MSE in Bioengineering
The master’s degree in bioengineering is a 30-credit-hour program designed to prepare students in an area of rapid growth and profound impact on society. The curriculum consists of courses specifically designed to provide a comprehensive background in the bioengineering field. Our bioengineering laboratories offer access to the latest equipment and provide hands-on opportunities to work with faculty on research in the broad and collaborative areas in bioengineering. Students in our bioengineering programs have found employment, internships, or continued education in major corporations and educational institutions.
The program may be completed through a combination of on-campus and online courses. (Currently, only non-BENG courses are available with online sections.)
The bioengineering laboratory is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in tissue engineering, biomechanics, and developing and characterizing biomaterials. The laboratory houses standard equipment and facilities required for biomaterial development, biomechanical testing, and tissue engineering. Equipment available for biomechanical testing includes eight axial test machines, a high rate tensile/compressive impact tester, a high-speed imaging system, environmental chambers, and assorted fixtures.
The BENG program faculty are engaged in research in orthopaedic biomechanics, human movement, ocular biomechanics, impact safety, biomaterials, tissue engineering, hypoxia, protein engineering, cellular engineering, biomineralization, biomimetics, biopreservation, bioprocessing, drug delivery, nanotheranostics, pharmaceutical formulation, microspectroscopy, thermogravimetrics, biophotonics, microoptics, biosensors, MEMS, and microfluidics.
Research assistantships may be available to exceptionally qualified students who are not otherwise employed. Tuition scholarships are available to qualified full-time graduate students. Find out more about bioengineering faculty and their research areas.
Program Details
MSE-BENG Program Goals
To provide students with a strong background in the physical, chemical, and mathematical foundations of biology in relation to bioengineering.
MSE-BENG Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to apply physical, chemical, and mathematical principles in bioengineering.
- Students will be able to formulate, analyze, and solve complex health-related problems using bioengineering tools.
- Students will be able to utilize the rapidly advancing science and technologies of bioengineering in their professional endeavors.
Undergraduate Degree Required
An applicant to the program should hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) or equivalent degree in engineering from an accredited program with a minimum cumulative grade point of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). An applicant with a lower GPA, or an applicant with a non-engineering Bachelor degree in a science or mathematics program, may be considered for admission consistent with the guidelines.
Students from non-bioengineering fields are often admitted to the program but may be required to take preparatory courses before or after starting the program. It is suggested that such students have their background reviewed prior to submitting an application. Please contact the BENG graduate program coordinator for more information at umd-megrad@umich.edu.
Standardized Test Scores
GRE not required
Please note: At least 2 letters of recommendation are required as part of the application. These should come from people who know you as an engineer, either academically (professor or research advisor) or professionally (supervisor or manager). Letters of reference from peer employees or personal sources are invalid and will not be considered.
The candidate must complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate course work approved by the BENG graduate committee with a grade of at least a B covering all courses elected. These 30 hours must include two required courses (ME 518 and BENG 520), six BENG elective courses, and two cognate courses (see list below).
Students must earn a C or better in every graduate course to be credited toward the degree requirements. In addition, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The accelerated undergraduate/master’s studies option in bioengineering (4+1 option) allows the most qualified UM-Dearborn undergraduate bioengineering students to pursue a program of study in which BSE and MSE degrees are earned in a five-year accelerated format.
The dual accelerated undergraduate/master’s studies option allows the most qualified UM-Dearborn undergraduate bioengineering/mechanical engineering (BSE-BEME) students to pursue a program of study in which BSE and MSE degrees are earned in an accelerated format.
Curriculum
To maintain good academic standing, students must earn a grade of C or above in each graduate course taken for credit and applied toward the MSE-BENG degree. Additionally, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (B) in order to graduate.
The degree requirements for this program consist of a minimum of 30 graduate-level semester credit hours (beyond an undergraduate degree from an accredited engineering program) and includes
- 6 credit hours of core courses,
- 18 credit hours of bioengineering elective courses, and
- 6 credit hours of cognate elective courses.
Bioengineering courses are 3 credit hours and most are offered in the evening from 6:00 to 8:45 p.m.
The program may be completed through a combination of on-campus and online courses. (Currently, only non-BENG courses are available with online sections.)
2 courses (6 credit hours):
- ME 518: Advanced Engineering Analysis
- BENG 520: Molecular and Cell Biology for Engineers
6 courses (18 credit hours); select any 6 courses from the following list:
- BENG 521: Biomaterials and Biochemical Interfaces
- BENG 526: Fundamentals of Drug Delivery
- BENG 550: Biomedical Optics and Photonics
- BENG 551: Microfluidics
- BENG 560: Nanobiosystems Engineering
- BENG 570: Orthopedic Biomechanics
- BENG 571: Impact Biomechanics
- BENG 575: Regenerative Engineering
- BENG/ME 595: Digital Manufacturing and Product Innovation
- BENG 600: Study or Research in Bioengineering (1-3 credits; requires special permission)
- BENG 699: Master’s Thesis (6 credits)*
- BIOL 552: Medical & Environmental Toxicology
- BIOL 561: Advances in Cell Biology
- IMSE 511: Design and Analysis of Experiments
- ME 568: Computational Materials Design
*The student has the option of electing a thesis in lieu of 6 credit hours of coursework in the bioengineering electives area.
2 courses (6 credit hours); select any 2 courses from the following list:
- CIS 515: Computer Graphics
- CIS 551: Advanced Computer Graphics
- ECE 502: Electromagnetic Theory and Simulation
- ECE 545: Introduction to Robotic Systems
- ECE 552: Fuzzy Systems
- ECE 554: Embedded Systems
- ECE 560: Modern Control Theory
- ECE 580: Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 5831: Pattern Recognition and Neural Networks
- ECE 585: Pattern Recognition
- IMSE 501: Human Factors and Ergonomics
- IMSE 510: Probability and Statistical Modeling
- IMSE 514: Multivariate Statistics
- IMSE 543: Industrial Ergonomics
- IMSE 544: Industrial Biomechanics
- IMSE 545: Vehicle Ergonomics I
- IMSE 546: Safety Engineering
- IMSE 561: Total Quality Management and Six Sigma
- IMSE 567: Reliability Analysis
- MATH 504: Dynamical Systems
- MATH 514: Finite Difference Methods for Partial Differential Equations
- MATH 516: Finite Element Methods for Differential Equations
- MATH 520: Stochastic Processes
- MATH 523: Linear Algebra with Applications
- MATH 554: Fourier and Boundary
- MATH 555: Functions of a Complex Variable with Applications
- MATH 562: Mathematical Modeling
- MATH 572: Intro to Numerical Analysis
- MATH 573: Matrix Computation
- ME 510: Finite Element Methods
- ME 522: Advanced Fluid Mechanics
- ME 525: Computational Thermo-Fluids
- ME 540: Mechanical Vibrations
- ME 542: Advanced Dynamics
- ME 589: Composite Materials
- ME 591: Degradation of Materials
- STAT 530: Applied Regression Analysis
- STAT 535: Data Analysis and Modeling
- STAT 545: Reliability & Survival Analysis
- STAT 550: Multivariate Statistical Analysis
- STAT 560: Time Series Analysis
Program Contacts
Alan Argento
