Courses of Study

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. Plan B Master’s degree terminate 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.

Features

A BME core sequence that occurs mostly in the 1^st year and includes

• BME 502 – Foundations in BME (4 credits, first semester of enrollment)
• IND 501 – Ethics (1 credit)
• BME 593 – Laboratory Rotations (2 credits)
• BME Intensives (8 credits)
  • BME 418 – Introduction to Neuroengineering (4 credits)
  • BME 442 – Cell Motility and Molecular Machines (2 credits)
  • BME 451 – Biomedical Ultrasound (4 credits)
  • BME 462 – Cell and Tissue Engineering (4 credits)
  • BME 483 – Biosolid Mechanics (4 credits)
  • BME 485 – Cell Adhesion and Mechanics (2 credits)
  • BME 492 – Biomedical Optics (4 credits)
  • BME 517 – Sensory Transduction (2 credits)
• A preliminary exam between the 1^st and 2^nd years
• BME 589 – a Proposals Writing course taken at the end of the 2^nd year (2 credits)

A 2^nd year that facilitates transition to the research thesis through more specialized coursework, the proposals writing course, and between 6 and 14 credits of laboratory research.

Requirements

• BME Core courses (minimum 16 credits)
  • BME 502 – Foundations in BME (4 credits, first semester of enrollment)
  • IND 501 – Ethics (1 credit)
  • BME 593 – Laboratory Rotations (2 credits)
  • BME Intensives (8 credits)
    • BME 418 – Introduction to Neuroengineering (4 credits)
    • BME 442 – Cell Motility and Molecular Machines (2 credits)
    • BME 451 – Biomedical Ultrasound (4 credits)
    • BME 462 – Cell and Tissue Engineering (4 credits)
    • BME 483 – Biosolid Mechanics (4 credits)
    • BME 485 – Cell Adhesion and Mechanics (2 credits)
    • BME 492 – Biomedical Optics (4 credits)
    • BME 517 – Sensory Transduction (2 credits)
  • A preliminary exam between the 1^st and 2^nd years
  • BME 589 – a Proposals Writing course taken at the end of the 2^nd year (2 credits)
• Approved Biology courses (minimum 12 credits)

  These courses are drawn from a list of select courses in the life sciences that have been approved for the program by the graduate committee.

  • Basic courses
    • IND 408 – Biochemistry
    • IND 409 – Cell Biology
    • IND 410 – Molecular Biology and Genetics
    • PHP 403 – Pharmacology and Physiology: A Disease-Based Approach I
    • PHP 403 – Pharmacology and Physiology: A Disease-Based Approach II
  • Advanced courses
    • ANA 531 – Integrative Neuroscience
    • BIO 419 – Nuc Structure and Function
    • BIO 426 – Developmental Biology
    • BIO 428 – Lab in Cell and Dev Biology
    • GEN 508 – Advanced Genetics
    • GEN 508 – Genes, Devel and Disease
    • IND 407 – Cytoplasmic Structures and Functions
    • IND 411 – Methods in Structural Biology
    • IND 443 – Eukaryotic Genome Organization and Expression I
    • IND 447 – Signal Transduction
    • IND 520 – Mitochondrial Medicine (2)
    • IND 525 – Cell and Membrane Biophysics
    • MBI 473 – Immunology (3)
    • MBI 589 – Advanced Topics in Virology (1)
    • NSC 512 – Cellular Neuroscience (6)
    • PHP 440 – Topics in Vascular Biology (2)
    • PTH 593 – Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease
    • TOX 594 – Molecular Approaches in Toxicology
• Approved Engineering courses (minimum 8 credits)

  These courses will drawn from a list of engineering courses reviewed and approved for graduate-level engineering content. The BME Intensives can also be used to satisfy the Approved Engineering requirement, but the same course cannot be applied to both the Engineering and the BME Intensive requirement.

  • CHE
    • CHE 413 – Molecular Self-Assembly
    • CHE 421 – Thin Film Processing
    • CHE 441 – Advanced Fluid Dynamics
    • CHE 447 – Optics & Liquid Crystals for Chemical Engineers
    • CHE 454 – Interfacial Engineering
    • CHE 460 – Biochem & Tech Clinic Diagnosis
    • CHE 469 – Biotechnology and Bioengineering
    • CHE 480 – Chemistry of Advanced Materials
    • CHE 482 – Processing Microelectronic
    • CHE 486 – Polymer Science & Technology
  • ME
    • ME 402 – Partial Differential Equations
    • ME 411 – Mechanical Properties of Polymers
    • ME 424 – Introduction to Robust Design & Quality Engineering
    • ME 443 – Mechanical Vibrations
    • ME 449 – Elasticity
    • ME 458 – Nonlinear Finite Elements Analysis
    • ME 459 – Applied Finite Elements
    • ME 461 – Fracture and Adhesion
    • ME 463 – Microstructures
    • ME 480 – Mechanical Properties of Solids
  • OPT
    • OPT 411 – Math/Theoretic
    • OPT 421 –
    • OPT 425 – Opt Properties of Semi-con
    • OPT 428 – Radiation & Detectors
    • OPT 441 – Opt. Commun. Systm
    • OPT 442 – Instrumental Optics
    • OPT 443 – Opt Fabrication & Testing
    • OPT 444 – Lens Design
    • OPT 452 – Medical Imaging: Theory & Prac.
    • OPT 461 – Physical Optics
    • OPT 462 – Physical Optics II
    • OPT 465 – Laser Systems
    • OPT 467 – Non-Linear Optics
    • OPT 492 – Opt Interf. Coating
    • OPT 551 – Intro to Quantum
    • OPT 552 – Quant. Opt. Of Electromag. Field
    • OPT 553 – Quant. Opt Atom-Field
    • OPT 563 – Statistical Optics
    • OPT 564 – Electr Imaging Sys.
    • OPT 568 – Waveguide Opto-elect. Devices
    • OPT 592 – Nano-Optics
  • ECE
    • ECE 401 – Advanced Computer Architecture
    • ECE 404 – High Performance Microprocessor-Based Systems
    • ECE 423 – Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 425 – Superconductivity & Josephson Effect
    • ECE 431 – Microwaves & Wireless
    • ECE 435 – Intro to Optoelectronics
    • ECE 437 – Wireless Communications
    • ECE 440 – Introduction to Random Processes
    • ECE 441 – Detection & Estimation Theory
    • ECE 444 – Digital Communications
    • ECE 446 – Digital Signal Processing
    • ECE 447 – Digital Image Process
    • ECE 450 – Information Theory
    • ECE 452 – Medical Imaging - Theory & Implementation
    • ECE 461 – Digital Integrated Circuit Design
    • ECE 461 – Digital Integrated Circuit Design Lab
    • ECE 462 – VLSI Design Project
    • ECE 465 – Issues in VLSL/IC Design
    • ECE 466 – RF Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 585 – Phy of Adv Opto-Electronics
• Electives (4 credits)

  This is free but should be relevant to a career in BME and must be approved by the preliminary exam committee

• 90 total credits with most coming from BME 595 – Research in Biomedical Engineering

Research Opportunities

To align with our department’s research strengths, students should consider specializing in one of the following areas:

• 

  Biomechanics: The field of study of mechanics of biological systems and living organisms. Biomechanics is studied on multiple levels, from nano-scale molecular interactions between proteins all the way up to whole body (organism) dynamics.

• 

  Biomedical Optics: Biomedical Optics focuses on the design and application of advanced optical techniques to solve pressing problems in medicine and biology.

• 

  Cell and Tissue Engineering: One of the most exciting areas in biomedical engineering is tissue engineering, the ability to generate living tissue ex vivo for replacement or therapeutic applications through materials development, and genetic engineering.

• 

  Medical Imaging: One of the longest standing BME fields of endeavor at the University of Rochester. Medical Imaging covers a broad scope of hardware and software development.

• 

  Neuroengineering: The combination of quantitative method, the physical sciences, and the biological sciences has provided remarkable contributions to our understanding of biomedical phenomena, including pathologic processes.

MD/PhD

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.

Requirements

• BME Intensives (4 credits)
  • BME 418 – Introduction to Neuroengineering (4 credits)
  • BME 442 – Cell Motility and Molecular Machines (2 credits)
  • BME 451 – Biomedical Ultrasound (4 credits)
  • BME 462 – Cell and Tissue Engineering (4 credits)
  • BME 483 – Biosolid Mechanics (4 credits)
  • BME 485 – Cell Adhesion and Mechanics (2 credits)
  • BME 492 – Biomedical Optics (4 credits)
  • BME 517 – Sensory Transduction (2 credits)
• Approved Engineering courses (12 credits)
  • CHE
    • CHE 413 – Molecular Self-Assembly
    • CHE 421 – Thin Film Processing
    • CHE 441 – Advanced Fluid Dynamics
    • CHE 447 – Optics & Liquid Crystals for Chemical Engineers
    • CHE 454 – Interfacial Engineering
    • CHE 460 – Biochem & Tech Clinic Diagnosis
    • CHE 469 – Biotechnology and Bioengineering
    • CHE 480 – Chemistry of Advanced Materials
    • CHE 482 – Processing Microelectronic
    • CHE 486 – Polymer Science & Technology
  • ME
    • ME 402 – Partial Differential Equations
    • ME 411 – Mechanical Properties of Polymers
    • ME 424 – Introduction to Robust Design & Quality Engineering
    • ME 443 – Mechanical Vibrations
    • ME 449 – Elasticity
    • ME 458 – Nonlinear Finite Elements Analysis
    • ME 459 – Applied Finite Elements
    • ME 461 – Fracture and Adhesion
    • ME 463 – Microstructures
    • ME 480 – Mechanical Properties of Solids
  • OPT
    • OPT 411 – Math/Theoretic
    • OPT 421 –
    • OPT 425 – Opt Properties of Semi-con
    • OPT 428 – Radiation & Detectors
    • OPT 441 – Opt. Commun. Systm
    • OPT 442 – Instrumental Optics
    • OPT 443 – Opt Fabrication & Testing
    • OPT 444 – Lens Design
    • OPT 452 – Medical Imaging: Theory & Prac.
    • OPT 461 – Physical Optics
    • OPT 462 – Physical Optics II
    • OPT 465 – Laser Systems
    • OPT 467 – Non-Linear Optics
    • OPT 492 – Opt Interf. Coating
    • OPT 551 – Intro to Quantum
    • OPT 552 – Quant. Opt. Of Electromag. Field
    • OPT 553 – Quant. Opt Atom-Field
    • OPT 563 – Statistical Optics
    • OPT 564 – Electr Imaging Sys.
    • OPT 568 – Waveguide Opto-elect. Devices
    • OPT 592 – Nano-Optics
  • ECE
    • ECE 401 – Advanced Computer Architecture
    • ECE 404 – High Performance Microprocessor-Based Systems
    • ECE 423 – Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 425 – Superconductivity & Josephson Effect
    • ECE 431 – Microwaves & Wireless
    • ECE 435 – Intro to Optoelectronics
    • ECE 437 – Wireless Communications
    • ECE 440 – Introduction to Random Processes
    • ECE 441 – Detection & Estimation Theory
    • ECE 444 – Digital Communications
    • ECE 446 – Digital Signal Processing
    • ECE 447 – Digital Image Process
    • ECE 450 – Information Theory
    • ECE 452 – Medical Imaging - Theory & Implementation
    • ECE 461 – Digital Integrated Circuit Design
    • ECE 461 – Digital Integrated Circuit Design Lab
    • ECE 462 – VLSI Design Project
    • ECE 465 – Issues in VLSL/IC Design
    • ECE 466 – RF Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 585 – Phy of Adv Opto-Electronics
• BME 502 – Analytic Foundations in BME (4 credits)
• BME 589 – Writing Proposals in BME (2 credits)
• IND 501 – Research Ethics (0 credits)