The mission of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department is to advance human health and aid in the economic development of the region, state and country by providing state-of-the-art, accessible and affordable education and professional training in biomedical science and engineering. The faculty is composed of exceptional professors and internationally renowned researchers who are accessible and supportive of students' learning needs. Specifically, the department strives to train the next generation of biomedical scientists and engineers, cultivate leaders and foster entrepreneurship to advance human health in a new era of medicine. This will be accomplished through the integration of engineering principles, data science, artificial intelligence, physical sciences, computer sciences, medical science and biology toward an improved understanding of biophysical phenomena, healthcare systems, disease prevention, diagnostics, treatment, data management and regulatory sciences. Recognizing that students come from all over the world, faculty and staff are devoted to maintaining a diverse and culturally aware learning atmosphere. The BME Department offers various financial assistance options to both master's and doctoral students that include graduate fellowships, along with research and teaching assistantships. The department is the home for the Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine (CBRM). The department is also a member of the Upstate New York Translational Research Network (UNYTE).
The BME Department offers three graduate degree options:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Master of Science (MS)
- Combined Bachelor of Science (BS)/MS 4+1 degree
Biomedical Engineering
The goal of the BME graduate program is to prepare students for careers in industry, business, academia and research lab environments by offering a flexible program of coursework and mentoring that enables students to engage in creative and independent research on a cutting-edge research topic. The program is designed to prepare students for leadership positions in biomedical research, education and entrepreneurship, and for success in a global environment. Graduates will have diverse career opportunities in academia, industries and businesses, working to improve human health and well-being through scientific and technological innovations.
The MS degree can typically be completed in 1.5 to 2.5 years. For the combined bachelor of science (BS)/MS 4+1 program, the MS degree component can be completed within one year. Students complete the core curriculum and elective courses, and undertake thesis research or a termination project. Doctoral students conduct in-depth research where they demonstrate a contribution to the advancement of knowledge in their field of study. The typical time to earn a doctoral degree is three to five years.
The program provides the student with access to considerable resources, including:
- Laboratory facilities equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for 3D tissue and organ bioprinting, advanced biomanufacturing, stem cell and regenerative medicine, point-of-care testing and diagnosis, cardiac tissue engineering, implantable biosensors, biophotonics, biomaterials, bioimaging, biomechanics, nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, cancer immunotherapy, gene editing and organ-on-a-chip technology.
- Computing clusters for high-speed data analysis, data mining, data management and artificial intelligence.
- The Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging (S3IP) Center, which includes the Analytical and Diagnostics Laboratory (ADL), for materials testing and micro- and nano-systems engineering.
- The Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine (CBRM).
- The Health Science Core Facility.
Students enrolled in the program may have the opportunity to collaborate with clinicians practicing at nearby medical centers, such as UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS °®¶¹´«Ã½ General Hospital, Upstate Medical Center, Bassett Healthcare Center, Guthrie Health Center and Upstate New York Translational Research Network (UNYTE.) Students may also have opportunities to work on industry-funded projects and gain valuable experience with industrial-academic collaborative research that could lead to internships and full-time positions.
MS/PhD Requirements for Admission
The BME program accepts students at both the BS and MS levels. The primary criteria for admission include an academic record of excellence, the appropriate knowledge base to permit enrollment in the core courses and an interest in contributing to the field. All admitted students should complete the core coursework, although students entering the program with an MS degree may substitute equivalent courses if appropriately justified; permission will be granted by the director of graduate studies on a case-by-case basis. Prospective graduate students should visit the Graduate School website to apply online.
The application package for graduate admission includes official transcript(s), test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), at least two letters of recommendation, a résumé and a one-page statement indicating why the applicant wishes to pursue a graduate degree in biomedical engineering at °®¶¹´«Ã½. International students should also provide proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test scores) and immigration and financial documentation. See the Graduate School website for more information about the additional requirements for international students.
Applications are considered for both spring and fall semesters and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Recommended submission dates for fall semester admission: Apply before Jan. 15 for funding consideration or April 1 for regular admission. Recommended submission dates for spring semester admission: Apply before Oct. 15 for funding consideration or Nov. 15 for regular admission.
Graduate students who are well qualified may receive assistantships, such as teaching assistantships (TA), research project assistantships (RPA) or graduate assistantships (GA). Funding decisions are decided among the admitted pool of applicants in the spring semester for fall admissions and as needed for spring admissions. Domestic and international MS and PhD students are considered for funding.
Core Courses
The core courses are designed to provide all BME graduate students with a common knowledge base. This includes principles of biomedical engineering, physiological and cellular systems, mathematical analysis, statistics and experimental design. The core courses are:
- BME 533 Human Physiology (3 cr.)
- BME 572 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis (3 cr.)
- BME 590 Graduate Seminar (1 cr.)
- BME 682 Emerging Methods and Applications in BME (3 cr.)
- BME 690 Advanced Graduate Seminar & Writing in BME (2 cr.)
A core course can be substituted by a BME elective if appropriately justified by the student’s academic background. Such requests will be evaluated by the student's guidance committee and the director of graduate studies.
Research
In the BME graduate program, students often register for one or more credit hours of research each semester. The research courses are:
- BME 598 Project
- BME 599 Thesis
- BME 698 Pre-Dissertation Research
- BME 699 Dissertation Research
Elective Courses
Elective courses are aimed at preparing students for careers in research, industry or government, and at providing students with an introduction to the broader aspects of biomedical engineering. Students can take elective courses from either BME or other disciplines in engineering or science, if approved by the student's guidance committee and the director of graduate studies. The BME director of graduate studies generates a list of approved electives every semester and this list is voted on and approved by the BME faculty. Up to two of the electives, or eight out of the 30 required credits, can be outside of engineering.
Evaluation
The program has been designed to be relatively flexible, allowing students to orient their research in an area of interest as they progress in their training. Students may select elective coursework from a wide variety of courses available in the BME or other graduate programs, and take these courses at the appropriate time. To provide such flexibility and at the same time ensure adequate monitoring of progress, students go through a sequence of evaluations. For the MS thesis students, this involves identification of a primary research advisor early in the program to help guide them up to and through the MS thesis defense. For the PhD students, this includes the identification of a primary research advisor and guidance committee, fulfillment of a learning contract, completion of a comprehensive exam, submission and defense of a dissertation proposal in an open colloquium, and submission and oral defense of a dissertation. Timing and content of each of these evaluations are described in the departmental Graduate Program Handbook. The minimum requirements are summarized below.
Minimum Requirements for Graduation
A student must maintain at least a B average in all graduate coursework and, depending upon the degree sought, minimum requirements include coursework, fulfilling a learning contract, demonstrating an ability to teach, passing a comprehensive examination, and preparing a master's thesis and/or a doctoral dissertation with oral defense. The minimum requirements for graduation with a doctoral degree will be based on the student's highest degree at the time of matriculation. The doctoral program requires a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate level study after the baccalaureate degree or their equivalent in part-time study.
| Degree | Minimum Requirements |
| Combined BS/MS degree |
30 credits of coursework, including:
In the student's senior year, he or she must take at least two or up to three 500-level graduate courses. The BME Department suggests BME 533 Human Physiology in fall and a BME elective in spring. |
| MS degree with termination project option |
30 credits of coursework, including:
|
| MS degree with thesis option |
30 credits of coursework, including:
|
| PhD degree, beginning with a MS degree |
24 credits of graduate study, including:
|
| PhD degree, beginning with a BS or BA degree |
60 credits of graduate study, including:
|
Guidance Committee
In the first year of study in the PhD program, students must form an approved guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of at least two members from the BME Department, at least one member from an outside department and four members in total. Students may propose faculty from other universities or professionals from outside academia, but must obtain Graduate School approval. The guidance committee advises the student and evaluates and certifies the student's performance throughout the program of study and research.
Learning Contract
In consultation with the guidance committee, the student prepares a learning contract. In the learning contract, a program of study is specified, including the major area of research, additional course requirements, teaching requirements, evaluations procedures, and a proposed timeline for the comprehensive examination and prospectus. Although the learning contract may be modified as the research interests of the student develop, to ensure competence and depth in the major area and breadth in relevant disciplines, each modification must be approved by the guidance committee and properly documented. A copy of the learning contract is placed on file with the administrative coordinator of graduate affairs in the Watson College Dean's Office.
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
Upon admission into a PhD program, the student must prepare to demonstrate mastery of fundamental skills to the guidance committee. All PhD students take the required BME core coursework. Students must pass a comprehensive examination as determined by the student's PhD committee.
Admission to Candidacy
When the comprehensive requirements are accepted by the guidance committee, the student is recommended for admission to candidacy. Within a year of the comprehensive exam and no later than six months before the expected graduation date, the student should give an open presentation of his or her prospectus.
Colloquium and Prospectus
The primary purpose of the prospectus is to assess a student's progress toward completing the PhD dissertation and specific plans for achieving his or her research objectives.
The prospectus should describe the motivation and justification for the selected research topic, background material and current status of the intended research area with references, specific research objectives to be achieved for the completion of the dissertation, concrete plans toward completion and evidence of progress toward the objectives. The prospectus must be written in the format of a grant proposal and presented at an open colloquium to an audience that includes the guidance committee. A copy of the final prospectus needs to be submitted to the director of graduate studies.
Proficiency in Teaching
In addition to the coursework and research, doctoral candidates must demonstrate proficiency in teaching. Doctoral students must meet a teaching requirement in one of the following ways:
- Serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for a BME course at °®¶¹´«Ã½ under the supervision of a faculty member
- Make at least six public presentations. The following presentations are considered
acceptable public presentations:
- Prospectus presentation
- Dissertation defense presentation
- Any public presentation that is announced at least one week in advance
- Lecture (including guest lectures) given to students in a course
- Research presentation at a technical conference, symposium or workshop
Residency Requirement
All PhD students are required to have a minimum of 24 graded credit hours from °®¶¹´«Ã½ University.
Language Requirement
There is no formal language requirement. However, individual students may have a language requirement specified in the learning contract.
Dissertation
With the guidance of the dissertation advisor, the student completes research and preparation of the dissertation, an original written contribution demonstrating originality and competence in the chosen field of research. The guidance committee has direct charge of all matters pertaining to the dissertation, which must have the committee's unanimous approval before arrangements are made for the final examination for the degree. The dissertation must comply with the format and filing requirements set forth in the Graduate School Manual.
In defense of the dissertation, the student is required to pass an oral examination, open to the University community. The evaluation of the student's performance in this oral examination is made by an examination committee consisting of members of the student's guidance committee, augmented by an outside examiner appointed by the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. The decision to recommend the candidate for the doctoral degree is made by unanimous vote of the examining committee.