Graduate Program.Curriculum

Our educational program is a custom-built, flexible, student-committee selected program, tailored to your educational needs within the particular BME sub-discipline that you choose. As a Ph.D. student, you will be mentored by your Research Advisor, in addition to a primary BME faculty member who serves as your Departmental Advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, your dissertation committee, and the Chair of the Department. Our goal is to create an educational experience that takes into account your previous coursework and personal objectives. We have few prerequisites. From day-1, you will work with your mentors and your research group to select classes that will best prepare you for your career. Because our field is diverse and because we recruit only high quality students, we do not have a qualifying examination.

Curricular Requirements

For PhD degree:

1. Two semesters BME Seminar
2. Life Science Course (3 units)
3. Advanced Mathematic Course (3 units)
4. Responsible conduct in research (12 contact hours)
5. Total coursework, including transfer credit, is determined by you and your committee. The minimum requirement of coursework is 36 units. The math and life sciences courses and up to one BME 399 class may be used toward this requirement. Seminars do not count toward this requirement.
6. Two semesters of teaching assistant experience
7. Preliminary examination (Download Guidelines)
8. Dissertation examination

For MS degree with thesis: 24 units of classes and a six-unit thesis

1. Two semesters BME Seminar
   
2. Life Science Course (3 units)
   
3. Advanced Mathematics (3 units)
   
4. One semester of teaching assistant experience
   
5. No more than two 100 level classes
   
6. Seminars may not be used toward the 24 units of classes
   
7. Thesis examination

For MS degree without thesis: 30 units of classes

1. Two semesters BME Seminar (1 unit/semester)
   
2. Life Science Course (3 units)
   
3. Advanced Mathematics (3 units)
   
4. One semester of teaching assistant experience
   
5. Seminars may not be used toward the 24 units of classes
   
6. No more than two 100 level classes

BME Seminars

As a first-year student, you will participate in a first-year seminar series that introduces you to the breadth of research in the field of Biomedical Engineering. The lead seminar is an orientation to our BME program. Subsequent seminars cover each of the areas of concentration in the Department to give insight into the activities of colleagues and future collaborators. Seminars are lead by faculty and graduate students and vary in depth and breadth to introduce you to new fields of study, to illustrate the content of scientific presentations, and to give you a chance to meet potential interdisciplinary collaborators.

Life Sciences Requirement

To help integrate biology into your engineering experience, we require that you take at least one life science course. You will work with your advisor and your committee to select the course that is most relevant to your career goals. Courses are typically selected from anatomy and physiology, cell and molecular biology, or biophysical chemistry. View courses.

Advanced Mathematics Requirement

You will learn the techniques of advanced mathematics for analysis and manipulation of data and the development and solution of mathematical models by taking an advanced mathematics course. The type of mathematics class you take depends upon your background and BME sub-discipline. Some students take statistical methods, numerical methods, or advanced analytical methods courses. You, your advisors and your committee will determine which classes are best for you. View courses.

Teaching Assistantships

We require that all master's degree students complete one semester as a teaching assistant for a biomedical engineering undergraduate course. For the doctoral students, we require you to complete a total of two semesters of TAing.

The TA experience is an important way to learn if you want to become a teaching faculty member. It also helps you learn leadership and management skills. At the same time, it helps solidify important core BME concepts and gives you an opportunity to work with other students and faculty members.