Mar 28, 2024  
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Biomedical Engineering M.S.B.E.


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The objective of the M.S.B.E. degree program is to provide a graduate-level educational experience that will prepare individuals to undertake design and research in the area of biomedical engineering. The program is multidisciplinary and integrates knowledge from the traditional engineering sciences, the life sciences, and medicine. Specific goals of the program include development of 1.) a thorough grounding in the life sciences; 2.) mastery of engineering tools and approaches; 3.) familiarity with the problems of making and interpreting quantitative measurements of living systems; 4.) the ability to use modeling techniques; and 5.) the ability to formulate and solve problems with medical relevance, including the design of devices, systems, and processes to improve human health.

Students are required to take a common core of introductory biomedical engineering and health science courses plus courses in at least one of the three following areas: 1.) biomechanics, ergonomics, and human factors; 2.) imaging and instrumentation; or 3.) fluid mechanics and transport processes.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate College, an applicant for the M.S. program must complete the following requirements:

  1. Application must be made to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Applications must include all documentation as required by the Graduate College. The Department of Mechanical Engineering will admit the student and supervise the student’s M.S. program.
  2. The applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related discipline. Students with non-engineering backgrounds will be required to complete a set of course work requirements that will assure successful completion  of the M.S. specialization and qualify the student to sit for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. The Graduate Program Committee (GPC) will decide upon special cases.
  3. The applicant must submit a written statement of purpose indicating interests and objectives in working toward a M.S. degree. In addition, two letters of recommendation for the M.S.-level of study must be submitted. The statement and letters should be sent to the department.
  4. Foreign applicants must take and obtain a satisfactory score of a minimum of 550 (213 computerized) on the TOEFL exam as required by the Graduate College.
  5. The applicant must obtain a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as determined by the GPC.
  6. The GPC will examine the applicant’s academic record and will make the final determination of the applicant’s admissibility to the M.S. program. In general, a minimum postbaccalaureate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale or equivalent is required for admission in addition to a GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale or equivalent in all engineering courses.
  7. The UNLV Graduate College must formally admit the applicant.

Integrated BS-MS Degree Program

The Integrated BS-MS degree program is designed to provide high-achieving MEG undergraduate students with the opportunity to be exposed to graduate courses and to encourage them to continue with graduate degree by reducing the time needed for degree completion. Up to nine credit hours of approved graduate-level course work can be taken as technical electives for the grade of B or better during the senior year and those credit hours will be waived for the graduate degree. The following conditions are needed to enroll in the Integrated BS-MS program:

  1. A minimum of two semesters of full-time enrollment in B.S. of Mechanical Engineering program is required.
  2. Applications are normally submitted with two semesters remaining in the senior year.
  3. A minimum of 90 credit hours of course work applicable to the B.S. of Mechanical Engineering degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher must be completed before beginning the joint degree program.
  4. Student has to choose the thesis option.

Degree Requirements


Procedures and requirements for the M.S.B.E. will be prescribed by the Graduate College under Academic Policies, with additional provisions as follows:

  1. At least 15 credits must be from 700-level courses, and at least 15 credits must be from engineering courses. Students are required to take a common core of introductory biomedical engineering and health science courses plus courses in an area of specialization. The areas of specialization include 1) transport processes, 2) Imaging and Instrumentation, 3) biomechanics and human factors and:

Biomedical Sciences Core


All students must take at least two of the courses below (note that courses numbered below 600 do not count toward the hours required for the M.S.B.E. degree).

BIO 209 Introduction to Cell Biology
BIO 360 Mammalian Physiology
CHE 225 Organic Chemistry I

Additional Degree Requirements


  1. Students may choose, subject to approval by the student’s graduate committee, one of the two options listed below:
    Thesis Option: Requires 24 credits of approved graduate courses plus six credits of work associated with the master’s level thesis, for a total of 30 credits. The final examination will include a defense of thesis.
    Non-Thesis Option: Requires 33 credits of approved graduate courses. At least 18 credits must be earned from 700-level courses, of which 15 credits must be in engineering.
  2. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of at least six credits of the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of 3.00 (4.00 scale), no grades below C, (C- is not acceptable) and compliance with the letter and spirit of the Graduate Catalog and published policies of the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering. If progress is not satisfactory, probation and separation may result, in accordance with the rules of the Graduate College. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise it to 3.00 or above.
  3. Only those courses in which a student received a grade of C or better may be used for graduate credit. Students must comply with Graduate College policy.
  4. Each student’s program should show suitable breadth and coherence. As specified in the Graduate Catalog, the program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the program must receive approval by the student’s committee. An approved program must be filed before the completion of nine credits of course work after admission (regular or provisional). The responsibility rests with the student. Students will be dropped from the graduate engineering program if they neglect this requirement.

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