• UNM 2017-2018 Catalog
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• >School of Engineering
• >Biomedical Engineering
• >Graduate Program

Graduate Program

Biomedical Engineering

M.S. and Ph.D. Admission Requirements
Prospective candidates can apply directly for admission to the Ph.D. program. The Admissions Committee makes admission decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Degree Completion Requirements
The general requirements for this degree are identical to those specified in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog, which details requirements and procedures common to all UNM graduate programs. In addition to the general requirement specified in the Graduate Program, graduates must complete the core and elective BME curriculum specified below.

Degrees Offered

• Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering (M.S.)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (Ph.D.)
  Concentration: Biomedical Engineering

Ph.D. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering

The M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering prepare students for careers in solving engineering problems in health care, biomedical research, and biotechnology. Areas of current faculty research include biomaterials, nanobiotechnology, bioanalytical microsystems, patient-care devices, tissue engineering, flow cytometry, disease processes, clinical translation, and molecular and cellular systems. Instruction includes five core courses, a seminar and numerous electives taught by Affiliated Faculty and others within the School of Engineering, School of Medicine, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Pharmacy.

Ph.D. and M.S. Admission Requirements

Prospective candidates may apply directly for admission to the Ph.D. program. Successful applicants to the program usually have a bachelor's degree in the physical sciences or engineering. The Admissions Committee makes admissions decisions on a case-by-case basis, with special consideration of scholastic proficiency in one or more of the following subject areas:

• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Chemistry and Organic Chemistry
• Calculus and Ordinary Differential Equations
• Thermodynamics
• Physics
• Biochemistry or Biomolecular Engineering

Students who have not passed courses in one or more of these subject areas may be admitted to the program, but required to take undergraduate courses to address deficiencies in their background. General admission requirements described in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog also apply.

Ph.D. and M.S. Application Process

Details of applying to the Ph.D. and M.S. programs are found at the Biomedical Engineering program Web site. Applications to the degree program are submitted online.

Ph.D. Degree Completion Requirements

In addition to the general requirements specified in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog, students must also complete the BME core, emphasis core, and elective BME curricula described below. BME 567 Biomedical Engineering Seminar must be taken every semester, up to a maximum of 8 credit hours total. Students must pass the Qualifying Examination before applying for Candidacy or proceeding to the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam. Upon successfully passing the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam and successful review of their application by program faculty and the Dean of Graduate Studies, students are admitted to Candidacy for the doctoral degree. For successful completion of the program requirements, all candidates must pass a Final Examination (Defense of Dissertation).

M.S. Degree Completion Requirements

Plan I (thesis): The minimum requirements for the Plan I thesis-based M.S. include 6 credit hours of thesis credit (BME 599) and 24 credit hours of course work that must include 18 credit hours of mandatory courses, as approved by the Committee on Studies, and at least 3 credit hours from the electives such as those listed below. Plan I automatically meets the requirement of at least 12 credit hours of course work at the 500-level or higher, exclusive of thesis credit, as stipulated by the UNM Catalog for this plan.

Plan II (non-thesis): The minimum requirements of the Plan II non-thesis M.S. include 32 credit hours of course work, with at least 24 credit hours drawn from the BME required and elective courses list and 3 credit hours of a research seminar/problems course. At most, 6 credit hours of *400-level School of Engineering courses are allowed. Also, at least 12 credit hours of course work should be at a 500-level or higher, as stipulated by the Catalog for this plan. A final exit exam is required by this degree plan, with a committee of similar makeup to those of the Plan I M.S.

Plan III (course work): The minimum requirements of the Plan III course work-based M.S. include 30 hours of course work, with at least 24 credit hours drawn from the BME required and elective courses list. At most, 6 hours of *400-level School of Engineering courses are allowed. Also, at least 12 hours of course work should be at a 500-level or higher, as stipulated by the Catalog for this plan. Seminar, thesis, and independent study (i.e., “Problems”) courses are not required by this plan, nor is a final exit exam.

Curriculum for Students Pursuing the BME Concentration for the Ph.D. in Engineering 

For all students pursuing degrees in BME, the following BME core courses are offered once per academic year: 

Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Emphasis

The following Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering emphasis core courses are offered every other year: 

Molecular and Cellular Systems Emphasis

The following Molecular and Cellular Systems emphasis core courses are offered every other year:

Equivalent graduate-level courses taken at other institutions may be used to satisfy one or more of the above core requirements, as approved by the student's Graduate Advisor or Curriculum Committee.

Elective Courses

For completion of the Ph.D. degree, the student must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of elective courses from the list below. At least 9 of these credit hours must be from courses offered in the School of Engineering. Ph.D. candidates may substitute electives other than those listed below, as approved by the student's Graduate Advisor or Curriculum Committee. 

M.S. degree candidates must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of elective courses from the lists below. M.S. candidates may substitute electives other than those listed below, as approved by the student's Graduate Advisor or Curriculum Committee.

Biomedical Engineering Electives