Undergraduate Program Overview

Undergraduate Studies

Biomedical Engineering involves the combination of the physical, chemical, biological, and mathematical sciences with engineering principles to create solutions to a wide range of societal problems associated with medical, environmental, occupational, and product development issues. Bioengineers are the people who design and develop innovative materials, processes, devices, biologics, and informatics to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease, to rehabilitate patients, and to generally improve health. Bioengineers also provide environmentally sound solutions to industrial process problems, and use their knowledge of biological systems to create biologically inspired processes and products. More about a career in Biomedical Engineering can be found here (BMEcareerguide.pdf), in a brochure prepared by the IEEE-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers several pathways for undergraduate students to obtain an understanding of Biomedical Engineering.

Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering

The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers the major in biomedical engineering, leading to the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree. The department also offers a minor in bioengineering (BNG) for biology (BIO) or biochemistry (BCH) majors. (See the online Undergraduate Bulletin (http://www.stonybrook.edu/ugrdbulletin/current/), Majors, Minors, and Programs for the most updated requirements for both the BME major and BNG minor.) In a rigorous, cross-disciplinary training and research environment, the BME 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 area (BME Track, more below) within the field of biomedical engineering. Teamwork, communication skills, ethics 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.

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. In order 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. An overview of the courses required of all BME majors can be found here (BMErequired courses pdf).

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

Currently, four specialization tracks are offered for the major in biomedical engineering: Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Bioelectricity and Bioimaging, and Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Engineering (each links to BMEtracks.pdf). Click here to view a sample major course sequence (course sequence pdf).

Combined BE-MS Program

The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers the major in biomedical engineering, leading to the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree. BME undergraduate students can 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 combined degree program are that students must apply to the program through the BME Graduate Program Director during their junior year, and once accepted, they are considered to be a graduate student in all regards. For complete program details, click here (web page for combined degree), and for a sample course sequence, click here. (BE MS sample course sequence pdf)

BNG Minor Program for BIO and BCH Majors

Bioengineering Track

The common goal of the Bioengineering Minor and Track Programs at Stony Brook is to expose science majors to the dominant theme in engineering, specifically, problem solving under conditions involving multiple objectives and constraints. Effective problem solving requires both identification of the assumptions underlying the problem definition, and experience with a broad range of possible design solutions. We believe the biological world provides an excellent context in which to teach these concepts. Numerous examples exist in nature which can be used to critically evaluate the role of assumptions in creating "optimal" designs. Indeed, nature has provided us with a broad range of design "solutions" to apparently very similar "problems". Furthermore, as we enter the 21st century, the field of biomimetics, or applying engineering design and approaches to existing solutions found in biology, is rapidly emerging as an important new direction in engineering design.

Requirements for the BNG minor

The Director of the Undergraduate Program in BME directly oversees the BNG minor students. Requirements of this program include BME 100 Introduction to BME, and C-programming (e.g., ESE 111). Three specialization tracks are available: Biomaterials/Biomechanics; Bioelectricity; Molecular/Cellular. Each specialization track has four required courses, as listed here. (BNG minor pdf) Lastly, BNG minor students must complete one upper level BIO or BCH lecture and laboratory.

ABET Information

Mission Statement - Department of Biomedical Engineering

The educational goal of our biomedical engineering programs is to rigorously educate our undergraduate students in diverse fields of biomedical engineering that build on a strong foundation in engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology, and then develop a core competency in a specific specialized area of biomedical engineering. Particular focus is given to in-depth education in the engineering and biological concepts underlying physiological processes. The principal means of accomplishing these goals is through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum, which begins with a critical understanding of engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology, building towards state-of-the-art biomedical engineering research and development.

Because a critical component of our educational mission is to provide a permanent foundation from which the student can succeed in a career in biomedical engineering, an integrated, core set of biomedical engineering courses have been implemented. These courses provide our students with the underlying mathematical and engineering principles required to understand how biological organisms develop and respond to their environment. The students will also attain a credible level of sophistication in their understanding of cell, tissue, and organ physiology. Additionally, the student will be able to complement this background with supplementary courses within biomedical engineering, augmented by targeted electives in engineering and biology.

ABET Objectives

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

Career Preparation: Our graduates will be prepared to excel in bioengineering, bioscience, or medical disciplines in basic and applied research, design or technology development, representing the fields of academics, government, medicine, law or industry.

Professional Development: Our graduates will emerge as recognized experts in the field of biomedical engineering, and serve in positions of leadership in academics, government, medicine or industry. Further, our alumni will function successfully as principal members of integrative and interdisciplinary teams.

Professional Conduct: Our graduates will hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public, and conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner at all times. Further, our alumni will communicate effectively to a variety of target audiences through both written and oral media.

Societal Contribution: Our graduates will respond and adapt to the scientific and engineering needs of society, both nationally and internationally, seek out new opportunities, and contribute to the development of a healthy and globally competitive economy.

Life-Long Learning: Our graduates will continually build on their undergraduate foundation of science, engineering, and societal understanding, and continue to develop their knowledge, skills, and contributions throughout their professional careers and private lives. This will include active participation in professional societies, attending and making presentations at conferences, and participating in outreach activities within their areas of expertise.

 

ABET Outcomes

Students gain the ability to apply knowledge of advanced mathematics, science, biology, physiology, biotechnology, and engineering

Students gain the ability to design and conduct experiments from living and non-living systems, as well as to analyze and interpret data

Students gain the ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability

Students gain the ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

Students gain the ability to identify, formulate, and solve problems at the interface of engineering and biology

Students gain the understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

Students gain the ability to communicate effectively

Students receive the broad education necessary to understand the impact of biomedical engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

Students gain the recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

Students gain the knowledge of contemporary issues

Students gain the ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for addressing the problems associated with the interaction between living and/or non-living materials and systems.