Program in Biomedical Engineering

Dramatic advances in health care and medical technology made possible by the merger of engineering and medicine have prompted the development of new graduate degree programs in biomedical engineering at many of the top institutions in the United States. Currently, biomedical engineering is the most rapidly growing graduate engineering discipline in the U.S with expectations of more labor force growth than any other engineering discipline over the next ten years. The overall goal of this program is to implement education and research in biomedical engineering that will prepare graduates for industrial, governmental, and academic careers in clinical research, bioengineering, biotechnology, and related professions. Biomedical engineers analyze and design solutions to problems in medicine and biology, with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of patient care.

The graduate program in biomedical engineering (BME) provides special emphasis in cellular and tissue engineering, biomaterials and bioimaging. Advanced engineering, medicine, chemistry, physics, and biology students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to allow them to contribute to improved technology in health and medical care, and to solve real-world engineering problems in biology and medicine, both in research and industrial settings.

Admission Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree in biomedical or chemical engineering, or an allied field from an accredited college or university;
2. Fulfillment of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. Students may be required to satisfy deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses or can enroll in a transitional summer program if they do not have a degree from an accredited chemical engineering degree program;
3. An undergraduate or graduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher;
4. A minimum revised GRE percentile of at least 48% on the verbal portion and 75% on the quantitative portion of the test. It is noted that the GRE percentiles of funded graduate students on assistantship are typically higher than these minima;
5. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the student’s work and background;
6. A personal statement of professional goals; and
7. International students: For students whose native language is not English and who did not graduate from an accredited US institution with either a BS or MS degree, minimum scores on the TOEFL are 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 80 (Internet-based).

Note: All students must present GRE scores prior to being admitted. Effective August 2011, the GRE Revised General Test replaced the GRE General Test. To learn more about this new test, go to www.ets.org/gre.

Students who do not possess a bachelor’s degree in biomedical or chemical engineering may be required to complete a department-designated sequence of undergraduate courses with grade of “B” or higher in each course or must participate in a summer transition program for students with bachelor’s degrees in either another engineering discipline or basic science (e.g., physics, chemistry or biology). In all cases, an applicant must have taken a course in differential equations prior to their matriculation.

Typical undergraduate course sequences (in preparation for graduate courses) may include, but are not limited to, the following courses:

• ECH 3023 Mass And Energy Balances (4)  
• ECH 3024 Mass And Energy Balances II  (3)
• ECH 3266 Introductory Transport Phenomena (3)  
• ECH 3418 Separations Processes (3)  
• ECH 4267 Advanced Transport Phenomena (3)  
• ECH 4504 Kinetics And Reactor Design (3)  
• BME 4403C The First In A Two-semester Sequence (each Course Is 3 Credit Hours)  
• BME 4404C The Second In A Two-semester Sequence (each Course Is 3 Credit Hours)  

In addition, students should also have taken: Biological Sciences I and II (if not included in their degree program). Additional courses in subjects including mathematics, chemistry, physics and general engineering may also be required. Up to six semester hours of 4000-level coursework approved by the department may be counted as graduate electives. Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six semester hours with departmental approval. Acceptance of equivalent courses is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, following petition to Graduate Committee.

Eligible candidates for the summer transition program for non-BME majors, which would replace the majority of the above course requirements, will be identified and notified by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Additional information about the summer transition program can be found below and at the departmental website or by contacting the Graduate Coordinator.

Degree Requirements

The Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering offers both thesis-type and course-type (non-thesis) options leading to the Master of Science (MS) degree. Each semester, all graduate students are required to enroll in and attend the departmental seminar, BME 5935 Biomedical Engineering Seminar (0)  (S/U grade only). In addition, all students are required to take required safety training courses and annual refreshers. Eligible graduate students are required to attend the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) Teaching Conference/TA Orientation (www.pie.fsu.edu) during the summer prior to their graduate enrollment  or an alternate College of Engineering offering to prepare for teaching assistant (TA) duties. This requirement is mandatory regardless of the student’s classification as a teaching assistant or research assistant. For international graduate students, the SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) is a test for evaluating the English speaking ability of non-native speakers of English. The SPEAK test is administered by the Center for Intensive English Studies to international students who have been appointed or will be appointed as teaching assistants in an academic department. The SPEAK exam requirement must be cleared (scores greater than 45 or 50 for graders or TAs, respectively) before students can serve as teaching assistants.