Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Pathways in Biomedical Engineering - Florida International University Department of Biomedical Engineering

Overview

This Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree five-year pathway seamlessly combines a baccalaureate degree in biomedical mechanical, or electrical engineering with the Master’s in biomedical engineering.

Department Mission

The mission of the Department of Biomedical Engineering is:

To bridge engineering, science and medicine.
To educate and train the next diverse generation of biomedical engineers.
To conduct research leading to significant discoveries in medical sciences.
To conduct design and development of innovative medical technology.
To translate scientific discovery and medical technology to industry or clinical practice for delivery of health care.
To engage with the local to global community for knowledge dissemination.

Program Goals

The objectives of the graduate Biomedical Engineering Program at FIU are the following:

Provide opportunity for advanced graduate studies and entrepreneurial activities.
Encourage FIU graduates to extend their careers into research and teaching.
Prepare graduates for conducting innovative and impactful biomedical engineering research, design and development.
Provide highly trained professionals in Biomedical Engineering to serve in academic institutions, government agencies, research laboratories, and manufacturing and service industries.
Improve minority and Hispanic doctoral graduate representation in the Biomedical Engineering field, where they are highly underrepresented.
Help attract more biotechnology industries to Miami-Dade County and South Florida.

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We are part of the FIU College of Engineering and Computing, one of the top engineering schools in Florida and in the country.

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Learning Goals

After completing your degree, you will be able to:

Develop and utilize the fundamentals of cutting-edge BME technologies
Exhibit a broad understanding of existing BME research fields
Demonstrate leadership in team-based multidisciplinary collaborations
Design, conduct and present a BME research project
Gain and apply knowledge in advanced BME topics and related laboratory techniques
Display appropriate professional behavior and principles of ethical conduct
Obtain technical knowledge and experience in engineering management, marketing and other entrepreneurial activities relevant to BME

Careers and Salaries

Potential Salaries and Demand

Potential Careers

Biomedical engineering is one of the hottest fields right now, and the types of jobs in biomedical engineering pay some of the highest starting salaries you can currently get. Being a fusion of healthcare and engineering, the two areas of study that are consistently praised for offering the best job prospects for students, biomedical engineering involves applying engineering principles to create solutions for healthcare and usually deals with the design and development of medical products, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here are some popular career titles held by Biomedical Engineers:

Manufacturing Engineer
Quality Engineer
Software Engineer
Researcher
Physician

Tracks & Specializations

Students must have completed at least 75 credits in the bachelor’s degree program at FIU, have earned at least a 3.25 GPA on both overall and upper division courses, and meet the admissions criteria for the graduate degree program to which they are applying.

The Professional Track is for engineers currently practicing in the biomedical industry and students interested in pursuing a management career in biomedical industry. A student shall complete 27 credit hours of course work and a 3 credit hour capstone project.

The Research Track is geared to prepare graduates for further graduate study or a career in biomedical research. A student shall complete a minimum of 30 credit hours. This includes a minimum of 24 hours of course work (15 credits of electives in specialty areas, 6 credits of mathematics core courses, 3 credits of life science elective), one semester of the Biomedical Engineering Seminar, and 6 semester credit hours of Master’s Thesis or 3 credit hours of Master’s Project.

Courses

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Professional Track Courses

The Professional Track consists of 27 credits of course work and a three-credit capstone project in three core areas: Life Sciences, Engineering Management, and Biomedical Engineering.

Life Science Core (3 credits)
Select one of the following courses with advisor approval:

BME 5316 Molecular Bioprocess Engineering
BSC 5935 Topics in Biology (Neurobiology)
BSC 5935 Topics in Biology (Sensory Neurobiology)
EXP 5667 Cognitive Neuroscience
OTH 5427 Neurorehabilitation Approaches in OT
PCB 5835 Neurophysiology + PCB 5835L Neurophysiology lab
PHT 5174 Analysis of Movement and Function
PHT 5174L Analysis of Movement and Function Lab
PHT 5180 Musculoskeletal Diagnosis and Management I + PHT 5180L Musculoskeletal Diagnosis and Management I Lab
PHZ 6255 Molecular Biophysics
ZOO 5371 Applied Musculoskeletal Systems + ZOO 5371L Applied Musculoskeletal Systems Lab
ZOO 5746 Comparative Neurobiology
ZOO 5745 Advanced Neuroanatomy
ZOO 5746 Comparative Neurobiology

Mathematics Core (3 credits)
Select one of the following courses with advisor approval:

STA 5676 Reliability Engineering
STA 5126 Fundamentals of Design of Experiments

Engineering Management Core (6 credits)
Select two of the following courses with advisor approval:

EIN 5226 Total Quality Management for Engineers
EIN 5322 Engineering Management
EIN 5359 Industrial Financial Decisions
MAN 6167 Leadership in a Global Environment
MAN 6245 Organizational Behavior

Biomedical Engineering Core (15 credits)
Select five graduate courses from BME and other programs with advisor approval
BME 6907 Master’s Project
While the degree is a non-thesis program, you’ll be required to conduct an applied project (3 credits). The project will address contemporary topics and trends in biomedical engineering technology development and will require a formal report and presentation upon completion. Professional track students are required to take an oral final examination dealing with the objectives of their study plan. You will briefly summarize the project report (20 minutes) as a part of the exam.
Non-Degree seeking students
You may take classes as a non-degree seeking student while you apply for admission. Up to 12 credits (4 classes) may be applied to your degree if you’re accepted into the program.

Research Track Courses

RESEARCH TRACK COURSE REQUIREMENTS The Research Track includes a minimum of 30 credit hours. This includes a minimum of 24 hours of course work (15 credits of electives in specialty areas, 6 credits of mathematics core courses, 3 credits of life science elective), one semester of the Biomedical Engineering Seminar, and 6 semester credit hours of Master’s Thesis or 3 credit hours of Master’s Project.

Biomedical Engineering Core
If you’re in the Research Track, you must take at least three graduate-level courses offered by BME or other departments in one specialty area, and at least one course in each of the remaining specialty areas. The current specialty areas are:

Basic Research in Engineered Tissue Model Systems
Diagnostic Bioimaging and Sensor Systems
Therapeutic and Reparative Neurotechnology

Life Science Core (3 credits)
Select one of the following courses with advisor approval:

BME 5316 Molecular Bioprocess Engineering
BSC 5935 Topics in Biology (Neurobiology)
BSC 5935 Topics in Biology (Sensory Neurobiology)
CHM 5325 Physical Chemistry of Proteins
CHM 5506 Physical Biochemistry
CHM 5503 Physical Chem of Nucleic Acids
EXP 5667 Cognitive Neuroscience
OTH 5427 Neurorehabilitation Approaches in OT
PCB 5835 Neurophysiology + PCB 5835L Neurophysiology lab
PCB 6025 Molecular and Cellular Biology I
PCB 6027 Molecular and Cellular Biology II
PHT 5174 Analysis of Movement and Function
PHT 5174L Analysis of Movement and Function Lab
PHT 5180 Musculoskeletal Diagnosis and Management I + PHT 5180L Musculoskeletal Diagnosis and Management I Lab
PHZ 6255 Molecular Biophysics
ZOO 5371 Applied Musculoskeletal Systems + ZOO 5371L Applied Musculoskeletal Systems Lab
ZOO 5746 Comparative Neurobiology
ZOO 5745 Advanced Neuroanatomy
ZOO 5746 Comparative Neurobiology

Mathematics Core (6 credits)

BME 6705 Nonlinear Systems Applications in Life Science
and one of the following courses:
STA 5126 Fund Design of Experiments
STA 6176 Biostatistics
STA 5206 Design of Experiments 3

BME 6936 Biomedical Engineering Seminar (0 credits)
You must attend a minimum of 12 research seminars organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering or another engineering/science academic program to earn the Biomedical Engineering Seminar credit.

Biomedical Engineering Research
1. BME 6970 Master’s Thesis (6 credits)
You’re required to complete a thesis research project under the supervision of an advisor and committee. When the thesis research is completed, you should schedule and conduct a defense with an examining committee appointed through the Graduate School. At the conclusion of the defense, the committee will agree upon the outcome pass or fail and report the results to the Graduate School.
2. BME 6907 Master’s Project (3 credits)
A research the will address contemporary topics and trends in biomedical engineering technology development. The project will require a formal report and presentation upon completion.

Non-Degree seeking students
You may take classes as a non-degree seeking student while you apply for admission. Up to 12 credits (4 classes) may be applied to your degree if you’re accepted into the program.

Requirements

Please review the admission requirements and the graduation requirements below and contact an advisor if you need more information.

Admission Requirements

Graduation Requirements