Students entering the graduate Field of Biomedical Engineering are expected to have had formal training in a recognized discipline of engineering. Students with a science degree but appropriate mathematics and physics are eligible.
Each student's graduate program is supervised by a Special Committee composed of Graduate Faculty members chosen by the student to represent the student's major and minor subjects.
For Ph.D. degree candidates, the Special Committee is composed of at least three faculty members; for M.S. degree candidates, at least two faculty members. Academic rigor is maintained through the intense scrutiny given by the Special Committee to each student's individual program.
M.S. students select one minor, usually in a traditional engineering field. Ph.D. students select one minor in the life sciences and another minor in a traditional engineering area, usually the area of undergraduate specialty. Study in the engineering minor is equivalent to the core course sequence expected of Ph.D. students majoring in that field. This combination provides breadth in general approach and depth in at least one specific engineering discipline.
The amount of required course work depends on each student's previous preparation and chosen concentration. Most M.S. students take two semesters of a bioengineering seminar, the two-semester "Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Research" course, and four other courses in engineering and the life sciences that support the educational vision of the department.
Ph.D. course work typically consists of six semesters of the biomedical engineering seminar, the two-semester "Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Research" course, and other advanced bioengineering courses selected by the student in consultation with his/her Special Committee. Students are also encouraged to take a course in entrepreneurship and to gain experience in a clinical setting through BMEP.
Generally
courses numbered 600 and 700 are for Ph.D. students but are available to Masters students (sometimes requiring instructor’s permission). Courses numbered 500 level are primarily for Masters students but are available to undergraduates and Ph.D. students. Classes at the 300 and 400 level are designed for juniors and seniors but may be taken by Masters and Ph.D. students with their advisor’s approval.
The biomedical engineering seminar (BMEP 790) and the "Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering" course (BMEP 711 and 712) provide a common intellectual experience for students in the field.
Through the biomedical engineering seminar, students obtain a working knowledge of issues in biomedical engineering and an overview of the biomedical research activities and opportunities at Cornell, as well as exposure to other areas of biological engineering. Presentations by scholars from other universities and industry representatives (particularly from recent startup companies) add breadth and perspective.
The "Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Research" course gives students the broad background needed to work effectively with colleagues in other subspecialties of biomedical engineering. The course introduces students to a critical review of research papers in a wide variety of biomedical engineering research topics. The course emphasizes issues such as professional development, ethics, writing a scientific paper, authorship issues, patents, technology transfer, conflicts of interest and preparing a research proposal.
Ph.D. students are asked to complete a course (BMEP 731) in advanced biomedical engineering analysis of physiological systems with an emphasis on bridging across length scales (i.e. molecular-cellular-tissue/organ-physiological system).
Students are expected to complete a six week summer immersion term (BMEP 716) at the Weill Medical College in New York City. The immersion experience aims to introduce students to the medical research and clinical environment.
All Ph.D. students should gain teaching experience. Teaching experience may be gained through work as a TA or through an individual, faculty-guided teaching experience (BMEP 703).
In addition students will choose other advanced biomedical engineering courses in consultation with their special committee. These courses will reflect the specific interests of the student.
Ultimately, the M.S. and Ph.D. programs are shaped by the research project and thesis or dissertation experience. Cornell's commitment to interdisciplinary research gives biomedical engineering students the opportunity to conduct much of their research in a biological or clinical laboratory setting.
Special emphasis is placed on the integration of molecular and cellular engineering with the development of biomedical devices or therapeutic strategies.
