAT or ACT, and predicted grades
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT, and accepts other results such as the IB or A levels only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible. Schools on the IB or A-level curriculum are expected to send predicted grades. Harvard says calculus is not required for admission and no specific math course is required. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Harvard's.
Do you want to build systems for medicine, or study biology itself?
The concentration is framed around quantitative engineering of living systems.
Are mathematics and physics comfortable foundations?
The gateway courses include mathematics, physics and engineering science.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Harvard requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Harvard's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Harvard's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Harvard has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Harvard for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Biomedical Engineering entry on Harvard's concentrations page and the department page, and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Harvard College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Harvard College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Harvard Biomedical Engineering?
The pages read describe admission to Harvard College. Students choose a concentration, Harvard's word for a major, once enrolled.
Do engineers apply to a separate school at Harvard?
The department page says all prospective undergraduates, including those intending to study engineering and applied sciences, apply directly to Harvard College.
When do students choose Biomedical Engineering?
The department says students declare a concentration during the sophomore spring.
Do I need calculus before applying?
Harvard says calculus is not a requirement for admission and that no specific math course is required.
Do I need the SAT or ACT with A levels or the IB?
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT; IB or A-level results meet the requirement only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Harvard's wording with no entry-year label. Check Harvard's pages again when Harvard publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Harvard Biomedical Engineering
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, how they weigh engineering against pure life science and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.