Dec 11, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2011 - 2012 
    
Graduate Catalog 2011 - 2012 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biomedical Engineering, MS


Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Stilwell Hall 455
(216) 687-2569
www.csuohio.edu/engineering/chemical/

D.B. Shah, Chair
Joanne M. Belovich, Graduate Program Director

Introduction

The graduate program in biomedical engineering is designed to provide students with the skills to apply engineering analysis and design to the solution of biomedical-related problems. The program provides a foundation built on fundamentals in the life sciences, including those at the cellular, tissue, and human physiology level. Advanced engineering courses are selected from fields including tissue engineering, biomechanics, imaging, bioMEMS, materials and nanotechnology, bioprocessing, and software engineering. The program offers two tracks: a thesis track and a design track. In-depth study of a specific research topic with a faculty mentor is conducted in the thesis track. Students in the design track work in teams on a year-long design project with mentors from either local industry or the Medical Device Solutions Department at the Cleveland Clinic. This biomedical design option is unique in northeast Ohio and among only a handful of similar programs nationwide. The design option is especially appropriate for those who will seek industrial employment directly after completion of the program and/or are interested in starting their own business. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to work in the medical device industry or to continue their education at the doctoral level.

Faculty Research and Publications

Areas in which students may conduct thesis research are reflected by the research interests and publications of the faculty. Participating faculty include members from the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering as well as members from other engineering departments, and over 30 adjunct faculty members from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic. A list of participating faculty is shown at http://www.csuohio.edu/engineering/chemical/ABE/faculty.html

Financial Assistance

Graduate research assistantships and tuition grants are available to qualified students on a competitive basis. Applicants who are seeking an assistantship or tuition grant should so indicate on the Application for Graduate Admission.

Career Information

Graduates of the MS in Biomedical Engineering program work in biomedical product development and design, testing and quality assurance, and research. Students seeking immediate employment after completion are encouraged to enroll in the design track. Students planning careers in academia or industrial research and development are encouraged to continue their education in the doctoral program in Applied Biomedical Engineering after completion of the thesis track.

Admission Information

Admission to the graduate program in biomedical engineering is open to qualified students with a baccalaureate degree in engineering or science, who present satisfactory evidence of the ability to pursue graduate studies. A minimum baccalaureate grade-point average of 3.0 usually is required. Programs of study will be developed for students with backgrounds other than engineering. Such students are required to take prerequisite courses as described under the Preparatory Program section.

Applicants should make arrangements to have official transcripts sent directly from their undergraduate institutions to the Graduate Admissions Office. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the student’s undergraduate or graduate work also are required.

If applicable, the applicant also should request that official test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions office by the testing agencies. The applicant must achieve satisfactory scores in these examinations.

The GRE General section is required if one or more of the following conditions is true:

  • The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
  • An unaccredited college or university awarded the undergraduate degree.
  • The student’s undergraduate cumulative grade-point average is below 3.00.
  • The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate
    Studies by more than six years; however, in this case, the examination requirement may be waived,with program approval, if the applicant’s undergraduate grade-point average is 3.0 or above.

If the GRE is required, a minimum score at the 80th percentile on the Quantitative section, and a score of 3.5 or higher in the Analytical Writing Qualitative section, are typically required.

International students should refer to an earlier section in this Catalog for information on testing requirements that demonstrate English-language proficiency.

Apply Now: http://www.csuohio.edu/gradcollege/admissions/apply.html

Degree Requirements


All students in the MS BME program must complete the following core courses (12 credits):

One selected from the following (“key elective”):


 

1. Biomaterials


 

2. Medical Imaging


 

3. Biomechanical Engineering


 

Note(s)


Students who have had any of the core subjects as part of a previous degree program will substitute an elective, subject to advisor approval, for the required course. The three core courses build the necessary foundation for the program in biomedical engineering. The key elective courses represen several of the specialization fields found traditionally within the discipline of biomedical engineering. These three specific areas were selected based on the expertise available from the participating faculty at CSU and The Cleveland Clinic. The key elective course is selected by the student according to his/her career interest and will most likely complement the student’s background. For example, a BS chemical engineering student is likely to select Biomaterials or Biomechanical Engineering; a student with a BS in electrical or computer engineering may be likely to select Medical Imaging. Students will select either the thesis or design track, as described below.

Thesis Track


This option is for the student who wants extensive research experience and a focus within a particular field. Students who plan to enter the doctoral program in Applied Biomedical Engineering should select this track.

The requirements are:


 

  • The student plans and completes a research project, which may lead to publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, under the direction of a faculty advisor.
  • Engineering electives (9 credits)

Design Track


This option is for the student who wants to apply engineering skills to the design of a biomedical process or product that may have direct benefit to health-care and/or the health-care industry. This option is especially appropriate for those who will seek industrial employment directly after completing the master’s program and/or are interested in starting their own business. The requirements are:

Electives


Electives are selected from 500/600/700-level graduate engineering courses. Electives must be selected with advisor approval. It is recommended that students take a course sequence in a specific area in order to build depth of knowledge.

Suggested course sequences are listed below:


 

The Preparatory Program


Students who have an undergraduate background in a field other than engineering are required to have completed additional undergraduate coursework, including calculus through differential equations, one year of physics, one semester of general chemistry, and at least one undergraduate engineering course. The specific undergraduate engineering course requirement depends on the student’s field of specialization, as shown here:  

Note(s)


A grade of B or better must be earned in each of the undergraduate courses. There may be additional requirements depending on the student’s background and selected concentration area. These students may be admitted into the program prior to their completing all of the course requirements. Students will only be permitted to enroll in courses for which they have completed the prerequisites. These undergraduate credits will not count towards the 30 hours required for the degree.

Students should call the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Department at (216) 687-2569 to set up an appointment with the Graduate Program Director prior to registering for classes.

Prerequisite Courses


  • MTH 283 Multivariable calculus; ESC 315 Electrical Engineering Concepts or EEC 310 Circuits

Exit Requirements


Students must achieve at least a 3.0 grade-point average to graduate. Thesis students must submit a thesis to their graduate committee that follows the Thesis and Dissertation Format Guidelines, available on the College of Graduate Studies web page: http://www.csuohio.edu/gradcollege/students/thesis/. In order to graduate, students’ theses must be accepted by the graduate committee, and students must pass an oral defense of the thesis. Design-track students must prepare and present a formal report of their design project.