Programs - Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is a branch of engineering in which knowledge and skills are developed and applied to define and solve problems in biology and medicine. Biomedical engineering is attractive to some students because they want to help others. Some are drawn to it for the excitement of working with living systems and applying technical solutions to the complex problems. The biomedical engineer is a health care professional, a group which includes physicians, nurses, and technicians. Biomedical engineers may be called upon to design medical devices like pacemakers, coronary stents, or prosthetics hips & knees. The biomedical engineer may also bring together knowledge from many sources to develop new manufacturing or medical procedures. Some biomedical engineers will carry out research to acquire new knowledge. According to the Whitaker Foundation website, (www.whitaker.org), and based on a forecast by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov), biomedical engineering jobs will climb almost twice as fast as the overall average for a 26.1 percent gain by 2012. Overall job growth is projected to be 14.8 percent. This is an exciting time for biomedical engineering at Rose-Hulman. The biomedical engineering program will produce engineers with the medical and biological knowledge needed to solve many of the health care problems that face our society. The program will prepare graduates for careers in the biotechnology and health-related industries, as well as in government and industrial research laboratories. Those wishing to continue their studies in graduate school or health professions programs will be exceptionally well qualified to do so.

Biomedical Engineering Program Educational Objectives

Objectives are defined as "expected accomplishments of graduates during
the first several years following graduation from the program."

• Graduates will apply the theories and concepts of biology, mathematics,
  physical science and engineering science essential to being a successful
  biomedical engineer.   
• Graduates will apply practical and technical skills required for biomedical
  engineering practice.
• Graduates will work and communicate effectively with all of the people around
  them.
• Graduates will exercise their professional responsibilities towards society.
• Graduates will apply design principles to open-ended problems subject to technical, practical and societal constraints.

Biomedical Engineering Program Educational Outcomes

By the time students graduate with a Biomedical Engineering Degree from Rose-Hulman, they will:

• have a strong background in and be able to apply knowledge of biology, mathematics, and the physical and engineering sciences.
   
• be able to describe challenges associated with the interactions of living tissues with engineered systems and propose safe and effective strategies
  for meeting these challenges.
   
• have an advanced and current body of knowledge within biomaterials, biomechanics, or biomedical instrumentation. 
   
• be able to work safely, independently, and confidently in a laboratory environment.
   
• be able to design and conduct experiments, making measurements from both living and non-living systems.
   
• be able to analyze and present results of experiments, using  graphical techniques and statistical analyses.
   
• be able to assimilate knowledge from diverse areas to solve problems of importance to the biomedical and engineering sciences.
   
• be able to communicate effectively with colleagues and with non-technical audiences, in oral, graphical and written formats.
   
• be able to function in multidisciplinary teams in different roles.
   
• be aware of how the rapid developments of biomedical engineering necessitate continual updating of skills.
   
• have the skills required for self-learning.
   
• be able to evaluate the ethical dimensions of issues relevant to biomedical engineering.
   
• be aware of the impacts, both positive and negative, that advancements in biomedical engineering have on local and global society.
   
• be able to assess client needs, identify relevant constraints (e.g. regulatory, manufacturing, economic, environmental, societal, etc.), and formulate the design problem.
   
• be able to generate multiple, creative solutions for a problem and develop criteria by which to rank the merit of feasible solutions.
   
• be able to critically review the performance of a solution in achieving the identified needs and suggest relevant improvements or necessary revisions.
   

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING PLAN OF STUDY

Biomedical Engineering Areas of Concentration

To receive the B.S. Degree Program in Biomedical Engineering, each student must satisfy the requirements of one of three Biomedical Engineering Areas of Concentration:  Biomaterials, Biomechanics or Biomedical Instrumentation.  The course options for each of these Areas are given below.  A total of 16 credits (including required courses) from one of the lists must be taken.

It is not permissible to "mix and match" courses from different area lists without written permission from the ABBE department head.  Biomedical courses that are offered as special topics courses (e.g. BE491 or BE597) may only be used with the written permission of the department head. Students should work out their schedule in advance to ensure that all graduation requirements are met.

Biomedical Engineering Area Minor
The biomedical engineering area minor is intended to provide a strong biomedical engineering background to undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in the biomedical industry and the health care related fields.

In order to complete the requirements in the biomedical engineering area minor, a student must complete AB110 "Cell Structure and Function" and 16 credits from list shown below. At least three of the courses must have a BE prefix.

*Students getting credit for BE351 cannot get credit for BE352 or BE353.

In addition to courses on the above list, students are required to have completed at least 12 credits of basic engineering courses. These courses may be chosen from the list below:

Successful completion of an area minor is indicated on the student's transcript. A student interested in pursuing an area minor in biomedical engineering should consult with the Head of the Department of Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering.