Curriculum

MS Curricula

The department offers two types of master of science degrees. The first is the Plan A or thesis masters and the second is the Plan B or coursework masters. The primary goal of the Plan A masters is for a student to successfully execute and communicate an in-depth research project. In Plan A, courses are taken both in support of the research project and to broaden the student's educational experience. The primary goal of the Plan B masters is for a student to develop and demonstrate their advanced understanding of biomedical engineering principles. Courses are selected to provide depth in an area of the student's interest and to develop an understanding of the breadth of applications in biomedical engineering. The Plan B Master’s degree terminates with an exit exam (see the graduate handbook), while the Plan A Master’s degree requires a thesis defense.

PhD Curriculum

The goal of the PhD program is to train scientists and engineers whose careers in academia or industry are marked by professionalism, leadership, and notable contributions to their field. We expect our graduates will be people who can identify important problems in biology and medicine, devise and execute unique solutions, and explain both the problem and solution in the clearest terms.

MD/PhD Curriculum

The department has the same objectives for PhDs training in the MD/PhD program as students pursuing the PhD alone. Unless explicitly stated in the graduate handbook, all requirements and definitions for the PhD in BME apply to students in the MD/PhD program. Because of courses taken during medical school training the curricular requirements for the PhD degree are modified. Thus the following summarizes the curricular requirements for BME PhDs in the MD/PhD program.