Biomedical Engineering

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OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 130

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0.

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: None.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in required BEN courses, not including technical electives.

Other Requirements: The Biomedical Engineering program requires that students have a PC-compatible laptop computer capable of running Microsoft Office®, Mathcad©, Labview©, and Solidworks©.

Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: BEN 478 and BEN 479

Contact Information: Peter van Walsum, Interim Chair, 115 Jenness Hall, 581-2277, peter.vanwalsum@maine.edu

The mission of the Biomedical Engineering program reflects the mission of Maine’s Land Grant University, specifically to provide teaching, research and public service in the discipline of Biomedical Engineering. The goal of the Bachelor of Science program is to prepare students for employment or graduate education in fields associated with clinical, therapeutic, and diagnostic applications of Biomedical Engineering. Students are given high quality undergraduate engineering instruction directed toward the instrumentation and techniques employed to analyze biological systems and processes, the challenges and methodologies associated with manipulating biological systems, and the current and future applications of Biomedical Engineering. The program educational objectives are that in the time frame of three to five years after graduation our students will:

hold positions that utilize their engineering training and have advanced in their job responsibilities, or be pursuing postgraduate education.
be working as engineering professionals, act ethically by adhering to standards and being committed to the health and safety of employees and the general population.
be pursuing innovative solutions to current societal challenges and continue to improve themselves through a variety of learning opportunities.
contribute to their employer and society by working effectively in the global economy, contribute to professional, civic, or governmental organizations, be leading or working collaboratively in teams, and be communicating with diverse groups.

Upon completion of the program, our students will have an ability to:

identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
communicate effectively with a range of audiences
recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situation and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

Program Description
The field of Biomedical Engineering is the intersection of core principles of biology, physics, chemistry, and engineering applied to design devices and techniques to improve human health. For example, Biomedical Engineers might be involved in the design of artificial organs, development of new methods to detect or treat cancer, the design of devices to measure biological agents, or the formulation of materials for the controlled release of drugs and other bioactive molecules to promote desirable physiological responses. Biomedical Engineers work at the forefront of research and industry and frequently address clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications of engineering. Students entering UMaine’s Biomedical Engineering B.S. program typically have a strong interest in science and problem solving. The curriculum provides thorough training in the fundamentals of engineering, mathematics and science, combined with additional elective coursework in engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Employing this knowledge base, students develop the skills to engineer solutions to real world problems. Additional information about the program is available on our website. https://umaine.edu/chb/

UMaine’s College of Engineering offers a five-year BS-MBA degree with the Maine Business School as well as a minor in Engineering Leadership and Management. The Department also offers a 4+1 Biomedical Engineering program, yielding a BS-MS degree.

The program in Bioengineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Biomedical Engineering majors interested in production of biofuels, biopharmaceuticals and biopolymers may take advantage of a Bioprocess Engineering Concentration. Additionally, UMaine’s College of Engineering offers a Biomedical Engineering Minor, a five-year BS-MBA degree with the Maine Business School, as well as a minor in Engineering Leadership and Management.

Degrees are awarded upon satisfactory completion of 130 credits with a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 in Biomedical Engineering courses.

The program in Bioengineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Summer Internships, Undergraduate Research Experiences, and the Cooperative Work Experience Program Option in Biomedical Engineering

UMaine faculty members help students obtain summer internships in leading research and diagnostics development laboratories throughout New England. Internships with these companies and research institutions typically take place in the junior and senior years of the program.

Students are encouraged to undertake undergraduate research experiences in the laboratories of the department faculty. UMaine Biomedical Engineering professors are all highly active and accomplished researchers. Research projects have included the development of nanoprobes for detection and imaging of cancer; creation of model cellular membranes for the study of membrane-protein interactions, molecular biosensors for detecting pathogens and toxins, and improving tissue-implant compatibility. Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research projects to gain hands-on experience in the field, either for course credit, or as paid employees.

Students with satisfactory academic standing at the end of their fourth semester may elect to participate in the “Co-Op” program. Biomedical Engineering CO-OPs range from three to six-months of paid and professionally supervised experience with companies throughout New England. The Co-Op sessions are typically scheduled from July-January, January - July of the junior year or June-August after the completion of the junior year coursework. The exact schedules of the Co-OP sessions are decided by the Co-OP partners. Many students are able to participate in the Co-Op experience and graduate in four years by scheduling coursework during a summer term.

Employment Opportunities
The B.S. degree is suitable for entry-level engineering careers and as preparation for graduate-level study in engineering or scientific disciplines. The degree also serves as an excellent foundation for admission to professional medical degree programs or other health-related graduate or advanced degree programs (e.g., law, veterinary). For students who wish to pursue advanced postgraduate studies in this area, UMaine also offers a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering (including a 4+1 option), in addition to a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering. http://gsbse.umaine.edu/

Scholarships

Many Biomedical Engineering undergraduates enjoy some degree of scholarship support. Students should inquire at the Office of Student Financial Aid to learn about opportunities. Additionally, the following scholarships are offered by the department on a competitive basis:

Eileen M. Byrnes Scholarship
S.T. Han Memorial Scholarship

Required Courses in Suggested Sequence for the B.S. in Biomedical Engineering

The recommended sequence of the four-year curriculum is outlined below. Under special circumstances course sequencing may be adapted to a student’s scheduling needs in consultation with their academic advisor.

NOTE: Incoming students who have credit for MAT 126/127, CHY 121/122/123/124 and PHY 121, will be given the option to waive BEN 111 and 112. It is recommended that Biomedical Engineering students continue to take BEN 112.

Third Year - Second Semester

BEN 363 - Biomedical Engineering Laboratory II Credits: 3 *
BEN 402 - Biomaterials and the Cellular Interface Credits: 3 *
BMB 322 - Biochemistry Credits: 3
BMB 323 - Biochemistry Laboratory Credits: 2
Approved Technical Elective² Credits: 3
Human Values and Social Context Elective¹ Credits: 3

Fourth Year - First Semester

BEN 477 - Elements of Biomedical Engineering Design Credits: 3 *
BEN 478 - Biomedical Engineering Design I Credits: 2 *
BEN 493 - Biomedical Engineering Seminar Credits: 0-1 *
Approved Technical Elective² Credits: 3
Approved Technical Elective²Credits: 3
Human Values and Social Context Elective¹ Credits: 3
Human Values and Social Context Elective¹ Credits: 3

Fourth Year - Second Semester

BEN 479 - Biomedical Engineering Design II Credits: 3 *
BEN 493 - Biomedical Engineering Seminar Credits: 0-1 *
Approved Technical Elective² Credits: 3
Human Values and Social Context Elective¹ Credits: 3
Human Values and Social Context Elective¹ Credits: 3
Total Credits Required for Graduation = 130

Special Requirements

A minimum of 45 credits in engineering topics is required for graduation. Courses that meet this criteria are indicated with an (*). For transfer students, judicious use of Technical Electives should be employed to meet the minimum number of engineering topic credits.

Ethics

The course sequence BEN 477, BEN 479 and BEN 493 satisfies the University of Maine General Education requirements for ethics. Transfer students who do not complete the sequence of courses should make sure that they satisfy the ethics requirement through their choice of Human Values and Social Context electives.

⁽¹⁾The Human Values & Social Context Electives (18 credits) must be selected to meet the University of Maine General Education requirements. These should be selected from a list of approved courses to satisfy each of the five sub-categories: western cultural tradition, social context and institutions, cultural diversity and international perspectives, population and the environment, and artistic and creative expression. Some courses cover more than one sub-category. It is recommended that students consider completing their elective requirements during extra sessions such as summer, winter or May terms. Doing so provides scheduling flexibility for the addition of minors or COOP activities.

⁽²⁾The Technical Electives (12 credits) should be upper level (300 level or higher) engineering, mathematics or science courses.

Pre-Approved Technical Electives

A total of 12 credits of approved technical electives are required for graduation. A total of 45 credits of engineering topics are also required for graduation. Courses with designators of BEN, BLE, CHE, CIE, ECE, GEE, MEE, or PPA meet the criteria of engineering topics. For transfer students judicious use of Technical Electives should be employed to meet the minimum number of engineering topic credits. In general, 400 level (and higher) courses offered by a science or engineering program but not shown below may, with the Curriculum Committee’s approval, be used to satisfy the technical elective requirement. Only approved technical elective courses offered in the College of Engineering may be used to satisfy BOTH the engineering (45) credit and technical elective (12) credit requirements. The following technical elective courses have been pre-approved.