Biomedical Engineering (BME)
Professor Emeritus & Chancellor's Professor Emeritus: E. Berbari
Professors: C.C. Lin, J. Wallace (Chair), H. Yokota, K. Yoshida
Associate Professors: J. Ji (Director of the Graduate Program), S. Na, J. Schild, D. Xie
Assistant Professor: R. Surowiec
Clinical Associate Professors: K. Alfrey, S. Higbee, S. Miller (Associate Chair and Director of the Undergraduate Program)
Biomedical engineering is a discipline that advances knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine to improve human health through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice. Students work in the development of new devices, algorithms, processes, and systems that advance biology and medicine and improve medical practice and health care delivery. Many students choose BME because it is people-oriented.
The mission of the Biomedical Engineering Department is to strive to attain world-class research and to provide the highest quality educational experience for our students. We expect and value excellence in conducting research, and training students to participate in research activities and professional practice. We accomplish our Mission as follows:
- By exploiting the most modern and innovative approaches, we are leaders in interdisciplinary biomedical engineering research and discovery.
- By providing students with an education in engineering principles, design, and modern biomedical science, we develop in them the knowledge and skills for productive careers in biomedical engineering.
- By committing to service to advance biomedical engineering, we contribute to the field.
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
The bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering (B.S.B.M.E.) integrates the engineering analysis and design skills of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology with the life sciences offered through the Purdue School of Science and with significant medical/clinical elements available through collaboration with the Indiana University School of Medicine.
The B.S.B.M.E. degree program combines a strong set of mathematics, science, and biomedical engineering courses into a demanding and rewarding four-year degree program aimed at solving contemporary problems in the life and health sciences. Outstanding features include instructional objectives that integrate the study of the fundamental principles of life and health sciences with rigorous engineering disciplines through a core of interdisciplinary courses that include biomechanics, biomeasurements, biomaterials, computational biology, and biosignals and systems analysis, among others. Many of the courses involve laboratory and problem solving recitation sections that lead the student through a practical encounter with methods of engineering analysis aimed at understanding and solving problems related to human health care and delivery. The Senior Design Experience is a two-semester sequence where a team approach is used to solve problems originating from the laboratories of faculty across the Schools of Engineering, Science, Dentistry, and Medicine, as well as from clinical and industrial partners. This approach will develop strong team-working skills among the students and enhance their communication skills with professionals outside of their discipline.
The senior year electives enable the student to pursue course content that develops a depth of understanding in a number of biomedical engineering expertise areas such as tissue engineering, biomolecular engineering, imaging, bioelectric phenomena, biomechanics, and regenerative biology. Students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or dentistry may also use their electives to fulfill these respective preprofessional requirements. Highly motivated students with strong academic credentials will find biomedical engineering an excellent premedical or predental degree program.
This exciting and innovative curriculum forms the basis of our program vision, whereby our students will be well educated in modern biomedical engineering, and with this knowledge they will be prepared to develop new devices, technologies, and methodologies that lead to significant improvements in human health care and delivery. The Biomedical Engineering Web site: https://et.iupui.edu/departments/bme/ has the most up-to-date information concerning the plan of study for the B.S.B.M.E. degree program.
Biomedical Engineering Program Objectives
The program educational objectives of our biomedical engineering undergraduate program are to integrate engineering and life science principles into a comprehensive curriculum that produces graduates who can achieve the following career and professional accomplishments, if desired:
- Meet employer expectations in medical device companies or other health or life science related industries.
- Pursue and complete advanced graduate degrees in biomedical engineering, or related engineering or life science areas.
- Pursue and complete advanced professional degree programs in medicine, law, business, or other professional areas.
Transfer Students
Transfer students are initially admitted to the Freshman Engineering Program. Subsequent transfer into the Department of Biomedical Engineering is permitted only after consultation with a Biomedical Engineering Advisor to ensure course equivalencies and to evaluate the student's overall academic achievement. Students requesting transfer into Biomedical Engineering must submit a brief application.
Admission into Biomedical Engineering
Freshman engineering students who declare a biomedical engineering major must apply to the Department of Biomedical Engineering for formal admission by April 1 of their first year. Acceptance into the department is competitive and is based on academic qualifications, advisor's recommendation, and available space.
Biomedical Engineering 5-year B.S./M.S. Program
The Biomedical Engineering 5-year B.S./M.S. Program provides academically successful students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor's and (non-thesis) Master's degree in a total of five years. (A thesis option is also available, but may require more time to complete depending on research progress.) To be eligible for this combined-degree program, students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.2 for the first 85 credit hours of coursework that apply towards the B.S.B.M.E. plan of study. For biomedical engineering students following the standard undergraduate plan, those 85 credit hours will be completed by the end of the first semester of the junior year.
To apply for the combined degree program, interested students should submit the Declaration of Intent to Pursue the Combined Degree no later than February 15th of the spring term immediately preceding their initial enrollment to BME 49101 (first semester senior design) in the fall. Notification of preliminary admission to the combined-degree program will be made no later than March 15th of the term of application. Full admission to the M.S.B.M.E. program is contingent upon successful completion of the B.S.B.M.E. program and meeting minimum grade and GPA requirements.
For more information about the B.S./M.S.B.M.E. visit: https://et.iupui.edu/departments/bme/programs/undergrad/5yearBsMs/
Graduate Programs in Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary program and a joint effort of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, the Purdue School of Science, and the Indiana University Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). In addition to these participating academic units, the program operates in close collaboration with several centers and facilities on campus, and with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette.
The department also offers an accelerated combined bachelor's and master's degree program which allows academically successful students the opportunity to earn both B.S. and M.S. degrees in a total of five years. For more information about the 5-year B.S./M.S.B.M.E. combined degree program visit: https://et.iupui.edu/departments/bme/programs/undergrad/5yearBsMs/
Students interested in the M.S.B.M.E. degree should apply directly to the Graduate Programs Office of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology in Indianapolis. Students with a master's degree, or who are solely interested in the Ph.D. degree, should apply directly to the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at West Lafayette, even though they may be resident and study on the Indianapolis campus.
Contact for Biomedical Engineering: bmegrad@iupui.edu
For more information about the M.S.B.M.E. visit: https://et.iupui.edu/departments/bme/programs/grad/msbme/.
For more information about the Ph.D. program visit https:/et.iupui.edu/departments/bme/programs/grad/phdbme/.
