Best Universities offering graduate programs in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering

The lack of departmental boundaries makes bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences highly interdisciplinary. Students are free to collaborate and interact closely with other labs, centers and schools across the Harvard engineering and medical campuses.

The mission is to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community, and to shape them into visionary scholars, innovative educators, and creative leaders. Within the bioengineering program we focus on bioinspired robotics and computing; biomechanics and motor control; cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials and therapeutics. Graduate education is focused on individualized programs tailored to the interests, needs, and background of the student. Students are integral to the interdisciplinary and integrated approach to design, discovery and innovation. As such, students from diverse technical backgrounds are encouraged and welcomed to join us.

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in Engineering Sciences: Bioengineering, conferred through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The Master degree program typically requires one year. A total of eight graduate courses are required, two of which can be lab rotations (called “Special Investigations”). In addition, there is one required short ethics course, but no other specific requirements. In general, the portfolio of courses should be consistent with a Master’s degree in BME. Graduate School requirement for students admitted for the M.S. degree is an overall grade average of High Pass, including a grade of Honors in at least one full-term graduate course.

There is no thesis option for the BME Master’s program and the Master’s program is a terminal one-year program. However, international students are generally eligible for an extension of up to one year (two terms) as a “Special Student”, after completion of the Master’s degree. In this case, students are charged full tuition.

Biomedical engineering is an evolving discipline in engineering that draws on collaboration among engineers, physicians, and scientists to provide interdisciplinary insight into medical and biological problems. The field has developed its own knowledge base and principles that are the foundation for the academic programs designed by the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia.

The MS program in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia prepares students to apply engineering and applied science to problems in biology, medicine, and the understanding of living systems and their behavior, and to develop biomedical systems and devices. Modern engineering encompasses sophisticated approaches to measurement, data acquisition and analysis, simulation, and systems identification.

The Coterminal Master's Program in Bioengineering option is available to Stanford undergraduates who wish to work simultaneously toward a B.S. one major as well as an M.S. in Bioengineering. The degrees may be granted simultaneously or at the conclusion of different quarters, though the bachelor’s degree cannot be awarded after the master’s degree has been granted.

The University minimum requirements for the coterminal program are 180 units for the bachelor’s degree plus 45 unduplicated units for the master’s degree.

In order to apply for the coterminal master's program students must have completed six, non-summer quarters at Stanford (two non-summer quarters for transfer students), have completed 120 undergraduate units, and must have declared the undergraduate major. They must be accepted into our program one quarter before receiving the B.S. degree.

The Bioengineering master’s program provides an interdisciplinary education in scientific and engineering fundamentals, with an emphasis on new developments in Bioengineering. The primary goal of this program is to provide students with a customized curriculum designed to prepare them to function creatively and independently in industry, research and development, government or academia.

The program provides rigorous and advanced training in engineering with a focus on biological and medical sciences. The flexible curriculum allows students to select their own graduate coursework in math, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and other science and engineering disciplines. Students may register for courses from any School in the University our students typically take courses in the Schools of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Medicine.

An degree (BSE) in an engineering subject .

An degree from an accredited institution with a physical science, natural science or math major.

Students have access to resources available through Bioengineering’s thirteen research laboratories as well as affiliated laboratories on campus and in the Penn hospitals. Research areas include: Bioengineered Therapeutics, Devices and Drug Delivery Biomaterials Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Cell and Tissue Mechanics Cell Mechanics Cellular and Molecular Imaging Cellular Engineering Imaging Theory and Analysis Injury Biomechanics Interfaces Program in Biomedical Imaging and Informational Medical Imaging and Imaging Instrumentation Molecular Engineering Neuroengineering thopaedic Bioengineering Systems and Synthetic Bioengineering Theoretical and Computational Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering.

Sam DeLucci Voices of Penn Engineering Master’s Alumni.

This is part of our series of articles written by Penn Engineering alums their experiences at Penn and how it shaped their lives. This article is by Sam DeLuccia, who graduated with a master’s in Bioengineering in 2017.

Biomedical engineering is the broad area of study in which engineers use an interdisciplinary approach to solve problems in the medical field, often associated with the interaction between living and non-living systems. The program is intended for engineers who want to add depth to their knowledge or acquire new specialized knowledge in biomedical engineering. The breadth of solution methodologies requires biomedical engineers to take a quantitative approach to system analysis in “traditional” engineering fields, while simultaneously employing a fundamental understanding of the relevant life sciences. Biomedical engineers should be prepared to design, build, test, and/or analyze biological systems, diagnostics, devices, and treatment modalities.

The master’s degree program is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in research and development, or as a step toward Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. education. The program has two degree options: a course-based plan consisting of 30 credits (equivalent to 10 full courses to be completed in one year) and a thesis-based track that requires 30 credits plus a thesis project which is completed in a second year.

The PhD program emphasizes advanced coursework, hands-on teaching experience, and world class research at the forefront of the broad disciplines of biomedical engineering. Students are trained to become leaders in research and development in industrial and university settings. Students in the biomedical engineering doctoral program study equal portions of engineering, life sciences, and mathematics.

Biomedical engineering (BME) seeks to advance and integrate life science knowledge with engineering methods and innovations that contribute to improvements in human health and well-being. Our vision is that lasting knowledge of biomedical systems and paradigm-shifting engineering technology will arise from integrating engineering concepts and basic science knowledge from the molecular level to the whole-body level. We believe that those taught to work across multiple disciplines and to integrate modeling and experimental systems approaches will be uniquely positioned to advance and generate new disciplines in biomedical engineering.

With this vision in mind, we are committed to educating the next generation of biomedical engineers. We have leveraged our interdisciplinary strengths in engineering and clinical and life sciences to build a biomedical engineering department around research programs of excellence and translational potential: Biomedical Biological Imaging Cancer Technologies Cardiovascular Engineering Molecular Cellular Systems Engineering Neural Engineering thopedic Engineering and Regenerative Engineering in Medicine. These areas provide exciting opportunities for students with a variety of backgrounds and interests.

Students seeking the Master of Science (MS) in Biomedical Engineering will need to complete 30 course credits, which include a core curriculum. MS students pursuing the thesis option perform research on a topic approved by the research mentor. The results should be of quality high enough to be published as a paper in a peer-reviewed journal. A total of 30 credits can be completed in two to four semesters.

Students seeking the Master of Engineering (MEng) in Biomedical Innovation will complete an immersive 12-month medical technology entrepreneurial experience that culminates in their own intellectual property, which is intended to be spun out into commercial endeavors following graduation. A total of 30 credits of course work is required.

Students seeking the PhD in Biomedical Engineering may choose to study in one of seven multidisciplinary research programs that represent frontiers in biomedical engineering. Students graduating with the PhD in Biomedical Engineering are prepared to pursue paths in research and development in academic and industry settings, and they are also ready to contribute to teaching and research translation. The MD PhD in Biomedical Engineering, which is offered jointly with the top-ranked School of Medicine, gives students in-depth training in modern biomedical research and clinical medicine. The typical MD PhD career combines patient care and biomedical research but leans toward research.

Setton Lucy and Stanley Lopata Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering PhD, Columbia University Biomaterials for local drug delivery tissue regenerations specific to the knee joints and spine.

Pappu Edwin H. Murty Professor of Engineering PhD, Tufts University Macromolecular self assembly and function computational biophysics.

Yoram Rudy Fred Saigh Distinguished Professor of Engineering PhD, Case Western Reserve University Cardiac electrophysiology modeling of the cardiac system.

Daniel Moran PhD, Arizona State University Motor control neural engineering neuroprosthetics movement biomechanics.

Princess Imoukhuede PhD, California Institute of Technology Ligand-receptor signal transduction angiogenesis computational systems bioengineering.

Baranidharan Raman PhD, Texas A M University Computational and systems neuroscience neuromorphic engineering pattern recognition sensor-based machine olfaction.

Please visit the following pages for information our graduate programs:.

Below are all BME graduate-level courses. Visit course listings to view semester offerings for E62 BME.

This is a 1-unit credit option for BME students who attend regularly scheduled BME seminars (or approved substitute seminars). A satisfactory grade is obtained by submission of a two-page peer-reviewed paper written by one of the regularly scheduled BME seminar speakers whose seminar you attended. Papers are to be submitted to the graduate student administrator for review by the director of doctoral studies. Prerequisites: Students must be current BME students in their second year or beyond in order to register.

E62 BME 506 Seminar in Imaging Science and Engineering.

This seminar course consists of a series of tutorial lectures on Imaging Science and Engineering with emphasis on applications of imaging technology. Students are exposed to a variety of imaging applications that vary depending on the semester, but may include multispectral remote sensing, astronomical imaging, microscopic imaging, ultrasound imaging, and tomographic imaging. Guest lecturers come from several parts of the university. This course is required of all students in the Imaging Science and Engineering program the only requirement is attendance. This course is graded pass fail. Prerequisite: admission to Imaging Science and Engineering program.Same as E35 ESE 596.

This class is designed to construct a theoretical foundation for ionizing radiation dose calculations and measurements in a medical context and prepare graduate students for proper scientific presentations in the field of x-ray imaging and radiation therapy. Specifically, a student completing this course will be able to do the following: 1. Understand and key concepts specific to energy deposition for both ionizing photon interactions and transport in matter and for energetic charged particle interactions and transport in matter. Radiation sources include radioactivity, x-ray tubes, and linear accelerators. Understand the theoretical details of ion-chamber based dosimetry and of both cavity-theory based (TG-21) and Monte-Carlo based (TG-51) clinical protocols. Perform and present real-world style research projects as a group, and present these projects in a typical professional scientific format and style. Achieve an appreciation of the history and potential future developments in ionizing radiation detection and dosimetry. Prerequisites: BS in physics or engineering and instructor approval.

Effects of ionizing radiations on living cells and organisms, including physical, chemical, and physiological bases of radiation cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenesis. Textbook: Radiobiology for the Radiologist. Eric Hall and Amato Giaccia. Two lectures per week. Prerequisites: graduate student standing and one year each of biology, physics and organic chemistry, or approval of instructor.

Ionizing radiation use in radiation therapy to cause controlled biological effects in cancer patients. Physics of the interaction of the various radiation modalities with body-equivalent materials, and physical aspects of clinical applications. Lecture and lab. Prerequisites: graduate student standing or permission of instructor.

This course will introduce concepts of radiation protection and safety. The focus will be on protect humans and environment from ionizing radiation. Special emphasis will be on radiological protection in clinics. Prerequisite: graduate student standing or permission of the instructor.

This course integrates the principles and methods of engineering and life sciences toward the fundamental understanding of normal and pathological mammalian tissues especially as they relate to the development of biological substitutes to restore or improve tissue function. Current concepts and strategies including drug delivery, tissue and cell transplantation, and in vivo tissue regeneration will be introduced as well as their respective clinical applications. Prerequisites: BME 366 MEMS 3410, Biol 2960 and 2970 permission of the instructor.

This course provides students with an opportunity to connect basic research with applications in translation for several tissues disease models. Course sessions will alternate between literature on basic mechanisms of development stem cell biology and applications led by researchers or clinicians working in each area. Emphasis on how discovery can be translated will be a major focus of the course. Students will be expected to review and present on primary literature in the field. Graduate standing is required. Prerequisites: graduate standing Engineering or DBBS.

This course is designed for upper-level and first-year graduate students with a background in engineering. This course covers the biology of cells of higher organisms: protein structure and function cellular membranes and organelles cell growth and oncogenic transformation cellular transport, receptors, and cell signaling and the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movement. Emphasis will be placed on examples relevant to biomedical engineering. The course will include two lectures per week and one discussion section. In the discussion section, the emphasis will be on experimental techniques used in cell biology and the critical analysis for primary literature. Note that this course does not count for engineering topics credits and is meant to fulfill a life science requirement for engineering or physical sciences graduate students. Prerequisites: Biol 2960 and Biol 2970 or graduate standing.

Course designed for graduate students with little or no background in signal processing. Continuous-time and discrete-time application of signal processing tools to a variety of biomedical problems. Course topics include review of linear signals and systems theory, frequency transforms, sampling theorem, basis functions, linear filtering, feature extraction, parameter estimation and biological system modeling. Special emphasis will be placed on signal transduction and data acquisition. Concepts learned in class will be applied using software tools to 1D biomedical signals such as biological rhythms, chemical concentrations, blood pressure, speech, EMG, ECG, EEG. Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.

Biological macromolecules (i.e., carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) are important components of the cell and its supporting matrix that perform a wide array of functions. Students will work individually or in pairs groups to develop and lead discussions on engineering biomacromolecules and molecular characterization techniques. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of genes and cloning.Same as E62 BME 442.

The ability to engineer biological function at the cellular level holds tremendous potential for both basic and applied science. This course aims to provide knowledge and practical proficiency in the methods available for measuring and controlling the molecular organization of eukaryotic cells. Topics to be covered include genome engineering using viral and CRISPR-Cas systems spatial and temporal control of proteins and their interactions methods for characterizing and engineering post-translational modifications and the relationship between cellular organization and function in migration, immune cell target recognition, and differentiation. Examples from recent scientific literature will provide the foundation for these topics.Same as E62 BME 443.

Advanced computational methods are required for the creation of biological models. Students will be introduced to the process of model development from beginning to end, which includes model formulation, solve and parameterize equations, and evaluate model success. To illustrate the potential of these methods, participants will systematically build a model to simulate a real-life biological system that is applicable to their research or interest. A mechanistic appreciation of the methods will be gained by programming the methods in a low-level language (C ) in a Linux environment. While extensive programming knowledge is not required, participants are likely to find that some programming background will be helpful. Students enrolled in the 550 graduate class will be required to complete a final project that incorporates the methods taught in class. Prerequisites: introductory programming course similar to E81 CSE 131.Same as E62 BME 450.

At the interface of the cell and the extracellular matrix, mechanical forces regulate key cellular and molecular events that profoundly affect aspects of human health and disease. This course offers a detailed review of biomechanical inputs that drive cell behavior in physically diverse matrices. In particular, cytoskeletal force-generation machineries, mechanical roles of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions, and regulation of matrix deformations are discussed. Also covered are key methods for mechanical measurements and mathematical modeling of cellular response. Implications of matrix-dependent cell motility in cancer metastasis and embryonic development are discussed. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of the instructor.Same as E37 MEMS 5565.

Basic and advanced viscoelasticity and finite strain analysis applied to the musculoskeletal system, with a primary focus on soft orthopaedic tissues (cartilage, tendon and ligament). Topics include: mechanical properties of cartilage, tendon and ligament applied viscoelasticity theory for cartilage, tendon and ligament cartilage, tendon and ligament biology tendon and ligament wound healing osteoarthritis. This class is geared to graduate students and upper-level familiar with statics and mechanics of deformable bodies. Prerequisite: BME 240 or equivalent. Note: BME 590Z (BME 463 563) Orthopaedic Biomechanics — Bones and Joints is not a prerequisite.Same as E37 MEMS 5564.

E62 BME 5702 Application of Advanced Engineering Skills for Biomedical Innovators.

Students will work in small teams to core engineering skills covered in BME 5701 such as FEM, CAD, microcontroller programming, circuit design, data informatics, and app development to particular clinical needs or processes chosen by the instructing staff. Prerequisites: BME 5701 or permission of instructor.

E62 BME 5711 Ideation of Biomedical Problems and Solutions.

This course is part one of the year-long master design sequence for the BME Master of Engineering. The course will begin with a boot camp primer of HIPAA certification, clinical etiquette, medical law, and intellectual property law. This will be followed by a rotation period of guided shadowing of clinicians. Following each rotation, students will review and present their findings, with a view toward problem solving and project generation. Three-fourths of the way through the course, students will form into teams, choose a master project, and begin intensive study of their chosen problem or process. The final weeks of the course will focus on problem scope and definition, identification of creative alternatives, and consultation with experts in the field. Prerequisite: acceptance into the Master of Engineering program.

This course is part two of the year-long master design sequence for the BME Master of Engineering. Students will work in small groups to begin to design a solution to the problem identified in BME 5711. Options and alternatives will be evaluated and a best-choice solution will be chosen, based on an in-depth study of constraints upon the problem, including engineering materials, economic, safety, social, manufacturing, ethical, sustainability, and other requirements. Core skills such as FEM, CAD, circuit design, microcontroller programming, and 3-D printing will be applied to create first an alpha mockup for proof of concept, followed by a full working prototype by the end of the semester. Prerequisites: BME 5711 or permission of instructor.

E62 BME 5713 Translation of Biomedical Solutions to Products.

This course is the third and final part of the year-long master design course sequence. Through a repeated sequence of iteration, fabrication and verification, design teams will refine and optimize their master design project, bringing it to completion. Prerequisites: BME 5712 or permission of instructor.

This course considers the computations performed by the biological nervous system with a particular focus on neural circuits and population-level encoding decoding. Topics include Hodgkin-Huxley equations phase-plane analysis reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley equations models of neural circuits plasticity and learning and pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms for analyzing neural data. Note: Graduate students in psychology or neuroscience who are in the Cognitive, Computational and Systems Neuroscience curriculum pathway may register in Biol 5657 for 3 credits. For non-BME majors, conceptual understanding, and selection application of right neural data analysis technique are stressed. Prerequisites: calculus, differential equations, basic probability and linear algebra. need permission of the instructor. Biol 5657 prerequisites: permission from the instructor.

E62 BME 5722 Feasibility Evaluation of Biomedical Products.

This is the second course of the Master of Engineering Biomedical Innovation sequence in product development. Students will practice the steps in biomedical product development, including medical need validation, brainstorming initial solutions, market analysis, solution evaluation, regulatory, patent, and intellectual property concerns, manufacturability, risk assessment and mitigation, and global considerations. The course will focus on applying product development techniques to several real unmet medical needs students will thus perform analysis and create reports and presentations for several different product solutions. Local biomedical entrepreneurs will also visit to share their expertise and experiences. Prerequisite: admission to the Master of Engineering program.

E62 BME 5723 Realization of Biomedical Products in the Marketplace.

This course is the third in the MEng-BMI Biomedical Product Development sequence, focusing on the final stages of analysis to bring forth a leading solution concept. Solution concepts are screened for killer risks in the areas of intellectual property, regulatory, reimbursement, business models, and technical feasibility to identify viable concepts. From there, manufacturability and product specifications are evaluated against user and design requirements to select a concept that offers the highest value with lowest risk. Throughout the course, students will practice effective communication of risk factors through pitch presentations and executive summary reports. In addition, specialists from the St. Louis entrepreneurial community will share their experiences as guest speakers. Prerequisites: BME 5722 MEng-BMI candidates only.

E62 BME 5731 Business Foundations for Biomedical Innovators.

Advances in science and technology have opened the health care field to innovation now than any other time in history. Engineers and inventors can make real and rapid improvements to patient treatments, length of hospital stay, procedure time, cost containment, and accessibility to treatment. However, a successful transition from idea to implementation requires careful market analysis and strategy planning. This course will address the steps in this process, including personal and team strength assessment, medical need validation, brainstorming initial solutions, market analysis, solution evaluation, regulatory, patent and intellectual property concerns, manufacturability, risk assessment and mitigation, and global considerations. Students will be expected to review resource material prior to coming to class in order to facilitate active class discussion and team-based application of the material during class regular attendance will be key to course success. The course will focus on applying product development techniques to several real unmet medical needs students will thus perform analysis and create reports and presentations for several different product solutions. In addition, throughout the semester, local biomedical entrepreneurs will visit to share their expertise and experiences. Prerequisites: graduate or professional student standing or permission of the instructor.

For medical innovators, a successful translation from product to market will require careful strategy and an understanding of the steps needed to form and fund a biotech business, either as a new startup or as an extension of the product line of an existing company. This course will address the steps in this process, including intellectual property concerns, R D, clinical strategy, regulatory issues, quality management, reimbursement, marketing strategy, sales and distribution, operating plans, and approaches to funding. Prerequisites: graduate or professional student standing or permission of the instructor.

E62 BME 5799 Independent Study for Candidates in the Master of Engineering Program.

This course will examine the biophysical concepts of synaptic function, with a focus on the mechanisms of neural signal processing at synapses and elementary circuits. The course combines lectures and discussion sessions of primary research papers. Topics include synaptic and dendritic structure, electrical properties of axons and dendrites, synaptic transmission, rapid and long-term forms of synaptic plasticity, information analysis by synapses and basic neuronal circuits, principles of information coding, mechanisms of learning and memory, function of synapses in sensory systems, and models of synaptic disease states such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. In addition, a set of lectures will be devoted to modern electrophysiological and imaging techniques as well as modeling approaches to study synapses and neural circuits. Prerequisite: senior or graduate standing.

This course covers the principles of optical photon transport in biological tissue. Topics include a brief introduction to biomedical optics, single-scatterer theories, Monte Carlo modeling of photon transport, convolution for broad-beam responses, radiative transfer equation and diffusion theory, hybrid Monte Carlo method and diffusion theory, and sensing of optical properties and spectroscopy. Prerequisite: differential equations.

This journal club is intended for beginning graduate students, advanced and MSTP students with a background in the quantitative sciences (engineering, physics, math, chemistry, etc.). The subjects covered are inherently multidisciplinary. We review landmark and recent publications in quantitative cardiovascular physiology, mathematical modeling of physiologic systems and related topics such as chaos theory and n ar dynamics of biological systems. Familiarity with calculus, differential equations and basic engineering thermodynamic principles is assumed. Knowledge of anatomy physiology is optional.

The Bioengineering program is an interdisciplinary program that involves faculty from all five engineering departments, along with faculty of the Biological Sciences department. The program provides an environment for students to receive training in a wide range of engineering and biological fields. Training for most students culminates in careers in biomedical research.