Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of biomedical engineering as a research discipline is to discover new physical and mathematical concepts that are applicable to the problems of biology and medicine, including the organization of health care. Biomedical engineering is concerned with the integrative and mathematical approach to biology and also with more pragmatic problems such as the biomedical use of information systems and the development of advanced biomedical instrumentation.

The Graduate School of Vanderbilt University, in collaboration with the Schools of Engineering and Medicine, offers Master of Engineering, Master of Science; and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with a major in Biomedical Engineering. The goal of the Vanderbilt program is to provide advanced education and research training in quantitative organ and cellular biology, in biomedical information and instrumentation systems, imaging and in the scientific principles underlying the origination of therapeutic devices and processes. It is specifically concerned with the interface between the engineering, physical, computing and mathematical sciences, and biology.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering is in the School of Engineering, but is closely affiliated with the medical school. In addition to the M.Eng., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, the department also participates in the School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. program. Many BME faculty members hold joint appointments with Engineering School, A&S, and Medical School departments, and numerous faculty from across campus hold joint appointments in BME. The School of Medicine and University Hospital are located on the same campus as the School of Engineering, less than one block away. This close proximity facilitates a wide variety of collaborative efforts between faculty and students in the two schools.

Master of Engineering

The M. Eng. is an advanced professional degree awarded by the School of Engineering. It is designed to provide advanced instruction to qualified students who are interested in applying engineering principles to biological systems. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for the professional practice of biomedical engineering. The emphasis of the Master of Engineering Program is different from that of the Master of Science Program. The M.S. program emphasizes research and requires completion of a thesis, while the M. Eng. program emphasizes professional practice through 30 hours of didactic instruction and a supervised design project. Courses are distributed as follows:

• Biomedical Engineering: 12 hours
• Subspecialty Area: 6 hours
• Engineering Design: 6 hours
• Professional Practice: 6 hours

In addition, the candidate must complete a design project, and present results to the faculty.

Master of Science

Candidates for the master of science (M.S.) degree must complete 30 hours of graduate-level credit, approved by the faculty, with the following minimum distribution of didactic hours:

• Biomedical Engineering: minimum of 12 credit hours
• Life Science: minimum of 3 credit hours (MPB 8330, or equivalent)
• Advanced Engineering/Science: minimum of 9 credit hours

At least 6 of the BME hours and 3 of the advanced science or engineering hours must be 6000+ level courses. One (1) hour of BME seminar and 6 hours of thesis research credit hours can count toward the total of 30 hours necessary for the M.S. degree. In addition, the candidate must submit a research thesis for faculty approval and give a final oral presentation. 

Regularly Offered Full Graduate Courses:

• BME 7410 Quantitative Methods in Biomedical Engineering
• BME 7413 Advanced Biomechanics
• BME 7419 Engineering Models of Cellular Phenomena
• BME 7410 Laser-Tissue Interaction and Therapeutic Use of Lasers
• BME 7420 Optical Diagnosis: Principles and Applications
• BME 7425 Physical Measurements on Biological Systems
• BME 7310 Advanced Computational Modeling and Analysis
• BME 7430 Cancer Imaging
• BME 7440 Neuroimaging
• BME 7473 Design of Medical Products, Processes and Services 
• BME 5420 Advanced Quantitative and Functional Imaging
• BME 7420 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods
• BME 7500 Independent Study in Biomedical Engineering

Recently Offered Special Topics Courses:

• BME 8900 Advanced Biomaterials
• BME 8900 Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery
• BME 8900 Advanced Systems Biology
• BME 8900 Advanced Automated Biology
• BME 8900 Advanced Drug Delivery
• BME 8900 Cellular Transport Phenomena
• BME 8900 Advanced Therapeutic Bioengineering
• BME 8900 Optical Microscopy and Imaging
• BME 8900 Advanced Magnetic Resonance Engineering
• BME 8900 Advanced Image Reconstruction in MRI

Requirements

Students applying for admission to the graduate program in biomedical engineering must meet the general requirements of admission of the Vanderbilt University Graduate School. Admission is competitive and students are selected on the basis of their scholastic preparation and intellectual capacity. All applicants shall have maintained a B average in their undergraduate work, provide three letters of recommendation and take the General Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants for study in biomedical engineering should have a bachelor's degree in engineering or science, with the following minimum preparation:

Biology- two semesters of molecular-based biology

Mathematics- calculus, differential equations, and statistics; one semester of computer programming highly recommended.

Physics- two semesters, modern physics recommended

Chemistry- two semesters; biochemistry or organic chemistry recommended

Engineering - one course in basic electrical engineering, and introductory courses in two of the following three areas: materials science or biomaterials, mechanics or fluid mechanics, transport or heat and/or mass transfer, signals and systems. Courses in instrumentation and systems physiology are highly recommended.

Research or Design Experience - highly recommended.

Special plans may be made on an individual basis for students who are highly prepared in one area, but underprepared in another.  Students seeking admission without this background should be prepared to take these courses.  Such courses cannot be counted toward graduate degree requirements and are ordinarily not included as part of tuition scholarship awards.

Applicants should have a minimum 3.0/4.0 grade point average overall, in the last two years of undergraduate study, and in their major field.

Average GPA and GRE scores for admitted students in recent years:

Students for whom English is not the primary language and who have not earned a degree at an English-speaking US institution must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination. A minimum score of 100 (600 on the old (paper-based) scoring scale) is required.

Admission to the program is competitive and limited by financial support and available positions in laboratories. Qualifications of an applicant are judged relative to the qualifications of the entire applicant pool. 

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Scholarships

BME students receive their financial aid from numerous sources: Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Training grants, individual fellowship (most commonly the NSF graduate fellowship). Each year, some of the top applicants are considered for special topping-up fellowships supplied by IBM or the Vanderbilt Graduate School.