Biomedical Engineering
The biomedical engineering (BME) field has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. This growth was fueled by breakthroughs in molecular biology and many engineering technologies, symbolized by the Human Genome Project, arguably the greatest biomedical engineering accomplishment ever, and realized with creation of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. BME now is clearly recognized as an integral part of the nation's and the world's efforts to deliver more effective and efficient medical care.
Overview
What is Biomedical Engineering? A biomedical engineer uses traditional engineering expertise to analyze and solve problems in biology and medicine, providing an overall enhancement of health care. Students choose biomedical engineering to serve people, to work with living systems and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. The biomedical engineer is called upon to design instruments, devices and software, to bring together knowledge from many technical sources to develop new procedures and to conduct the research needed to solve clinical problems.
Bioengineering integrates sciences and engineering for the study of biology, medicine, behavior or health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge for the molecular to the organ systems levels, and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants and devices. Biomedical engineers create informatics approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat disease, applying systematic, quantitative and integrative thinking and solutions to problems important to biology, medical research and population studies.
BME typically is among the three most popular engineering majors and very often is the largest. The job market in biomedical engineering is the fastest growing of all engineering disciplines. It has become clear that the nation needs a variety of engineers with knowledge of biomedicine, including a cadre of exceptional people whose education thoroughly immerses them in engineering and biomedicine. The intellectual foundation of this limited-access undergraduate program is captured in this vision: Biomedicine comprises the science core while engineering provides the framework for inquiry. The curriculum incorporates exceptional rigor in both.
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Department Vision Statement
The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering will be one of the leading biomedical engineering programs in the nation. The department will leverage the unique co-localization of talent and resources in engineering, medicine, veterinary sciences, dentistry and technology commercialization to maximize opportunities for interdisciplinary student training and the clinical translation of technologies that will advance and improve health care in the state of Florida and worldwide.
Department Mission
The department is dedicated to developing innovative and clinically translatable biomedical technologies, training future generations of biomedical engineers, and cultivating leaders, by nurturing the integration of engineering, science, and healthcare in a discovery‐centered educational and research environment.
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Curriculum
Science and Math Core (39 credits)
The BME curriculum is built on a solid foundation in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Students will have the mathematical foundation of the engineer, including Calculus 1, 2 and 3, and Differential Equations. Students also take a rigorous statistics course at the level taken by engineers. The physics foundation is covered by the standard two-course engineering sequence of Physics with Calculus. Students first take the engineer’s two-semester general chemistry sequence, followed by part 1 of organic chemistry and the medical school’s version of biochemistry.
Biology Core (8 credits)
The biology core includes BSC 2010 Biology 1 and PCB 3713C Cellular and Systems Physiology, a new course developed by the Department of Biology in consultation with BME. Additional biology is part of the advanced physiology and molecular engineering courses. The biology core enables students to bridge the gap of knowledge from engineering to the medical sciences.
Engineering Core (22 credits)
The engineering core provides a thorough understanding of how engineers approach problems and introduces the major engineering disciplines the student will encounter over a career. The coursework consists of computer programming, thermodynamics, statics, materials, energy balances and circuits.
BME Core (13 credits)
The BME core provides basic understanding of prominent problems and methodologies used in the biomedical engineering profession.
Laboratories (5 credits)
Students will take three laboratory courses and each provides extensive hands-on experience. Laboratories enable students to put their knowledge to work, to learn specific techniques and to understand the problems that occur when putting theory to practice. In addition, students also gain laboratory experience in basic physics and chemistry courses as well as in the senior design course.
- The first junior-level lab is medical instrumentation, taught in conjunction with the biomedical instrumentation course. Students learn the basics of electronic measurements of biomedical variables, building to a short design project.
- The second laboratory, in cell and tissue engineering, provides basic skills in cell culture technique, including quantitation of important biological markers and variables.
- The third lab is a computer applications course in Matlab to analyze biomedical signals and images. This lab teaches data analysis skills for biomedical signals and images through programming projects.
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Specialization Tracks (15 credits)
BME students will complete one 15-credit specialization track in an area of their choosing, from biomechanics, biomaterials, medical physics and imaging, and neural engineering. Commonly, each track consists of one or two basic courses in an area followed by more advanced courses. Where possible, a laboratory course serves as a capstone course. Each specialization track's content is subject to creation and approval by the BME department's curriculum committee.
The purpose of more advanced study in a specialized area is two-fold: to encourage BME students to develop their particular intellectual and professional interests and to engage the student in one area at substantial depth so that a greater appreciation is gained. BME works actively with other departments and faculty to provide appropriate and engaging topical tracks.
Senior Design (6 credits)
Students take a two-semester capstone design course that meets several educational objectives: project milestone planning, teamwork, professional presentation, biomedical regulatory affairs and ethics. Logically, all projects are planned in the fall and implemented in the spring. Many projects will have strong interaction with the UF health sciences units.
Electives (6 credits)
Students are allowed six credits of elective coursework.
General Education (18 credits)
The BME program includes general education courses according to UF requirements in technical writing, diversity, humanities, international studies and social/behavioral science. These are essential elements of a well-rounded education.
Critical Tracking
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
- Complete 2 of 11 critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts: BSC 2010; CHM 2045 or CHM 2095; CHM 2046 or CHM 2096; MAC 2311, MAC 2312, MAC 2313, MAP 2302, PHY 2048 and PHY 2049; BME 3060 and PCB 3717C
- 3.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 2
- Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
- 3.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 3
- Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
- 3.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 4
- Complete 3 additional critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
- 3.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 5
- Complete all 11 critical-tracking courses with minimum grades of C within two attempts
- 2.0 UF GPA required
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Recommended Semester Plan
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
| Semester 1 |
Credits |
|---|
| If you do not place out of ENC 1101, take it in the fall. |
| BSC 2010 Biology 1 (GE-B) |
3 |
| BSC 2010L Biology 1 Laboratory (GE-B) |
1 |
CHM 2045 General Chemistry 1 (GE-P) or
CHM 2095 Chemistry for Engineers 1 |
3 |
| CHM 2045L General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (GE-P) |
1 |
| HUM 2305 What is the Good Life (GE-H) |
3 |
| MAC 2311 Calculus 1 (GE-M) |
4 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 2 |
Credits |
|---|
| BME 1008 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering |
1 |
CHM 2046 General Chemistry 2 (GE-P) or
CHM 2096 Chemistry for Engineers 2 |
3 |
| CHM 2046L General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (GE-P) |
1 |
| MAC 2312 Calculus 2 (GE-M) |
4 |
| PHY 2048 Physics With Calculus 1 (GE-P) |
3 |
| PHY 2048L Physics With Calculus 1 Laboratory (GE-P) |
1 |
| Social and Behavioral Science (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 3 |
Credits |
|---|
| CHM 3217 Organic Chemistry 1 * |
4 |
| COP 2271 Computer Programming for Engineers |
2 |
| COP 2271L Computer Programming for Engineers Laboratory |
1 |
| MAC 2313 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3 (GE-M) |
4 |
| PHY 2049 Physics With Calculus 2 (GE-P) |
3 |
| PHY 2049L Physics With Calculus 2 Laboratory (GE-P) |
1 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 4 |
Credits |
|---|
| BME 3060 BME Fundamentals |
3 |
| EEL 3111C Circuits 1 |
4 |
| MAP 2302 Differential Equations (GE-M) |
3 |
| PCB 3713C Cellular and Systems Physiology |
4 |
| Total |
14 |
| Semester 5 - Summer |
Credits |
|---|
| ENC 3246 Professional Writing for Engineers |
3 |
| STA 3032 Engineering Statistics |
3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) |
3 |
| Total |
9 |
This program is limited access and competitive. Students cannot register for courses in semesters 5-8 before they have been admitted to the biomedical engineering major.
Application for admission must be submitted by the deadline.
| Semester 6 |
Credits |
|---|
| BME 3053L Computer Applications for BME |
1 |
| BME 4409 Quantitative Physiology |
3 |
| BME 4503 Biomedical Instrumentation |
3 |
| BME 4503L Biomedical Instrumentation Laboratory |
1 |
| EGM 2511 Engineering Mechanics: Statics |
3 |
| BME Specialization Track *** |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
| Semester 7 |
Credits |
|---|
| BCH 4024 Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
4 |
| BME 3323L Cellular Engineering Laboratory |
3 |
| EML 3007 Elements of Thermodynamics / Heat Transfer ** |
3 |
| BME Specialization Track *** |
3 |
| Humanities or Social and Behavioral Science (GE-H or S) |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 8 |
Credits |
|---|
| BME 4531 Biomedical Imaging |
3 |
| BME 4882 Senior Design, Professionalism and Ethics 1 |
3 |
| EMA 3010 Materials |
3 |
| BME Elective |
3 |
| BME Specialization Track *** |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 9 |
Credits |
|---|
| BME 4311 Molecular Biomedical Engineering |
3 |
| BME 4883 Senior Design, Professionalism and Ethics 2 |
3 |
| BME Elective |
3 |
| BME Specialization Track *** |
3 |
| BME Specialization Track *** |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
* CHM 2210 and 2211 can be substituted for CHM 3217.
** EMA 4314 Energy and Kinetics can be substituted for EML 3007.
*** BME Tracks: 15 credits of 3000/4000-level courses selected from approved lists in biomechanics, biomaterials, medical physics and imaging, and neural engineering.
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