Curriculum in Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering
A candidate for the M.S. degree in biomedical engineering must comply with the rules and regulations as outlined in the WVU Graduate Catalog and the specific requirements of the Statler College and the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Department.
Program Requirements
All M.S. degree candidates are required to perform research and follow a planned program of study. The student’s research advisor, in conjunction with the student’s Advising and Examining Committee (AEC) will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their career.
Curriculum Requirements*
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses | ||
| A maximum of 6 credit hours can be taken at the 400 level | ||
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all required courses | ||
| BMEG 501 | Principles and Applications of Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BMEG 601 | Numerical and Statistical Methods for Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BMEG 602 | Interfacial Phenomena in Living and Non-Living Systems | 3 |
| Any BIOM, BMEG, BMS, CCB, CCMD, CE, CHE, CHEM, CPE, CS, CTS, EDP, EE, EXPH, IENG, IH&S, MAE, MATH, MINE, OEHS, PNGE, PHYS, PT, SAFM, SENG, or STAT courses 500-795, as approved by the student's AEC ** | 15 | |
| BMEG 697 | Research | 6 |
| CHE 786 | Professional Development Seminar for Chemical and Biomedical Engineering *** | 0 |
| Plan of Study | ||
| Final Oral or Written Examination | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- *
Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in biomedical engineering are required to take a set of undergraduate engineering courses above and beyond the minimum coursework requirements
- **
All elective courses must be approved by the Statler College Graduate Admissions and Curriculum Committee and student's AEC.
- ***
Full-time students are required to take a Seminar course each semester
Further:
-
The student should form a 5 member AEC and file a draft plan of study by the end of their 1st semester of enrollment in the graduate program. At least one member of the graduate faculty from outside the student’s home Department is required to serve on the AEC;
- The student’s research advisor, in conjunction with the student’s AEC will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s interests/needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their future career;
- All students pursuing a graduate degree are expected to engage in research and complete and successfully defend a dissertation. The dissertation must show a high degree of originality, i.e. be an original contribution to BMEG-related areas;
- The integrity of the research conduct is the outmost importance to the institution and our department. We are committed to promoting and supporting the ethical and responsible conduct of research across all disciplines. As a result, all students are required to take an online Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training in their first year;
- The graduate degree signifies that the holder has the competence to function independently in the chosen field. Hence, the number of years involved in attaining or retaining competency cannot be readily specified, nor can the exact program of study be defined. However, one has a maximum of 3.5 years for to complete all the requirements for the M.S program from the date of admission respectively.
Final Examination
At the completion of the research, candidates must prepare a dissertation and pass the final oral examination (defense) administered by their AEC. Candidates should be demonstrating an original contribution to scientific knowledge and engineering practice in BMEG. The defense examination is open to the public and, in order to evaluate critically the student's competency, may include testing on material in related fields, as deemed necessary by the AEC. In addition, since the M.S, degree is a research degree that embodies the results of an original research proposal and represents a significant contribution to scientific literature, the student must submit a manuscript on this research to the AEC. The rules for this defense and the timing for the manuscript submission are specified by the Office of Graduate Studies at WVU and the Statler College; neither a foreign language nor a minor is required for the PhD
Accelerated Program
Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's in Biomedical Engineering
Students must fulfill all degree requirements for the B.S.BmE in Biomedical Engineering and all the requirements of the M.S.BmE in Biomedical Engineering. Students must also meet all the requirements of the ABM.
ABM Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Coursework | 127 | |
| Shared Bachelor's/Master's Coursework | 12 | |
| Graduate Coursework | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 157 | |
Shared Coursework Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses completed must be at the 400 or 500 level. At least one course must be at the 500 level. | ||
| See BSBME and MSBME for list of elective course options. | ||
| Courses: | ||
| Engineering Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Science Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Science Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
It is important for students to take courses in the order specified as much as possible; all prerequisite and concurrent requirements must be observed. A typical ABM B.S.Bm.E.. & M.S.Bm.E. degree program completes degree requirements in five year is as follows.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 8) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 2B) | 4 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 101 | 2 | ENGR 102 | 3 |
| ENGR 191 | 1 | MATH 156 (GEF 8) | 4 |
| MATH 155 (GEF 3) | 4 | PHYS 111 & 111L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BMEG 201 | 4 | BIOL 235 | 3 |
| CHEM 233 & 233L | 4 | BMEG 230 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | EE 221 & 221L | 4 |
| MATH 251 | 4 | MATH 261 | 4 |
| PHYS 112 & 112L | 4 | STAT 215 | 3 |
| 19 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BMEG 311 | 3 | BMEG 310 | 3 |
| BMEG 321 | 3 | BMEG 315 | 4 |
| BMEG 420 & 420L | 4 | BMEG 340 | 4 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | Engineering Technical Elective* | 3 |
| 16 | 17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BMEG 455 & 455S | 4 | BMEG 456S | 3 |
| Engineering Technical Elective* | 3 | Engineering Technical Elective | 3 |
| Science Technical Elective | 3 | Science Technical Elective* | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Technical Elective* | 3 |
| 13 | 12 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BMEG 501 | 3 | BMEG 602 | 3 |
| BMEG 601 | 3 | Graduate Elective | 3 |
| BMEG 697 | 3 | BMEG 697 | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Total credit hours: 145 | |||
* Indicates courses that will be shared between the BS and MS programs
Student Learning Outcomes
Biomedical Engineering
The learning outcomes of students graduating in biomedical engineering (BMEG) will be defined and measured as follows:
- Mastery of basic and advanced graduate level knowledge in their chosen areas of specialty as related to BMEG. This outcome will be measured through the grades that the students earn in their coursework;
- Ability to complete on time specific research tasks. This outcome will be measured through the grade (Satisfactory, Incomplete, or Unsatisfactory) that the student receives every semester from his/her major research advisor for the appropriate research course (700 level);
- Strong oral communication skills. This outcome will be measured through the quality and number of oral presentations and reports given by the student to his/her Advising and Examining Committee (AEC), at technical meetings or conferences, as well as meetings of his/her research team;
- Strong communication skills in writing. This outcome will be measured through the quality and number of technical reports, articles or reviews that the student may write during his/her graduate studies. Additionally, the quality of student’s communication skills in writing will be measured through the dissertation;
- Ability to work independently in a collaborative environment – This outcome will be measured through feedback solicited from the members of student’s AEC, his/her peers, as well as the length of time the student needs to complete his/her graduate studies.