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Academics

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 this rapidly growing field.

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 that you can consult about the BME minor plan.

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

  • Bioengineering Seminar (1 credit, 1 semester) as well as at least six (6) courses (minimum of 18 credits) from the five categories listed below.
  • Two courses need to be in Category 1 (Introductory Biology), and/or Category 2 (Advanced Biology) with no more than one course from Category 1.
  • Four courses must come from Category 3 (Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Engineering), Category 4 (BME Analysis of Physiological Systems), and Category 5 (Biomedical Engineering Applications), with courses from at least two of these categories represented.
  • At least four of the six courses must not be specifically required Major degree courses or cross-listings.

Required Course:
 BME 5010/BEE 5010 (1 semester) - Bioengineering Seminar

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

Category 2. Advanced Biology

  • BIOAP 3110/VTBMS 3460 - Introductory Animal Physiology, Lectures
  • BIOBM 3300 - Principles of Biochemistry, Individualized Instruction
  • BIOBM 3310 - Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins and Metabolism
  • BIOBM 3320 - Principles of Biochemistry: Molecular Biology
  • BIOBM 3330 - Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins, Metabolism, and Molecular Biology
  • BIOGD 2810 - Genetics
  • BIONB 2220 - Neurobiology and Behavior II: Introduction to Neurobiology
  • BIOMI 2900 - General Microbiology Lectures

Category 3. Molecular & Cellular Biomedical Engineering

Category 4. Biomedical Engineering Analysis of Physiological Systems

Category 5. Biomedical Engineering Applications

* Students interested in professional practice as biomedical engineers should consider the 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 3010, 3020, 4010, and 4020. The M.Eng. BME program will require a knowledge of molecular and cellular BME, and of BME analysis of physiological systems.