Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
2012-2013 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. Applicants must complete the on-line process in the “Apply Yourself (AY)” system.
  2. In addition to the required information in the general AY application system, the Mechanical Engineering Department has two additional requirements which can also be submitted in the AY system as optional items. Electronic submission is the preferred method. If these items are not completed in the AY system before you finish and make payment, you cannot go back and do them electronically afterwards. In this case, you must mail hardcopies to the Mechanical Engineering Department. The two items are:
    1. Submit a written statement of purpose indicating interests and objectives in working toward a M.S. degree.
    2. Submit 2 letters of recommendation for M.S. applicants (3 letters for Ph.D. applicants). There is no specified format. Your references should point out the qualifications that make you a good candidate for admission.
  3. 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.
  4. Foreign applicants must submit proof of English proficiency if you are from a country where English is not the native language. Acceptable documents include: TOEFL scores of either 550 (written), 213 (computerized), or 80 (internet based); MTELP of 85, IELTS of 7, or PTE of 65. The TOEFL university code for UNLV is 4861.
  5. You must submit official copies of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores. The ME department does not have a minimum required GRE score. However, most of the students admitted to our programs have over a 650 on the quantitative section and over a 400 on the verbal section. These are NOT minimum requirements. The GRE university code for UNLV is 4861, the Mechanical Engineering Department Code is 1502.
  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 post baccalaureate 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.

Our department admissions committee looks at all of these requirements when making admissions decisions.

 

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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