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Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Minor

Offered By

Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Administered By

Department of Biomedical Engineering
Carol Casler
120 Olin Hall
minor_bme@cornell.edu
(607) 255-1489

Eligibility

All undergraduates in the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are eligible to participate in the Biomedical Engineering minor. However, students may participate in only one of the bioengineering options: the biological engineering minor, or the biomedical engineering minor.

Educational Objectives

Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles and methods to a wide array of problems associated with human health. The field includes the design of biocompatible materials, prostheses, surgical implants, artificial organs, controlled drug-delivery systems, and wound closure devices. Diagnosing diseases and determining their biological origins depend upon increasingly sophisticated instrumentation and the use of mathematical models. This minor allows students in the College of Engineering to gain exposure to the breadth and depth of biomedical engineering offerings at Cornell, to prepare for advanced studies in biomedical engineering, and to obtain transcript recognition for their interest and capability in biomedical engineering.

Academic Standards

A letter grade of C- or better for each course in the minor and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better for all courses in the minor.

Requirements

  • The one credit Bioengineering Seminar as well as at least six (6) courses (minimum of 18 credits) from the five groups listed below.
  • Two courses need to be in categories 1. Introductory biology, and/or 2. Advanced biology with no more than one course from category 1.
  • Four courses must come from the following categories; 3. Molecular and cellular biomedical engineering, 4. BME analysis of physiological systems, and 5. Biomedical engineering applications, with courses from at least two of these categories.
  • At least four of the six courses must not be specifically required major degree courses or cross-listings.

Students are asked to complete a form declaring their interest in the minor with the Biomedical Engineering undergraduate minor coordinator in 120 Olin Hall. On the form you will be asked to choose a BME faculty advisor who you can consult about your BME minor plan.

Required Course:
BME 501/BEE 501 (1 semester) Bioengineering Seminar

1. Introductory Biology (maximum of 4 credits and one course towards BME minor) as of August 2005

  • BIOG 101-102, 103 and 104 - Biological Sciences, Lecture and Laboratory
  • BIOG 105-106 - Introductory Biology
  • BIOG 107-108 - General Biology
  • BIOG 110 (Biological Principles) and BME 131/ENGRI 131
  • A “5” on AP Biology Exam
  • A “4” on AP Biology Exam and BME 131/ENGRI 131
  • A “4” on AP Biology Exam and BIOG 103 or BIOG 104

2. Advanced Biology

  • BIOBM 330 - Principles of Biochemistry, Individualized Instruction
  • BIOBM 331 - Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins and Metabolism
  • BIOBM 332 - Principles of Biochemistry: Molecular Biology
  • BIOBM 333 - Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins, Metabolism, and Molecular Biology
  • BIOAP 311/VTBMS 346 - Introductory Animal Physiology Lectures
  • BIOGD 281 - Genetics
  • BIONB 222 - Neurobiology and Behavior II: Introduction to Neurobiology
  • BIOMI 290 - General Microbiology Lectures

3. Molecular & Cellular Biomedical Engineering

  • BME 301/CHEME 401* - Molecular Principles of Biomedical Engineering
  • BME 302/CHEME 402* - Cellular Principles of Biomedical Engineering
  • A&EP 252/ENGRD 252 - The Physics of Life
  • BEE 360/BME 360 - Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering

4. Biomedical Engineering Analysis of Physiological Systems

  • BME 401/M&AE 466* - Biomedical Engineering of Metabolic and Structural Systems
  • BME 402* - Electrical and Chemical Physiology
  • M&AE 464 - Orthopaedic Tissue Mechanics
  • M&AE 463/BME 463 - Neuromuscular Biomechanics
  • M&AE 464 - Orthopedic Tissue Mechanics
  • BEE 454 - Physiological Engineering
  • CHEME 481 - Biomedical Engineering
  • BIONB 330/BME 330/COGST 330/PSYCH 330 - Introduction to Computational Neuroscience
  • BIONB 491/BME 491 - Principles of Neurophysiology

5. Biomedical Engineering Applications

  • A&EP 470/BIONB 470 - Biophysical Methods
  • BEE 450 - Bioinstrumentation
  • BEE 453/M&AE 453 - Computer-Aided Engineering: Applications to Biomedical Processes
  • BEE 459 - Biosensors and Bioanalytical Techniques
  • COM S 321/BIOBM 321/ENGRD 321 - Numerical Methods in Computational Molecular Biology
  • ECE 336/MS&E 541 - Nanofabrication
  • ECE 402/BME 404 - Biomedical System Design
  • ECE 578 - Computer Analysis of Biomedical Images
  • BIONB 440/BME 440 - Electronics in Neurobiology
  • BIONB 441/BME 441 - Computers in Neurobiology
  • BEE 365 - Properties of Biological Materials
  • BEE 494 - Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering
  • MS&E 461 - Biomedical Materials and Their Applications
  • TXA 439/BME 539 - Biomedical Materials and Devices for Human Body Repair
  • M&AE 565/BME 565 - Biomechanical Systems—Analysis and Design

* Students interested in professional practice as biomedical engineers should consider the new M.Eng. degree in BME. The recommended sequence for admission to the M.Eng. BME will be two courses from category 1 and 2, as well as BME 301, 302, 401, and 402. The M.Eng. BME program will require a knowledge of molecular and cellular BME, and of BME analysis of physiological systems.