Degree: Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE)
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Program Overview
The Case Western Reserve undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program with a major in Biomedical Engineering was established in 1972 and has been accredited since its inception.
Some BSE graduates are employed in industry and medical centers. Others continue graduate or professional studies in biomedical engineering and other fields. Students with strong quantitative skills and an interest in medicine may consider the undergraduate biomedical engineering program as an exciting alternative to conventional premedical programs. In addition to the University general education requirements, the undergraduate program has three major components: (1) Engineering Core, (2) BME Core, and (3) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- BME Specialty Tracks. The Engineering Core provides a fundamental background in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering. The BME Core provides fundamentals in biology and integrates engineering with biomedical science to solve medical problems. Hands-on experience in BME is developed through undergraduate laboratory and project courses. In addition, by choosing a BME Track, the student can study a specific area of interest in depth. Appropriate choice of elective courses can lead to a minor in a related engineering discipline without taking extra classes beyond those needed for the BME major. This integrated program is designed to ensure that BME graduates are competent engineers with credentials that are well recognized by potential employers.
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Biomedical Engineering.
Program Educational Objectives
At the undergraduate level, we direct our efforts toward two educational objectives that describe the performance of alumni 3-6 years after graduation.
- Our graduates will successfully enter and complete post-baccalaureate advanced degree programs, including those in biomedical engineering.
- Our graduates will obtain jobs in the biomedical arena and advance to positions of greater responsibility.
Learning Outcomes
As preparation for achieving the above educational objectives, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in Biomedical Engineering is designed so that students attain:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Co-op and Internship Programs
Opportunities are available for students to alternate studies with work in industry or government as a co-op student, which involves paid full-time employment over seven months (one semester and one summer). Students may work in one or two co-ops, beginning in the third year of study. Co-ops provide students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in their field by completing a significant engineering project while receiving professional mentoring. During a co-op placement, students do not pay tuition but maintain their full-time student status while earning a salary. Alternatively or additionally, students may obtain employment as summer interns.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Accelerated Master's Programs
Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Additional information for BME students:
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An eligible BME faculty member (primary or secondary) must agree to serve as the MS research advisor and a primary BME faculty member (who might be the same person as the research advisor) must agree to be the academic advisor. Obtaining this agreement is the responsibility of the applying student. The BS/MS application must include letters of recommendation from both the research and academic advisor that states that they agree to serve in these roles and that they support the BS/MS application.
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The BME department does not guarantee financial support during the MS portion of this program. However, the GEC requires students and potential research advisors to discuss and agree to some financial arrangement. The letter of recommendation from the proposed research advisor must, therefore, indicate that the issue of financial support has been discussed and that some arrangement has been agreed upon. The details of this arrangement do not need to be included in the letter.
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Complete a standard application to the School of Graduate Studies via the online application system.
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Complete the BS/MS Planned Program of Study (PPOS) form. Make sure to check the “BS/MS” box and to indicate which courses are to be double-counted (by checking the “double count” box next to the relevant courses on the POS).
-
Obtain an approval signature from the Office of Undergraduate Studies on the proposed POS prior to submitting the package (below) to the department.
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Prepare the application package that includes the following:
- A current transcript
- The proposed MS Program of Study. Make sure that the Program of Study specifies both the academic and research advisors and includes both of their signatures. This form also needs to indicate the courses that are intended to be “double counted”.
- Only graduate-level courses (400-or higher) can be double counted. This typically means that students should register for 400-level courses to satisfy undergraduate technical electives.
- It is possible to “double count” 3 credit hours of EBME 398. To do this, 3 credit hours of EBME 651 (Thesis-Focused Track) or EBME 695 (Project-Focused Track) should replace EBME 398 in the fall or spring of the senior year. You should register for EBME 651 or EBME 695 (but NOT EBME 398). However, you must attend the meetings of EBME 398 and also fulfill all of the course requirements for EBME 398.
- A maximum of 9 credit hours can be double counted. Typically, these are two 3 credit hours courses (400-level or high) and 3 credit hours of EBME 651 or EBME 695 (in place of EBME 398).
- Three reference reports (in sealed envelopes), including letters from your proposed academic and research advisor(s).
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Submit the proposed POS, transcript, and letters of recommendation to the BME Graduate Coordinator.
No admission decision will be made until the POS is approved by the GEC. After a positive recommendation by the GEC, a letter of conditional admission will be sent. The condition for admission is the submission of GRE scores within two months of completing the BS requirements. The student cannot graduate from the BS/MS program without official GRE scores. This is a BME requirement and not a CSE requirement. Note that it is strongly recommended that students plan to take the GRE exam in the Fall semester of their senior year to be eligible for pre-doctoral fellowships from the National Science Foundation or other sources.
Program Requirements
Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the Unified General Education Requirements. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the school-specific requirements associated with this major.
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
or MATH 124 | Calculus II |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
or MATH 227 | Calculus III |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
or MATH 228 | Differential Equations |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
or PHYS 123 | Physics and Frontiers I - Mechanics |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
or PHYS 124 | Physics and Frontiers II - Electricity and Magnetism |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming a | 3 |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
ENGR 210 | Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | 4 |
ENGR 225 | b | 4 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
EBME 201 | Physiology-Biophysics I | 3 |
EBME 202 | Physiology-Biophysics II | 3 |
EBME 306 & EBME 356 | Introduction to Biomedical Materials and Introduction to Biomaterials Engineering - Laboratory | 4 |
EBME 308 & EBME 358 | Biomedical Signals and Systems and Biomedical Signals and Systems Laboratory | 4 |
EBME 309 & EBME 359 | Modeling of Biomedical Systems and Biomedical Computer Simulation Laboratory | 4 |
EBME 310 & EBME 360 | Principles of Biomedical Instrumentation and Biomedical Instrumentation Laboratory | 4 |
EBME 370 | Principles of Biomedical Engineering Design | 3 |
EBME 380 | Biomedical Engineering Design Experience | 3 |
| 3 |
| 24-26 |
Total Credit Hours | 55-57 |
Natural Sciences, Mathematics or Statistics Elective
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree must fulfill a Natural Sciences, Mathematics or Statistics requirement as part of the Engineering Core, which is designated by the major department. Note that this is distinct from the engineering, mathematics or natural science elective required by the BME major and mentioned above. Biomedical Engineering majors may meet this requirement by taking one of the following statistics courses:
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
STAT 312 | Basic Statistics for Engineering and Science a | 3 |
STAT 313 | Statistics for Experimenters | 3 |
STAT 332 | Statistics for Signal Processing | 3 |
STAT 333 | Uncertainty in Engineering and Science | 3 |
Concentration Requirements
Biomedical Engineering Concentrations
Majors in Biomedical Engineering choose a concentration, with specific courses.
Required courses for these tracks are presented in the tables below. These concentrations provide the student with a solid background in a well-defined area of biomedical engineering. To meet specific educational needs, students may choose alternatives from among the suggested electives or design unique specialties. These options are flexible and subject to departmental guidelines and faculty approval.
Approval of technical electives (TE): Pre-approved TE (listed below) need no further approval. 300-400 level courses offered by a department in the Case School of Engineering may be approved as a TE by a student’s academic advisor. Any other course must be approved by petition to the BME Undergraduate Education Committee. Transfer and study abroad courses must be approved by the BME Program Academic Representative. In all cases, courses should be chosen as TE's that are consistent with the track and are consistent with student's career plans. Students are encouraged to choose electives that form a thematic depth.
Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
ECSE 245 | Electronic Circuits | 4 |
ECSE 281 | Logic Design and Computer Organization | 4 |
ECSE 309 | Electromagnetic Fields I | 3 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| Biomedical Imaging | |
| Bioelectric Engineering |
Total Credit Hours | 24-26 |
Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Concentration Technical Electives
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
ECSE 321 | Semiconductor Electronic Devices | 4 |
ECSE 322 | Integrated Circuits and Electronic Devices | 3 |
ECSE 344 | Electronic Analysis and Design | 3 |
ECSE 371 | Applied Circuit Design | 4 |
CSDS 233 | Introduction to Data Structures | 4 |
CSDS 310 | Algorithms | 3 |
CSDS 337 | Compiler Design | 4 |
CSDS 338 | Intro to Operating Systems and Concurrent Programming | 4 |
ECSE 313 | Signal Processing | 3 |
ECSE 351 | Communications and Signal Analysis | 3 |
ECSE 354 | Digital Communications | 3 |
ECSE 324 | Modeling and Simulation of Continuous Dynamical Systems | 3 |
ECSE 346 | Engineering Optimization | 3 |
EBME 478 | Computational Neuroscience | 3 |
EBME 307 | Biomechanical Prosthetic Systems | 3 |
EBME 320 | Biomedical Imaging | 3 |
EBME 401D | Biomedical Instrumentation and Signal Processing | 3 |
EBME 407 | Neural Interfacing | 3 |
EBME 421 | Bioelectric Phenomena | 3 |
ECSE 304 | Control Engineering I with Laboratory | 3 |
CSDS 313 | Introduction to Data Analysis | 3 |
CSDS 341 | Introduction to Database Systems | 3 |
Biomaterials Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
CHEM 223 | Introductory Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
EMAC 270 | Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering | 3 |
EMAC 351 | Physical Chemistry for Engineering | 3 |
EMAC 352 | Polymer Physics and Engineering | 3 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| Biomaterials for Drug Delivery | |
| Introduction to Tissue Engineering |
| Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics |
Total Credit Hours | 24-27 |
Biomaterials Concentration Technical Electives
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
EBME/EMAC 303 | Structure of Biological Materials | 3 |
EBME 305 | Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics | 3 |
EBME 316/416 | Biomaterials for Drug Delivery | 3 |
EBME 325 | Introduction to Tissue Engineering | 3 |
EBME 350 | Quantitative Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering | 3 |
EBME 406/EMAC 471 | Polymers in Medicine | 3 |
EBME 426 | Nanomedicine | 3 |
ECHE 355 | Quantitative Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering | 3 |
ECHE 340 | Biochemical Engineering | 3 |
ECHE 360 | Transport Phenomena for Chemical Systems | 4 |
ECHE 364 | Chemical Reaction Processes | 4 |
ECHE 386 | Protein Engineering | 3 |
ECHE 474 | Biotransport Processes | 3 |
EMAC 276 | Polymer Properties and Design | 3 |
EMAC 355 | Polymer Analysis Laboratory | 3 |
EMAC 370 | Polymer Chemistry | 3 |
EMAC 376/476 | Polymer Engineering | 3 |
EMAC 377 | Polymer Processing | 3 |
EMAE 160 | Mechanical Manufacturing | 3 |
EMSE 220 | Materials Laboratory I | 2 |
EMSE 276 | Materials Properties: Composition and Structure | 3 |
EMSE 327 | Thermodynamic Stability and Rate Processes | 3 |
EMSE 335 | Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century | 3 |
EMSE 345 | Engineered Materials for Biomedical Applications | 3 |
EMSE 372 | Structural Materials by Design | 4 |
EMSE 435 | Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century | 3 |
Biomechanics Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
EMAE 160 | Mechanical Manufacturing | 3 |
EMAE 181 | Dynamics | 3 |
ECIV 310 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
EMAE 260 | Design and Manufacturing I | 3 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| Nanobiomechanics in Biology | |
| Biomechanical Prosthetic Systems |
Total Credit Hours | 24-27 |
Biomechanics Concentration Technical Electives
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
EBME 305 | Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics | 3 |
EBME 329 | Tissue Biomechanics | 3 |
EBME 398 | Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I a | 1 - 3 |
ECIV 420 | Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
EMAE 250 | Computers in Mechanical Engineering | 3 |
EMAE 290 | Computer-Aided Manufacturing | 3 |
EMAE 307 | Fundamentals of Biomechanics | 3 |
EMAE 350 | Mechanical Engineering Analysis | 3 |
EMAE 370 | Design of Mechanical Elements | 3 |
EMAE 390 | Advanced Manufacturing Technology | 3 |
EMAE 372 | Structural Materials by Design | 4 |
EMAE 415 | Introduction to Musculo-skeletal Biomechanics | 3 |
EMSE 372 | Structural Materials by Design | 4 |
Biomedical Computing and Analysis Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
CSDS 233 | Introduction to Data Structures | 4 |
CSDS 302 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
CSDS 310 | Algorithms | 3 |
DSCI 351/451 | Exploratory Data Science | 3 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| 3-4 |
| Biomedical Imaging | |
| Bioelectric Engineering |
| Biomedical Image Processing and Analysis |
Total Credit Hours | 25-28 |
Biomedical Computing and Analysis Concentration Technical Electives
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
CSDS 391 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
EBME 300 | Dynamics of Biological Systems: A Quantitative Introduction to Biology | 3 |
EBME 398 | Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I | 1 - 3 |
ECSE 304 | Control Engineering I with Laboratory | 3 |
ECSE 346 | Engineering Optimization | 3 |
ECSE 350 | Operations and Systems Design | 3 |
ECSE 352 | Engineering Economics and Decision Analysis | 3 |
CSDS 293 | Software Craftsmanship | 4 |
CSDS 310 | Algorithms | 3 |
CSDS 338 | Intro to Operating Systems and Concurrent Programming | 4 |
CSDS 341N | Introduction to Database Systems | 3 |
CSDS 343 | Theoretical Computer Science | 3 |
CSDS 391 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
CSDS 394 | Introduction to Information Theory | 3 |
EBME 398 | Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I | 1 - 3 |
ECSE 281 | Logic Design and Computer Organization | 4 |
ECSE 313 | Signal Processing | 3 |
Sample Plan of Study
The following is an example program of study. Variations depend on advanced placements. Students should work with their advisors to map out an individual plan of study. Concentration-specific example program-of-study templates are linked above.
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
EBME 105 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
a | 3 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming b | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 17 |
Spring |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Second Year |
Fall |
EBME 201 | Physiology-Biophysics I | 3 |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
ENGR 225 | | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 17 |
Spring |
EBME 202 | Physiology-Biophysics II | 3 |
ENGR 210 | Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | 4 |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Third Year |
Fall |
EBME 306 & EBME 356 | Introduction to Biomedical Materials and Introduction to Biomaterials Engineering - Laboratory | 4 |
EBME 308 & EBME 358 | Biomedical Signals and Systems and Biomedical Signals and Systems Laboratory | 4 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Credit Hours | 17 |
Spring |
EBME 310 & EBME 360 | Principles of Biomedical Instrumentation and Biomedical Instrumentation Laboratory | 4 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
EBME 309 & EBME 359 | Modeling of Biomedical Systems and Biomedical Computer Simulation Laboratory | 4 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Credit Hours | 17 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
EBME 370 | Principles of Biomedical Engineering Design | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Credit Hours | 18 |
Spring |
EBME 380 | Biomedical Engineering Design Experience | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
| Total Credit Hours | 132 |