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 BS 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 with a major in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
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. Learn more at engineering.case.edu/coop. Alternatively or additionally, students may obtain employment as summer interns.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Office of Undergraduate Studies 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 Office of Undergraduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.
Additional information for BME students:
-
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.
-
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.
-
Complete a standard application to the School of Graduate Studies via the online application system.
-
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 School of Undergraduate Studies on the proposed POS prior to submitting the package (below) to the department.
-
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” three credit hours of EBME 398. To do this, three 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 nine (9) credit hrs can be double counted. Typically, these are two 3-credit courses (400 level or high) + 3 credits of EBME 651 or EBME 695 (in place of EBME 398).
- Three (3) reference reports (in sealed envelopes), including letters from your proposed academic and research advisor(s).
-
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 2 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 general requirements of the Case School of Engineering. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the latter set of requirements.
Required Courses
Course List
Code |
Title |
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 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 |
Hours |
STAT 312 | Basic Statistics for Engineering and Science | 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 Specialty Tracks
Majors in Biomedical Engineering choose a specialization track, with track-specific courses.
Required courses for these tracks are presented in the tables below. These tracks 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 TEs that are consistent with the track and are consistent with students' career plans. Students are encouraged to choose electives that form a thematic depth.
Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Track
Course List
Code |
Title |
Hours |
ECSE 245 | Electronic Circuits | 4 |
ECSE 281 | Logic Design and Computer Organization | 4 |
ECSE 309 | Electromagnetic Fields I | 3 |
ECSE 344 | Electronic Analysis and Design | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Biomedical Imaging | |
| Bioelectric Engineering | |
| |
| Semiconductor Electronic Devices | |
| Integrated Circuits and Electronic Devices | |
| Applied Circuit Design | |
| |
| Introduction to Data Structures | |
| Signal Processing | |
| Compiler Design | |
| Intro to Operating Systems and Concurrent Programming | |
| Algorithms | |
| Communications and Signal Analysis | |
| Digital Communications | |
| Modeling and Simulation of Continuous Dynamical Systems | |
| Engineering Optimization | |
| Computational Neuroscience | |
| Biomedical Instrumentation and Signal Processing | |
| Neural Interfacing | |
| Bioelectric Phenomena | |
| Biomechanical Prosthetic Systems | |
| Biomedical Imaging | |
| Bioelectric Phenomena | |
| Control Engineering I with Laboratory | |
| Introduction to Database Systems | |
| Introduction to Data Analysis | |
Biomaterials Track
Course List
Code |
Title |
Hours |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry I | |
| Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering | |
| Physical Chemistry for Engineering | |
| Polymer Physics and Engineering | |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Biomaterials for Drug Delivery | |
| Introduction to Tissue Engineering | |
| Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics | |
| |
| Polymer Properties and Design | |
| Polymer Analysis Laboratory | |
| Polymer Chemistry | |
| Polymer Engineering | |
| Polymer Processing | |
| Polymer Engineering | |
| Structure of Biological Materials | |
| Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics | |
| Quantitative Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering | |
| Polymers in Medicine | |
| Introduction to Tissue Engineering | |
| Biomaterials for Drug Delivery | |
| Mechanical Manufacturing | |
| Materials Laboratory I | |
| Materials Properties and Design | |
| Thermodynamic Stability and Rate Processes | |
| Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century | |
| Biomaterials for Drug Delivery | |
| Engineered Materials for Biomedical Applications | |
| Structural Materials by Design | |
| Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century | |
| Nanomedicine | |
| Quantitative Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering | |
| Biotransport Processes | |
| Biochemical Engineering | |
| Transport Phenomena for Chemical Systems | |
| Chemical Reaction Processes | |
| Protein Engineering | |
| Polymer Engineering | |
| Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I ((with approval)) | |
Biomechanics Track
Course List
Code |
Title |
Hours |
| Mechanical Manufacturing | |
| Dynamics | |
| Strength of Materials | |
| Design and Manufacturing I | |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
EMAE 414 | Nanobiomechanics in Biology | 3 |
| Biomechanical Prosthetic Systems | |
| |
| Computers in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Computer-Aided Manufacturing | |
| Advanced Manufacturing Technology | |
| Design of Mechanical Elements | |
| Structural Materials by Design | |
| Mechanical Engineering Analysis | |
| Introduction to Musculo-skeletal Biomechanics | |
| Materials for Prosthetics and Orthotics | |
| Finite Element Analysis | |
| Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I | |
| Structural Materials by Design | |
Biomedical Computing and Analysis Track
Course List
Code |
Title |
Hours |
| Introduction to Data Structures | |
| Discrete Mathematics | |
| Introduction to Linear Algebra for Applications | |
| Modeling and Simulation of Continuous Dynamical Systems | |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Biomedical Imaging | |
| Bioelectric Engineering | |
| Quantitative Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering | |
| Biomedical Image Processing and Analysis | |
| |
| Control Engineering I with Laboratory | |
| Engineering Optimization | |
| Dynamics of Biological Systems: A Quantitative Introduction to Biology | |
| Operations and Systems Design | |
| Engineering Economics and Decision Analysis | |
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I | |
| Logic Design and Computer Organization | |
| Software Craftsmanship | |
| Signal Processing | |
| Intro to Operating Systems and Concurrent Programming | |
| Algorithms | |
| Introduction to Database Systems | |
| Theoretical Computer Science | |
| Introduction to Information Theory | |
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| Biomedical Engineering Research Experience I | |
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. Track-specific example program-of-study templates are linked above.
Plan of Study Grid
First Year |
Fall |
EBME 105 |
Introduction to Biomedical Engineering a |
3 |
CHEM 111 |
Principles of Chemistry for Engineers ** |
4 |
MATH 121 |
Calculus for Science and Engineering I ** |
4 |
ENGR 130
|
Foundations of Engineering and Programming **,f
or Programming in Java |
3 |
* |
4 |
* |
|
| Hours | 18 |
Spring |
ENGR 145 |
Chemistry of Materials ** |
4 |
MATH 122 |
Calculus for Science and Engineering II ** |
4 |
PHYS 121 |
General Physics I - Mechanics ** |
4 |
* |
3 |
* |
|
| 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 |
Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer ** |
4 |
* |
3 |
| Hours | 17 |
Spring |
EBME 202 |
Physiology-Biophysics II |
3 |
MATH 224 |
Elementary Differential Equations ** |
3 |
ENGR 210 |
Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation ** |
4 |
|
3 |
d |
|
e |
|
**,g |
3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Third Year |
Fall |
EBME 306 & EBME 356 |
Introduction to Biomedical Materials and Introduction to Biomaterials Engineering - Laboratory |
4 |
b |
3 |
ENGR 398 |
Professional Communication for Engineers ** |
1 |
ENGL 398 |
Professional Communication for Engineers ** |
2 |
EBME 308 & EBME 358 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems and Biomedical Signals and Systems Laboratory |
4 |
**,g |
3 |
| 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 |
d |
3 |
**,g |
3 |
| Hours | 17 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
**,g |
3 |
EBME 370 |
Principles of Biomedical Engineering Design |
3 |
b |
3 |
b |
3 |
g |
3 |
e |
3 |
| Hours | 18 |
Spring |
b |
3 |
b |
3 |
**,g |
3 |
EBME 380 |
Biomedical Engineering Design Experience |
3 |
b |
3 |
| Hours | 15 |
| Total Hours | 133 |