UT Dallas 2023 Undergraduate Catalog

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

Department of Bioengineering

Biomedical Engineering (BS)

Mission of the Department of Bioengineering

The mission of the Bioengineering Department is to provide a state-of-the-art, highly interdisciplinary, teaching and research environment for undergraduate and graduate students. Whether at undergraduate or post-graduate levels, our students will be able to reach across traditional disciplinary boundaries, and work effectively with experts in engineering, life sciences, and medicine. At the Bachelors level, our graduates will be ready to meet the rapidly growing demand for bioengineers, and tackle challenges in emerging areas, including but not limited to personalized medicine, biomedical devices, and targeted drug delivery. At the Masters and PhD levels, our graduates will undertake original cutting-edge research at the forefront of scientific and technological developments in bioengineering.

High School Preparation

Engineering education requires a strong high school preparation. Pre-engineering students should have high school preparation of at least one-half year in trigonometry and at least one year each in algebra, pre-calculus, plane geometry, chemistry, and physics, thus developing their competencies to the highest possible levels and preparing to move immediately into demanding college courses in calculus, calculus-based physics, and chemistry for science majors. It is also essential that pre- engineering students have the competence to read rapidly and with comprehension, and to write clearly and correctly.

Lower-Division Study

All lower-division students in Biomedical Engineering concentrate on mathematics, science, and introductory engineering courses, building competence in these cornerstone areas for future application in upper-division engineering courses. The following requirements apply both to students seeking to transfer to UT Dallas from other institutions as well as to those currently enrolled at UT Dallas, whether in another school or in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Academic Progress in Biomedical Engineering

In order to make satisfactory academic progress as a Biomedical Engineering major, a student must meet all University requirements for academic progress, and must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the "major requirements" courses. No "Major Requirement" course may be taken until the student has obtained a grade of C- or better in each of the prerequisites. If a higher grade requirement is stated for a specific class, the higher requirement applies.

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Degree Requirements (128 semester credit hours)1

View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester

Faculty

Professors: Orlando Auciello, Leonidas Bleris, Stuart Cogan, Baowei Fei, Stephen D. Levene, Joseph Pancrazio, Shalini Prasad, David Schmidtke

Associate Professors: Heather Hayenga, Seth Hays, Kenneth Hoyt, Kristin Miller, Danieli Rodrigues, Shashank Sirsi

Assistant Professors: Yichen Ding, Polimyr Dingal, Jacopo Ferruzzi, Caroline Jones, Gu Eon Kang, Girgis Obaid, Victor Varner

Associate Professors of Instruction: Tariq Ali, Soudeh Ardestani Khoubrouy, Clark A. Meyer, Kathleen Myers, Benjamin Porter

Assistant Professors of Instruction: Fang Bian, Katherine Brown, Levi Good, Christian Rivera

Associate Professor of Practice: Todd W. Polk

UT Dallas Affiliated Faculty: Dinesh Bhatia, Carlos A. Busso-Recabarren, Xianming Dai, Crystal Engineer, Jeremiah J. Gassensmith, John Hart Jr., Fatemeh Hassanipour, Ana Guadalupe Hernandez Reynoso, Michael P. Kilgard, David J. Lary, Faruck Morcos, Issa M. S. Panahi, Balakrishnan Prabhakaran, Zhenpeng Qin, Bart Rypma, Mihaela C. Stefan, Yonas Tadesse, Jie Zheng

I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours2

Communication: 6 semester credit hours

RHET 1302 Rhetoric3

ECS 3390 Professional and Technical Communication3

Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Communication Core courses (see advisor)

Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours

MATH 2417 Calculus I4

Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics Core courses (see advisor)

Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours

PHYS 2325 Mechanics5

PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves5

Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses (see advisor)

Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours

Select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses (see advisor)

Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours

Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses (see advisor)

American History: 6 semester credit hours

Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses (see advisor)

Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours

GOVT 2305 American National Government

GOVT 2306 State and Local Government

Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Government/Political Science Core courses (see advisor)

Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours

Select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences Core courses (see advisor)

Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours

MATH 2417 Calculus I4

MATH 2419 Calculus II4

PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I5

Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option Core courses (see advisor)

II. Major Requirements: 86 semester credit hours6

Major Preparatory Courses: 21-25 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum

CHEM 1311 General Chemistry I

CHEM 1111 General Chemistry Laboratory I

CHEM 1312 General Chemistry II

CHEM 2324 Introductory Organic Chemistry for Engineers

BIOL 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I

BIOL 2111 Introduction to Modern Biology Workshop I

BIOL 2281 Introductory Biology Laboratory

PHYS 2125 Physics Laboratory I5

PHYS 2126 Physics Laboratory II

PHYS 2325 Mechanics5

PHYS 2326 Electromagnetism and Waves5

RHET 1302 Rhetoric3

MATH Sequence - Students may choose one of the following sequences:

I. MATH 2417 Calculus I4

and MATH 2419 Calculus II4

and MATH 2420 Differential Equations with Applications

or

II. MATH 2413 Differential Calculus4

and MATH 2414 Integral Calculus4

and MATH 2415 Calculus of Several Variables

and MATH 2420 Differential Equations with Applications

Major Engineering Courses: 10 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum

ECS 1100 Introduction to Engineering and Computer Science

ECS 3390 Professional and Technical Communication3

ENGR 2300 Linear Algebra for Engineers

ENGR 3300 Advanced Engineering Mathematics

BMEN 3341 Probability Theory and Statistics for Biomedical Engineers

Major Core Courses: 43 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum

BMEN 1100 Introduction to Bioengineering I7

BMEN 1208 Introduction to Bioengineering II7

BMEN 1300 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Computing

BMEN 2320 Statics

BMEN 3200 Biomedical Engineering Fundamentals and Design

BMEN 3220 Electrical and Electronic Circuits in Biomedical Engineering Lab

BMEN 3302 Bioengineering Signals and Systems

BMEN 3320 Electrical and Electronic Circuits in Biomedical Engineering

BMEN 3331 Cell and Molecular Engineering

BMEN 3332 Quantitative Physiology for Engineers

BMEN 3315 Thermodynamics and Physical Chemistry in Biomedical Engineering

BMEN 3399 Introductory Biomechanics

BMEN 4310 Feedback Systems in Biomedical Engineering

BMEN 4360 Biomaterials and Medical Devices

BMEN 4388 Senior Design Project I

BMEN 4389 Senior Design Project II

Prescribed Electives: 8-12 semester credit hours

  • Students who take MATH sequence I take 12 semester credit hours using any other BMEN 3000-level or higher class or any other upper division engineering course with approval from the department.
  • Students who take MATH sequence II take 8 semester credit hours using any other BMEN 3000-level or higher class or any other upper division engineering course with approval from the department.
  • Students must document 8-12 semester credit hours of engineering content for these to count towards their degree.
  • Students are limited to 2 semester credit hours of internship credit towards prescribed electives.

The plan must include sufficient upper-division courses to total 45 upper-division semester credit hours.

Fast Track Baccalaureate/Master's Degrees

In response to the need for advanced education in Biomedical engineering, a Fast Track program is available to well-qualified UT Dallas undergraduate students. Qualified seniors may take up to 15 graduate semester credit hours that may be used to complete the baccalaureate degree and also to satisfy the requirements for the master's degree. This is accomplished by (1) taking courses (typically electives) during one or more summer semesters, and (2) beginning graduate coursework during the senior year. Details are available from the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.

Honors Program

The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers upper-division Honors for outstanding students in the BS Biomedical Engineering degree program. This program offers special sections of designated classes and other activities designed to enhance the educational experience of exceptional students. Admission to the Honors programs requires a 3.500 or better GPA in at least 30 semester credit hours of coursework.

Graduation with Honors requires a 3.500 or better GPA and completion of at least 6 honors classes. These honors classes must include either Senior Honors in Biomedical Engineering (BMEN 4399) or Engineering Practicum (BMEN 4V98) and a Senior Honors Thesis must be completed within one of those two classes. While the topics may be related, the Senior Thesis does not replace the need for the student to complete a regular Senior Design Project. The other 5 honors classes can come from a mixture of Graduate level (up to a count of 4) classes and special honor sections of regular undergraduate BMEN classes (up to a count of 2).

Departmental Honors with Distinction may be awarded to students whose Senior Honors Thesis is judged by a faculty committee to be of exemplary quality. Only students graduating with Departmental Honors are eligible. Thesis/projects must be submitted by the deadline that applies to MS Theses in the graduating semester to allow for proper evaluation. Students interested in Honors with Distinction are encouraged to start working on their thesis/project a year prior to graduation.

Considerations for Pre-Med Students

While the Department of Bioengineering does not have an official track for pre-med students, a suggested course sequence is available to guide pre-med students in selecting complementary coursework. It is critical that students interested in medical school meet with their advisor to ensure their biology and chemistry courses will meet the requirements for medical schools.

Minors

The Department of Bioengineering does not offer minors at this time.

1. Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of UNIV 1010 and the corresponding school-related freshman seminar course. Students, including transfer students, who complete their core curriculum at UT Dallas must take UNIV 2020.

2. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.

3. Semester credit hours fulfill the communication component of the Core Curriculum.

4. Three semester credit hours of Calculus are counted under Mathematics Core, and five semester credit hours of Calculus are counted as Component Area Option Core.

5. Six semester credit hours of Physics are counted under Science core, and one semester credit hour of Physics (PHYS 2125) is counted as Component Area Option Core.

6. Students must pass each of the major requirement courses listed in this degree plan and each of their prerequisites, with a grade of C- or better.

7. Transfer students with sufficient background may petition to substitute upper-division semester credit hours in the major for this class.

Updated: 2023-05-30 16:31:14 v13.3f1800