Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

The mission of the Department of Biomedical Engineering is to develop clinically translatable solutions for human health by training the next generation of biomedical engineers, cultivating leaders, and nurturing the integration of science, engineering, and medicine in a discovery-centered environment. The main educational objective is to provide a thorough training in the fundamentals of engineering science, design, and biology. The curriculum is designed to provide concepts central to understanding living systems from the molecular and cellular levels to the tissue and organismal levels. The curriculum incorporates principles of vertical integration, leading to the choice of a technical area (biomedical imaging and instrumentation, cellular and biomolecular engineering, computational biomedical engineering, or biomechanics), and culminates in a team capstone design experience. Students are expected to develop an understanding of industrial, research, and clinical biomedical engineering environments; an understanding of regulatory issues and biomedical ethics; the ability to create, identify, formulate, and solve biomedical engineering problems; the ability to design systems to meet needs in medical/life science applications; an understanding of life processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels; the ability to use instrumentation and to make measurements and interpret data in living systems; and an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of biomedical engineering research.

Portable Computing Devices

Students entering biomedical engineering are required to have a laptop computer. Laptops do not need to be brought to campus on a daily basis, but individual courses may require that a laptop be brought to certain lectures, labs, and/or exams. Minimum requirements for the laptop are listed on the department's website.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the biomedical engineering program are expected to have:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, societal, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Program Educational Objectives

Achievement of the preceding program outcomes gives students the foundation for accomplishing the biomedical engineering program educational objectives. A few years after graduation, students are expected to be able to:

• Conduct themselves with exemplary professional ethics and highest integrity
• Demonstrate a quantitative, analytical, and systems approach to problem solving in their professional practice
• Demonstrate a continuous quest for professional excellence and success
• Participate in continuing education to expand their knowledge of contemporary professional issues
• Exhibit effective scientific, technical, communication, and resource management skills in their professional practice

Curriculum

Course requirements include courses within the Cockrell School of Engineering, and other required courses. In addition, each student must complete the University’s core curriculum. In some cases, a course that fulfills one of the following requirements may also be counted toward core curriculum or flag requirements; these courses are identified below.

In the process of fulfilling engineering degree requirements, students must also complete coursework to satisfy the following flag requirements: one independent inquiry flag, one quantitative reasoning flag, one ethics flag, one global cultures flag, one cultural diversity in the United States flag, and two writing flags. The independent inquiry flag, the quantitative reasoning flag, the ethics flag, and the two writing flags are carried by courses specifically required for the degree; these courses are identified below. Courses that may be used to fulfill flag requirements are identified in the Course Schedule.

Prior to registration, students must receive approval from the Biomedical Engineering Academic Advising Office for courses to be used to fulfill technical and nontechnical course requirements. The student must take all courses required for the degree on the letter-grade basis and must earn a grade of at least C- in each, except for those listed as Remaining Core Curriculum Courses.

Requirements		Hours
Biomedical Engineering Courses
BME 214L	Computational Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Design	2
BME 245L	Experimental Principles of Biomedical Engineering Design	2
BME 261L	Development and Analysis in Biomedical Engineering Design	2
BME 303	Introduction to Computing	3
BME 303L	Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Design	3
BME 311	Network Analysis in Biomedical Engineering	3
BME 313L	Introduction to Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering	3
BME 333T	Engineering Communication (writing and an ethics flag)	3
BME 335	Engineering Probability and Statistics	3
BME 343	Biomedical Engineering Signal and Systems Analysis	3
BME 344	Biomechanics	3
BME 349	Biomedical Instrumentation	3
BME 352	Engineering Biomaterials	3
BME 353	Transport Phenomena in Living Systems	3
BME 355	Molecular Engineering	3
BME 365R	Quantitative Engineering Physiology I	3
BME 365S	Quantitative Engineering Physiology II	3
BME 370	Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design I (writing flag)	3
BME 371	Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design II (independent inquiry flag)	3
Approved technical area elective		12
Biology
BIO 206L	Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology	2
BIO 311C	Introductory Biology I	3
Biochemistry and Chemistry
BCH 369	Fundamentals of Biochemistry	3
CH 128K	Organic Chemistry Laboratory	1
CH 301	Principles of Chemistry I	3
CH 302	Principles of Chemistry II	3
CH 204	Introduction to Chemical Practice	2
CH 320M	Organic Chemistry I	3
or CH 328M	Organic Chemistry I
Mathematics
M 408C	Differential and Integral Calculus (mathematics; quantitative reasoning flag)	4
M 408D	Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus	4
M 427J	Differential Equations with Linear Algebra (quantitative reasoning flag)	4
Physics
PHY 103M	Laboratory for Physics 303K	1
PHY 103N	Laboratory for Physics 303L	1
PHY 303K	Engineering Physics I (part I science and technology; quantitative reasoning flag)	3
PHY 303L	Engineering Physics II (part I science and technology; quantitative reasoning flag)	3
Rhetoric and Writing
RHE 306	Rhetoric and Writing (English composition)	3
Remaining Core Curriculum Courses
E 316L	British Literature 1	3
or E 316M	American Literature
or E 316N	World Literature
or E 316P	Masterworks of Literature
American and Texas government 2		6
American history 2		6
Social and behavioral sciences 3		3
Visual and performing arts 3		3
UGS 302	First-Year Signature Course 4	3
or UGS 303	First-Year Signature Course
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1. Some sections of the English humanities courses (E 316L, 316M, 316N, 316P) carry a global cultures or cultural diversity flag.
2. Some sections carry a cultural diversity flag.
3. Some sections carry a global cultures and/or cultural diversity flag.
4. In UGS 302, all sections carry a writing flag. In UGS 303, some sections carry a writing flag.
Minimum Required		133

Integrated BSBME/MSE program

The integrated degree program results in simultaneously awarding a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BSBME) and a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree offered by the graduate program in biomedical engineering. The objective of the Integrated BSBME/MSE Program is to enable prepared undergraduates in Biomedical Engineering to earn two degrees in a shortened time period. By applying AP and Credit by Exam courses, having students take recommended summer courses, and allowing seniors to enroll in graduate-level engineering courses reserved for graduate credit, the program enables graduates to complete both degree requirements in five years.

Admissions. Current undergraduate BME students may begin the application process to the Integrated BSBME/MSE Program option in the first term of their third year. Admission includes the two steps outlined below. Undergraduate students not in the biomedical engineering major are not eligible to apply. It is expected that all students selected for the program in Step 1 and have been successful in their first graduate-level coursework will be selected for admission in Step 2. Successful completion will be evaluated and determined by the department’s Domestic Graduate Admission Committee and the Graduate Advisor.

Step 1. Students go through the first step in application for admission to the Integrated BSBME/MSE Program in the second term of the third year. The Step 1 application is internal through the department and includes a resume, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Qualified applicants will be selected based on the applicant’s progress to degree completion, grade point average, and other qualifications included in the application materials. Selected students will be notified early in the summer after their the third year of their admission status for the integrated program, allowing them to meet with an academic advisor to plan graduate coursework in the first term of their fourth year.

Step 2. Students go through the second step in the application after the second term of their fourth year. The Step 2 application is formal through the Graduate and International Admission Center (GIAC) and includes a resume, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and a TOEFL score (if required). Qualified applicants will be selected based on success in graduate-level engineering courses in the first term of their fourth year, grade point average, and other qualifications included in the application materials. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) test scores are required for admission through GIAC.

If a student in their fourth year is taking graduate courses and would be on track to complete the integrated program but did not apply in their third year through Step 1, they may also choose to apply in Step 2 and formally apply through GIAC by the normal admission deadline. These students will be evaluated for admission on the same criteria.

Degree Requirements. In order for integrated program students to complete both the BSBME and MSE degrees in five years, the department waives six semester credit hours (SCH) of technical area electives in lieu of six SCH of graduate engineering coursework reserved for graduate credit taken in the fourth year. This reduces the total BSBME degree requirements for integrated program students from 133 to 127 SCH. The remaining required six SCH of technical area electives required for the BSBME degree must be taken in engineering (see Technical Area Options section below).

Students in the integrated program complete 12 SCH of graduate coursework in their fourth year and 18 SCH of graduate coursework in their fifth year to complete a total of 30 SCH of graduate coursework for the MSE degree as described in the Graduate Catalog. Students have the option of choosing the coursework or thesis options for the MSE degree as described in the Graduate Catalog. Which courses the student takes will be determined with the graduate advisor and academic advisor to ensure compliance with degree requirements and meet the students’ career goals.

Students unable to successfully complete the integrated program, or who wish to terminate pursuit of the MSE for any reason, may obtain a BSBME degree by satisfying all of the requirements for the standalone degree. Two of the graduate courses (six SCH) taken in the fourth year may count toward the 12 SCH of technical area electives required to complete the entire 133 SCH requirements. An undergraduate student leaving the integrated program will be on a trajectory to graduate with the regular BSBME degree in the same timeframe prior to admission to the integrated program.

Graduates of the integrated program will receive the BSBME and MSE degrees simultaneously after successfully completing the 127 SCH for the BSBME and 30 SCH for the MSE, a total of 157 SCH. It is expected that students in this program will graduate with both degrees in a total of five years to completion.

Advising. Once admitted, students will be advised each semester by the graduate advisor and an academic advisor to complete coursework required for the BSBME degree in their fourth year, and completion of the coursework required for the MSE degree in their fourth and fifth years.

Information regarding the integrated program requirements and policies may be obtained from the Biomedical Engineering Academic Advising Office in BME 3.308.

Technical Area Options

Technical Area 1, Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation

This technical area is designed for students interested in the general area of medical imaging science and instrumentation design. Two career emphases are available in this area: biomedical imaging and biomedical instrumentation. Students are required to select 12 semester hours from any of the Technical Area 1 electives; six of the 12 hours must be within engineering.

Career Emphasis A: Biomedical Imaging

The main objective of this emphasis is to prepare students for a career in biomedical imaging. A solid foundation, practical knowledge, and skills are established in optics, imaging modalities, and image and signal processing.

While students are required to select 12 hours from any of the Technical Area 1 electives, the following are recommended for the biomedical imaging career emphasis:

Biomedical Engineering 336, Cancer Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering 347, Fundamentals of Biomedical Optics
Biomedical Engineering 350, Computational Methods for Biomedical Engineers
Biomedical Engineering 357, Biomedical Imaging Modalities
Biomedical Engineering 358, Medical Decision Making
Electrical Engineering 347, Modern Optics
Electrical Engineering 351M, Digital Signal Processing
Electrical Engineering 371Q, Digital Image Processing
An approved upper-division biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, or physics course

Career Emphasis B: Biomedical Instrumentation

The main objective of this emphasis is to prepare students to design and use biomedical instrumentation for imaging, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. A solid foundation, practical knowledge, and skills are established in analog and digital network analysis, software and hardware programming, electronic circuits, sensors, data acquisition systems, image and signal processing, and computational analysis of data as it applies to living systems.

While students are required to select 12 hours from any of the Technical Area 1 course options, the following are recommended for the biomedical instrumentation career emphasis:

Biomedical Engineering 306, Fundamentals of Computing
Biomedical Engineering 354, Molecular Sensors and Nanodevices for Biomedical Engineering Applications
Biomedical Engineering 363E, Medical Device Design and Manufacturing
Biomedical Engineering 367, Design of Artificial Organs
Biomedical Engineering 374K, Biomedical Instrument Design
Biomedical Engineering 374L, Applications of Biomedical Instrumentation Lab
Electrical Engineering 312, Software Design and Implementation I
Electrical Engineering 319K, Introduction to Embedded Systems
Electrical Engineering 438, Fundamentals of Electronic Circuits I Laboratory
Electrical Engineering 445L, Embedded Systems Design Laboratory
Electrical Engineering 445M, Embedded and Real-Time Systems Laboratory
Electrical Engineering 445S, Real-Time Digital Signal Processing Laboratory
Electrical Engineering 351M, Digital Signal Processing

Technical Area 2, Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering

The major objective of this area is to teach students how to integrate knowledge in cell and molecular biology with engineering analysis, so that they can address problems in molecular-based medicine. Two career emphases are available in this area: biomaterials/regenerative medicine and nanotechnology. Students are required to select 12 semester hours from any of the Technical Area 2 electives; six of the 12 hours must be within engineering.

Career Emphasis A: Biomaterials/Regenerative Medicine

The objective of this emphasis is to prepare students for a career in biomaterials and regenerative medicine engineering. This emphasis includes solid foundation in cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials, and pharmacology. While students are required to select 12 hours from any of the Technical Area 2 course options, the following are recommended for the biomaterials/regenerative medicine career emphasis:

Biology 320, Cell Biology
Biology 325, Genetics 
Biology 326M, Introductory Medical Microbiology and Immunology 
Biomedical Engineering 336, Cancer Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering 339, Biochemical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering 359, Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics
Biomedical Engineering 363E, Medical Device Design and Manufacturing
Biomedical Engineering 364, Biological Responses to Medical Devices
Biomedical Engineering 365, Tissue Microenvironments
Biomedical Engineering 366, Immune Engineering
Biomedical Engineering 367, Design of Artificial Organs
Biomedical Engineering 369, Biomimetic Design and Engineering
Biomedical Engineering 373, Tissue, Scaffold, and Cell Biomechanics Applications
Biomedical Engineering 375, Stem Cells in Cell and Tissue Engineering
Biomedical Engineering 376, Cell Engineering 
Biomedical Engineering 379, Tissue Engineering
An approved topic of Chemical Engineering 379, Topics in Chemical Engineering
Chemistry 320N, Organic Chemistry II and 220C, Organic Chemistry Laboratory; or 328N, Organic Chemistry II and 128L, Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Pharmacy PharmD 338, Introduction to Pharmacology
An approved upper-division biomedical engineering, chemical engineering or mechanical engineering course

Career Emphasis B: Nanotechnology

The objective of this emphasis is to prepare students for a career in nanotechnology. This emphasis includes solid foundation in nanodevices and sensors, biological physics, and nanocomposites. While students are required to select 12 hours from any of the Technical Area 2 course options, the following are recommended for the nanotechnology career emphasis:

Biomedical Engineering 346, Computational Biomolecular Engineering
Biomedical Engineering 354, Molecular Sensors and Nanodevices for Biomedical Engineering Applications
Biomedical Engineering 356, Polymer and Bioconjugate Chemistry
Biomedical Engineering 359, Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics
Chemical Engineering 339P, Introduction to Biological Physics
An approved topic of Chemical Engineering 379, Topics in Chemical Engineering
Chemistry 320N, Organic Chemistry II and 220C, Organic Chemistry Laboratory; or 328N, Organic Chemistry II and 128L, Organic Chemistry Laboratory
An approved topic of Mechanical Engineering 379M, Topics in Mechanical Engineering
An approved upper-division biomedical engineering, chemical engineering or mechanical engineering course