Master of Science Degree Program Descriptions - Biomedical Engineering

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Biomedical Engineering - Thesis Option (thirty [30] semester hours)

The thesis-type master's degree is awarded upon successful completion of the following requirements:

  1. Fifteen (15) semester hours of biomedical engineering core courses (see below)
  2. Nine (9) semester hours of approved electives
  3. Six (6) semester hours of BME 5971, Thesis Research
  4. Oral defense of the master's thesis - BME 8976, Thesis Defense 
  5. Registration and attendance at all departmental seminars - BME 5935, Biomedical Engineering Seminar (0)

No courses with a grade below "C" will be counted toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. No more than one course with a grade of "C" will be counted toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. The candidate also must complete and defend an original thesis (BME 8976, Thesis Defense).

All BME graduate students must attend the required training in the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) Workshop to prepare for teaching assistant (TA) duties. This requirement is mandatory regardless of the student's classification as a teaching assistant or research assistant. In addition, all students are required to take required safety training courses as necessary.

Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six (6) semester hours toward the MS degree and only with departmental approval.

Required Biomedical Engineering Core Graduate Courses (fifteen [15] semester hours):

  • ECH 5052 - Research Methods in Chemical Engineering (3)
  • ECH 5261 - Advanced Transport Phenomena (3)
  • ECH 5840 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Mathematics I (3)
  • ECH 5852 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Computations (3)
  • XXX XXXX - Approved Course in Physiology or Cell Biology (3)

An approved course in Physiology or Cell Biology is required for completion of the graduate BME degree. Approved courses include PCB 5746 - Mammalian Physiology I; PCB 5747 - Mammalian Physiology II; PCB 5796 - Sensory Physiology; PCB 5835 - Neurophysiology; PCB 5137 - Advanced Cell Biology; PCB 5525 - Molecular Biology; PCB 5845 - Cell and Molecular Neuroscience; and BCH 5405 - Molecular Biology. Additional courses may satisfy the physiology/biology requirement but require a petition to the Graduate Committee for approval as a core substitute.

Biomedical Engineering Electives (nine [9] semester hours):

Minimum 6 semester hours are required to be on the biomedical engineering elective courses list. Students should consult their faculty advisor to determine the elective courses offered by the department. 

Typical biomedical engineering elective courses:

  • BME 5362 - Neural Engineering (3)
  • BME 5937r - Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (3)
  • BME 6530 - NMR and MRI Methods in Biology and Medicine (3)

Find other elective courses in the CBE Approved Graduate Elective List.

Thesis Hours (six [6] semester hours):

  • BME 5971 - Thesis Research (1-12) (S/U grade only)

Thesis Defense (zero [0] semester hours):

  • BME 8976 - Thesis Defense (0) (P/F grade only) - In addition to the thirty (30) semester hours of coursework and thesis, an oral examination in defense of the thesis (BME 8976) is required for the Master of Science in biomedical engineering thesis option. At least two hours of thesis research (BME 5971) must be completed during the term of the thesis defense (BME 8976).

 


 

Biomedical Engineering - Course (non-thesis) Option (thirty [30] semester hours)

The course-type (non-thesis) master’s degree is awarded upon successful completion of the following requirements:

  1. Twelve (12) semester hours of chemical engineering core courses (see below)
  2. Eighteen (18) semester hours of approved electives
  3. Registration and attendance at all departmental seminars - BME 5935, Biomedical Engineering Seminar (0)

No course with a grade below “C” will be counted toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. No more than one course with a grade of "C" will be counted toward the fulfillment of degree requirements.

Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six (6) semester hours toward the MS degree and only with departmental approval.

Note: Departmental support generally is not available for students pursuing a non-thesis master's degree.

Required biomedical Engineering Core Graduate Courses (twelve [12] semester hours):

  • ECH 5261 - Advanced Transport Phenomena I (3)
  • ECH 5840 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Mathematics I (3)
  • ECH 5852 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Computations (3)
  • XXX XXXX - Approved Course in Physiology or Cell Biology (3)

An approved course in Physiology or Cell Biology is required for completion of the graduate BME degree. Approved courses include PCB 5746 - Mammalian Physiology I; PCB 5747 - Mammalian Physiology II; PCB 5796 - Sensory Physiology; PCB 5835 - Neurophysiology; PCB 5137 - Advanced Cell Biology; PCB 5525 - Molecular Biology; PCB 5845 - Cell and Molecular Neuroscience; and BCH 5405 - Molecular Biology. Additional courses may satisfy the physiology/biology requirement but require a petition to the Graduate Committee for approval as a core substitute.

Biomedical Engineering Electives (eighteen [18] semester hours):

Minimum 6 semester hours are required to be on the biomedical engineering elective courses list. Students should consult their faculty advisor to determine the elective courses offered by the department. 

Typical biomedical engineering elective courses:

  • BME 5937r - Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (3)
  • BME 6530 - NMR and MRI Methods in Biology and Medicine (3)
  • ECH 5052 - Research Methods in Chemical Engineering (3)

Find other elective courses in the CBE Approved Graduate Elective List.