Biomedical Engineering Sample Degree Plan
First year BME students take 12 credit hours in the fall and spring, and six credit hours in the summer. In subsequent years they are enrolled in nine credit hours in fall and spring, and six credit hours in the summer. Typically, didactic course work is completed in the first two years, and in subsequent years students are enrolled for research, seminars or journal clubs totaling full-time enrollment equivalency.
Advancement of the student to Ph.D. candidacy is dependent upon passing the qualifying examination (Exam I), which generally takes place in the second year.
Additional Advanced Elective courses can be taken with permission from the student’s research supervisor.
- First Year
TERM TITLE CREDIT HOUR TOTAL CREDIT HOURS/TERM Fall Responsible Conduct of Research I 1 Fall Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers 3 Fall BME Core Course or Advanced Elective 3 Fall Laboratory Rotations 5 Semester total: 12 Spring Responsible Conduct of Research II 1 Spring BME Core Course 3 Spring BME Core Course or Advanced Elective 3 Spring Laboratory Rotations 5 Semester total: 12 Summer Research 6 Semester total: 6 - Second Year
TERM TITLE CREDIT HOUR TOTAL CREDIT HOURS/TERM Fall Works in Progress in Biomedical Engineering 1 Fall BME Exam 1 Preparation Course 1 Fall Advanced Elective 3 Fall Advanced Elective 3 Fall Research 1 Semester total: 9 Spring Works in Progress in in Biomedical Engineering 1 Spring BME Exam I (Qualifying Exam) 1 Spring Advanced Elective 3 Spring Research 4 Semester total: 9 Summer Dissertation Research 6 Semester total: 6 - Third Year
TERM TITLE CREDIT HOUR TOTAL CREDIT HOURS/TERM Fall Works in Progress in Biomedical Engineering 1 Fall Dissertation Research 8 Semester total: 9 Spring Works in Progress in Biomedical Engineering 1 Spring BME Dissertation Proposal 1 Spring Dissertation Research 7 Semester total: 9 Summer Dissertation Research 6 Semester total: 6 - Fourth Year and Beyond
TERM TITLE CREDIT HOUR TOTAL CREDIT HOURS/TERM Fall Works in Progress in Biomedical Engineering 1 Fall Dissertation Research 8 Semester total: 9 Spring Works in Progress in Biomedical Engineering 1 Spring Dissertation Research 8 Semester total: 9 Summer RCR Refresher (4th year) .5 Summer Dissertation Research 5.5 Semester total: 6
Minimum Credit Hours for Ph.D. = 102
BME Core Course Requirements (beginning in Fall of 2024)
- All students are required to take the Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers course (3 credit hours)
- Students are also required to take at least two of the following three core courses, depending on their academic background and research interests.
- Engineering Mathematics (3 credit hours) or Mathematical Foundations of Quantitative Biology I & II (4 credit hours total)
- Advanced Engineering Design Principles (3 credit hours)
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (3 credit hours)
| BME Core Course (Required) | Credit Hour | Campus | Course # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers – Fall | 3 | UTSW | BME 5096* |
| *temporary course number |
| BME Core Course (choose 2) | Credit Hour | Campus | Course # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 3 | UTSW | BME 5096* |
| Mathematical Foundations of Quantitative Biology I & II – Fall/Spring |
4 | UTSW | BME 5205 and 5206 |
| Advanced Engineering Design Principles – Spring | 3 | UTSW | BME 5096* |
| Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning – Spring | 3 | UTSW | BME 5096* |
| *temporary course number |
Advanced Electives
In addition to the BME Core Courses, students are required to take advanced engineering and life science elective courses to reach the minimum of 21 hours of didactic coursework. These courses are generally selected based on their research interests and mentor recommendations. A partial list of available courses is provided below.
- Biomaterials, Mechanics, and Tissue Engineering
Related Advanced Elective Courses (Partial List) Credit Hour Campus Course # Core Curriculum – Proteins 2 UTSW BSCI 5285 Core Curriculum – Genes 2 UTSW BSCI 5284 Core Curriculum – Cells 2 UTSW BSCI 5287 Optical Microscopy 1.5 UTSW CMB 5106 Multiscale Microscopy for Biomedical Research 3 UTSW CMB 5306 Developmental Principles in Regenerative Science and Medicine 3 UTSW GDD 5301 Cell Physiology for Bioengineers 3 UTA BE 5301 Tissue Biomechanics and Bioengineering 3 UTA BE 5312 Biomedical Implants 3 UTA BE 5314 Biopolymers and Biocompatibility 3 UTA BE 5331 Transport Phenomena in Biomedical Engineering 3 UTA BE 5337 Biomaterials and Blood Compatibility 3 UTA BE 5361 Tissue Engineering 3 UTA BE 5364 Biomaterials and Medical Devices 3 UTD BMEN 6342 Self-Assembly of Biomaterials 3 UTD BMEN 6345 Nanotechnology and Sensors 3 UTD BMEN 6355 Engineering Systems: Modeling and Simulation 3 UTD BMEN 6372 Medical Imaging Techniques and Image Processing 3 UTD BMEN 6394 - Biomedical and Molecular Imaging
Related Advanced Elective Courses (Partial List) Credit Hour Campus Course # Current Topics in Neuroimaging 3 UTSW BME 5319 Fundamentals of Imaging in Medicine 3 UTSW BME 5303 Principles of MRI 3 UTSW BME 5374 Metabolic Imaging of Disease 3 UTSW BME 5375 Multiscale Microscopy for Biomedical Research 3 UTSW CMB 5306 Advanced NMR Spectroscopy 1.5 UTSW MB 5154 Fundamentals of Biomolecular Imaging 3 UTA BE 5315 Tissue Ultrasound – Optical Imaging 3 UTA BE 5326 Polymers and Biocompatibility 3 UTA BE 5331 Medical Imaging 3 UTA BE 5346 Digital Processing of Biological Signals 3 UTA BE 5352 Nanotechnology and Sensors 3 UTD BMEN 6355 Image-Guided Drug Delivery 3 UTD BMEN 6366 Engineering Systems: Modeling & Simulation 3 UTD BMEN 6372 Introduction to Protein Engineering 3 UTD BMEN 6377 Digital Image Processing 3 UTD EESC 6363 - Translational Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery
Related Advanced Elective Courses (Partial List) Credit Hour Campus Course # Core Curriculum – Proteins 2 UTSW BSCI 5285 Core Curriculum – Genes 2 UTSW BSCI 5284 Core Curriculum – Cells 2 UTSW BSCI 5287 Translational Nanomedicine I 2 UTSW BME 5203 Drug Delivery Systems 3 UTSW BME 5318 Mechanisms of Drug Action 3 UTSW CMB 5301 Molecular Probe Development 3 UTSW BME 5373 Metabolic Imaging of Disease 3 UTSW BME 5375 Multiscale Microscopy for Biomedical Research 3 UTSW CMB 5306 Cancer Biology I 1.5 UTSW CAN 5152 Cancer Biology II 1.5 UTSW CAN 5162 Nanotechnology and Sensors 3 UTD BMEN 6355 Image-Guided Drug Delivery 3 UTD BMEN 6366 Drug Delivery 3 UTA BE 5372 - Computational Biology
Related Advanced Elective Courses (Partial List) Credit Hour Campus Course # Software Engineering for Research Computing I 3 UTSW BME 5096* Software Engineering for Research Computing II 3 UTSW BME 5096* Quantitative Biology 1.5 UTSW BME 5131 *temporary course number - Medical Physics
Related Advanced Elective Courses (Partial List) Credit Hour Campus Course # Fundamentals of Imaging in Medicine 3 UTSW BME 5303 Radiation Protection and Safety 3 UTSW BME 5305 Radiation Therapy Physics 3 UTSW BME 5310 Radiological Physics and Dosimetry 3 UTSW BME 5314 Radiobiology 3 UTSW BME 5315