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Undergraduate: Biomedical Engineering

  • Program Overview

    Department Information - Biomedical Engineering (BME)

    The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers the major in Biomedical Engineering, leading to the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree.  In a rigorous, cross-disciplinary training and research environment, the major program provides an engineering education along with a strong background in the biological and physical sciences. It is designed to enhance the development of creativity and collaboration through study of a specialization within the field of biomedical engineering. Teamwork, communication skills, and hands-on laboratory and research experience are emphasized. The curriculum provides students with the underlying engineering principles required to understand how biological organisms are formed and how they respond to their environment. The Biomedical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

    Core courses provide depth within the broad field of biomedical engineering. These are integrated with, and rely upon, course offerings from both the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. To achieve the breadth of engineering experience expected of Biomedical Engineer­ing graduates, additional elective courses from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences are required of all Biomedical Engineering students.

    The Department also offers a five-year accelerated B.E./M.S. degree, which can be completed within one additional year of studies beyond the Bachelor's degree.

    The accelerated B.E./M.S. is intended to prepare high-achieving and highly-motivated undergraduate BME students for either doctoral studies or a variety of advanced professional positions. The program is highly selective with admission based on academic performance as well as undergraduate research. Juniors can be admitted into the accelerated degree program if they satisfy the requirements outlined in the Graduate Bulletin. The requirements for the accelerated program are the same as the requirements for the B.E. and M.S. degree, except that two graduate 500-level courses replace two 300-level electives, so that six graduate credits are counted toward the undergraduate degree.

    Graduates are prepared for entry into professions in biomedical engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology, as well as careers in academia and government. Potential employers include colleges and universities, hospitals, government, research institutes and laboratories, and private industry.

    Program Educational Objectives

    The undergraduate program in biomedical engineering has the following four specific program educational
    objectives:

    • Our graduates will apply skills and insight gained from a curriculum integrating
      engineering and biology to biomedically related fields in sectors including academia,
      industry, medicine, law, and/or government.
    • Our graduates will strive to become inspirational leaders who make socially and ethically
      responsible decisions that beneficially impact health and society from local communities
      to the global population.
    • Our graduates will use scientific research and collaborations to develop biomedical
      technologies that can be translated into cost-effective clinical solutions to enhance
      diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of health issues.
    • Our graduates will remain lifelong learners, continue to grow professionally and
      personally throughout their careers, and be partners to grow future generations of
      biomedical engineers.

    Student Outcomes

    The students will demonstrate the following:

    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 specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, 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 inlcusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
    6. An ability to develop and conduct approrpriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
    7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. 

     

     

     

     

     

  • Degrees and Requirements

    Requirements for the Major in Biomedical Engineering

    Acceptance into the Major

    Qualified freshman and transfer students who have indicated their interest in the major on their applications may be admitted directly as a degree major or as a pre-major. Pre-majors are placed into the Area of Interest (AOI) program and to be eligible for the degree, they must be admitted to and declare the major. The requirements and application process for matriculation are detailed below. Students admitted to other programs within the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) follow the same admissions process as students in the AOI program. Students in programs outside of CEAS (non-CEAS students) and double major applicants may apply for admission to the degree program following a separate process, outlined below.

    Intellectual honesty and academic integrity are cornerstones of academic and scholarly work. The department may table any applications for major/minor admission until academic judiciary matters are resolved. An academic judiciary matter will be identified by a grade of “Q” in the instance of a first offense.

    Area of Interest and Other CEAS Students (excluding double major applicants)
    Applications for major admission from AOI and other CEAS students are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who submit their application on time will be admitted if they meet the following requirements:

        • Completed AMS 161 and PHY 132/134 or equivalents;
        • Earn 10 or more credits of mathematics, physics and engineering courses that are taken at Stony Brook and satisfy the                 major’s requirements;
        • Obtain a grade point average of at least 3.2 in major courses with no more than one grade below B-;
        • No courses required for the major have been repeated; 
        • Completion of course evaluations for all transferred courses that are to be used to meet requirements of the major.

    Students must complete these requirements no later than one year after they enroll in the first course that applies towards major entry. Students must apply for admission by the application deadline immediately following completion of the above requirements, but no later than the one year limit. Admission of AOI students and other CEAS students who apply late will follow the process of Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants below.

    Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants
    Applications for major admission from non-CEAS students and double major applicants are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who do not meet the requirements for AOI admission above will not be considered. Fulfilling the requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission is competitive and contingent upon program capacity.

    Requirements for the Major

    The curriculum begins with a focus on basic mathematics and the natural sciences followed by courses that emphasize engineering science and bridging courses that combine engineering science and design. The sequence of courses culminates with a one-year design experience that integrates the science, engineering, and communication knowledge acquired. The technical electives and additional courses are chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor, taking into consideration the particular interest of the student.

    Completion of the major requires approximately 128 credits.

    1. Mathematics

    a. AMS 151, AMS 161 Calculus I, II
    b. AMS 261 or MAT 203 Calculus III
    c. AMS 361 or MAT 303 Calculus IV
    d. AMS 210 Matrix Methods and Models
    e. AMS 310 Survey of Probability and Statistics

    Note: The following alternate calculus course sequences may be substituted for AMS 151, AMS 161: MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127 or MAT 131, MAT 132 or MAT 141, MAT 142 or MAT 171

    2. Natural Sciences

    a. BIO 202 Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Biology and BIO 204 Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences I
    b. CHE 131, CHE 132 General Chemistry I, II or CHE 152 Molecular Science I
    c. PHY 131/PHY 133, PHY 132/PHY 134 Classical Physics I, II with labs

    Note: The following alternate physics course sequences may be substituted for PHY 131/PHY 133, PHY 132/PHY 134: PHY 125, PHY 126, PHY 127, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics A, B, C and Laboratories or PHY 141, PHY 142, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics I, II: Honors

    3. Computers and Programming

    a. BME 120 Programming Fundamentals in Biomedical Engineering

     4. Biomedical Engineering

    a. BME 100 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
    b. BME 203 Emergent Biodesign
    c. BME 212 Laboratory Methods in Biomedical Engineering
    d. BME 260 Statics and Dynamics in Biological Systems
    e. BME 271 Introduction to Electric Circuits and Bioelectricity
    f.  BME 301 Bioelectricity
    g. BME 303 Biomechanics
    h. BME 304 Genetic Engineering
    i.  BME 305 Biofluids
    j.  BME 440 Biomedical Engineering Design
    k. BME 441 Senior Design Project in Bioengineering

    5. Biomedical Engineering Specializations and Technical Electives

    Biomedical engineering students must complete a specialization, composed of at least 30 credits in one of three areas, including at least two 3- to 4-credit design technical elective courses with a BME designation. Five technical elective courses must be 300- or 400-level BME courses (not BME 499). BME 499 may be taken as an additional technical elective for a total of 6 credits.(See below for the three specializations with course options.) The specialization must be declared in writing by the end of the sophomore year and is selected in consultation with the faculty advisor to ensure a cohesive curriculum with depth at the upper level.

    6. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: BME 300 Writing in Biomedical Engineering

    All degree candidates must demonstrate skill in written English at a level acceptable for engineering majors. All Biomedical Engineering students must complete the writing course BME 300 concurrently with a selected 300- or 400-level BME course (excluding BME 440, 441, and 499). The quality of writing in technical reports submitted for the course is evaluated, and students whose writing does not meet the required standard are referred for remedial help. Satis­factory writing warrants an S grade for BME 300, thereby satisfying the requirement. 

    Grading

    All courses taken to satisfy 1 through 5 above must be taken for a letter grade.  The grade point average for all required BME courses and all technical electives must be at least a 2.5 to graduate. A grade of C or higher is required in the following courses:  AMS 151 , AMS 161 or equivalent;  BIO 202 CHE 131 CHE 132  or equivalent;  PHY 131 / PHY 133 , PHY 132 / PHY 134  or equivalent;  all BME courses.

    Specializations

    To complete the specialization, students choose from the technical elective course list for one of the three specializations. Other courses may be used towards this requirement with the permission of the undergraduate program director. A total of 30 credits in technical electives are required. Fifteen credits or more must be engineering designations. Fifteen credits must be BME (not BME 499), however six additional credits may be BME 499. Although any BME technical elective courses will be accepted within any of the three tracks, below are recommended courses for each track. Non-BME technical elective courses are entirely track specific. BME courses with significant design content are marked by (*).

    a. Biomechanics and Biomaterials

    Courses that focus on developing an understanding of mechanical structures and dynamics of biological systems, and material properties of those structures. This specialization is appropriate for students interested in the areas of biofluid mechanics, hard and soft tissue biomechanics, biomaterials, biocompatibility, medical prosthetics, or bioinstrumentation.

    Recommended courses:

    BME 353 Introduction to Biomaterials
    BME 354 Advanced Biomaterials (*)
    BME 361 Data Science with Python
    BME 371 Biological Microfluidics
    BME 381 Nanofabrication in Biomedical Applications (*)
    BME 404 Essentials of Tissue Engineering (*)
    BME 420 Computational Biomechanics
    BME 430 Quantitative Human Physiology
    BME 461 Biosystems Analysis
    ESG 302 Thermodynamics of Materials
    ESG 332 Materials Science I: Structure and Properties of Materials
    ESM 335 Strength of Materials
    ESM 453 Biomaterials
    ESM 469 Polymer Engineering
    MEC 363 Mechanics of Solids

    Alternative courses:

    AMS 315 Data Analysis
    AMS 333 Mathematical Biology
    BME 311 Fundamentals of Bio-imaging (*)
    BME 312 LabVIEW Programming in Engineering (*)
    BME 313 Bioinstrumentation (*)
    BME 402 Contemporary Biotechnology
    BME 481 Biosensors (*)
    CHE 321 Organic Chemistry I
    CHE 322 Organic Chemistry II
    CHE 327 Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    CSE 332 Introduction to Scientific Visualization
    ESE 315 Control System Design
    ESG 281 Engineering Intro to Solid State
    ESG 316 Engineering Science Design Methods
    ESM 325 Diffraction Techniques and Structure of Solids
    ESM 335 Strength of Materials
    ESM 450 Engineering Systems Laboratory
    ESM 469 Polymer Engineering
    MEC 310 Introduction to Machine Design
    MEC 320 Numerical Methods in Engineering Design and Analysis
    MEC 402 Mechanical Vibrations
    MEC 410 Design of Machine Elements
    MEC 411 Control System Analysis and Design
    MEC 455 Applied Stress Analysis

    b. Bioelectricity and Bioimaging

    Courses focusing on the description of biological cells, tissues, and organisms as complex systems. This specialization is appropriate for students interested in the areas of bioinstrumentation, medical imaging, electrical prosthetics, electromagnetic compatibility, tissue engineering, or bioinformatics.

    Recommended courses:

    BME 311 Fundamentals of Macro to Molecular Bioimaging (*)
    BME 312 LabVIEW Programming in Engineering (*)
    BME 313 Bioinstrumentation (*)
    BME 361 Data Science with Python
    BME 381 Nanofabrication in Biomedical Applications (*)
    BME 430 Quantitative Human Physiology
    BME 461 Biosystems Analysis
    BME 481 Biosensors (*)
    CSE 377 Introduction to Medical Imaging
    ESE 211 Electronics Laboratory A
    ESE 273 Microelectronic Circuits
    ESE 306 Random Signals and Systems
    ESE 314 Electronics Laboratory B
    ESE 315 Control System Design

    Alternative courses:

    AMS 311  Probability Theory
    CHE 321 Organic Chemistry I
    CHE 322 Organic Chemistry II
    CHE 327 Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    ESE 305 Deterministic Signals and Systems
    ESE 324 Electronics Laboratory B

    c. Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Engineering

    Courses focus on the application of biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology (i.e., recombinant DNA metho­dology) to the broad fields of genetic engineering, biotechnology, bionano-technology, and biosensors. Includes the specific engineering principles that are applied to problems involving structure and function of molecules and cells in areas such as tissue engineering, gene therapy, microarray, drug design and delivery, structural biology computational methods, and bioinformatics.

    Recommended courses:

    BIO 317 Principles of Cellular Signaling
    BME 311 Bioimaging (*)
    BME 353 Introduction to Biomaterials
    BME 354 Advanced Biomaterials (*)
    BME 361 Data Science with Python
    BME 371 Biological Microfluidics
    BME 381 Nanofabrication in Biomedical Applications (*)
    BME 402 Contemporary Biotechnology
    BME 404 Essentials of Tissue Engineering (*)
    BME 420 Computational Biomechanics
    BME 430 Quantitative Physiology
    BME 461 Biosystems Analysis
    BME 481 Biosensors(*)
    CHE 321 Organic Chemistry I
    CHE 322 Organic Chemistry II
    CHE 327 Organic Chemistry Laboratory

    Alternative courses:

    BIO 310 Cell Biology
    BIO 320 General Genetics
    BIO 325 Animal Development
    BIO 328 Mammalian Physiology
    BIO 361 Biochemistry I
    BIO 362 Biochemistry II
    BIO 365 Biochemistry Laboratory
    BME 312 LabVIEW Programming in Engineering (*)
    BME 313 Bioinstrumentation (*)
    CHE 312 Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences
    CHE 346 Biomolecular Structure and Reactivity
    CHE 353 Chemical Thermodynamics
    EBH 302 Human Genetics
    ESG 332 Materials Science I: Structure and Properties of Materials
    ESM 453 Biomaterials
    ESM 469 Polymer Engineering

    Honors Program in Biomedical Engineering

    The purpose of the honors program in Biomedical Engineering is to give high achieving students an opportunity to receive validation for a meaningful research experience and for a distinguished academic career.  A student interested in becoming a candidate for the honors program in Biomedical Engineering may apply to the program at the end of the sophomore year.  To be admitted to the honors program, students need a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and a B or better in all major required courses (including math and physics).  Transfer students who enter Stony Brook University in the junior year need a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and a B or better in all required major courses (including math and physics) in their first semester at Stony Brook University.  

    Graduation with departmental honors in Biomedical Engineering requires the following:

    1. A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and a B or better in all major required courses (including math and physics) upon graduation.
    2. Completion of BME 494, a 1 credit seminar on research techniques, with a B or better.
    3. Completion of BME 495, a 3-credit honors research project, with a B or better.
    4. Presentation of an honors thesis (written in the format of an engineering technical paper) under the supervision of a BME faculty member.  The thesis must be presented to and approved by a committee. 

    For students who qualify, this honor is indicated on their diploma and on their permanent academic record.

    BE/MS Degree

    BME undergraduate students may be eligible to enroll in the BE/MS degree starting in their senior year and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree along with a MS in Biomedical Engineering. Important features of this accelerated degree program are that students must apply to the program through the BME Graduate Program Director during their junior year.

  • Sequence

    Sample Course Sequence for the Major in Biomedical Engineering

    For more information about SBC courses that fulfill major requirements, click here.

    FRESHMAN

    FALL Credits
    First Year Seminar 101  1
     WRT 102 (WRT)  3
     BME 100 (TECH)   3 
     AMS 151 (QPS)  3
    CHE 131 (SNW)  4
    PHY 131/PHY 133 (SNW)  4
    Total 18
     
    SPRING Credits
    First Year Seminar 102 1
    BME 120  3
    AMS 161 (QPS) 3
    CHE 132 (SNW) 4
    PHY 132/134 (SNW) 4
     Total 15
     
    SOPHOMORE

    FALL Credits
    BME 212  or SBC course  3
    BIO 202  3
    AMS 261  4
    BIO 204 2
    AMS 210  3
    BME 203 3
     Total  18
     
    SPRING Credits
    BME 212 or BME 203  3
    BME 304 (STAS)  3
    AMS 361  4
    BME 260  4
    SBC  3
     Total  17
     
    JUNIOR

    FALL Credits
    BME 271 3
    AMS 310  3
    BME 300  0
    BME 303 (STAS)  3
    Technical Elective  3
    Technical Elective 3
     Total  15
     
    SPRING Credits
    BME 301 3
    BME 305 3
    SBC 3
    Technical Elective 3
    Technical Elective 3
     Total  15
     
    SENIOR

    FALL Credits
    BME 440*   3 
    Technical Elective  3
    Technical Elective  3
    Technical Elective 3
    SBC  3
     Total 15
     
    SPRING Credits
    BME 441*  3 
    Technical Elective 3
    Technical Elective  3 
    Technical Elective  3
    SBC  3
      Total  15

     *Note: This course partially satisfies the following: ESI, CER, SPK, WRTD, SBS+, STEM+, EXP+. For more information contact the CEAS Undergraduate Student Office.

  • Contact

    Biomedical Engineering (BME)

    Major in Biomedical Engineering

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

    Chair: Yi-Xian Qin

    Undergraduate Program Director: Mary (Molly) Frame, PhD

    Undergraduate Program Director: Mei Lin (Ete) Chan

    Undergraduate Program Coordinator: Jessica Kuhn Berthold

    Email: bme_ug_program@stonybrook.edu 

    Phone: (631) 632-8371

    Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/bme/

    Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Biomedical Engineering: Applied Math and Statistics (AMS), Biochemistry (BCH), Nanotechnology (NTS)




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