Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering

The MEBE program is a five-year program leading to a bachelor's degree in a science or engineering discipline along with a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. The biological engineering track administered by BE emphasizes the fusion of engineering with modern molecular-to-genomic biology as in our SB and PhD degree programs. Admission to the MEBE program is open only to current MIT undergraduate students, and requires candidates to demonstrate adequate quantitative and engineering credentials through their undergraduate coursework.

Entrance Requirements

Students majoring in any of the departments of the Schools of Engineering or Science are eligible to apply to the M.Eng. degree program in Biomedical Engineering. In addition to the requirements of the major department, applicants must also complete the following by the end of their Senior year:

Organic Chemistry (5.12)
Differential Equations (18.03)
Biochemistry (5.07 or 7.05)
Two BME Minor Core Subjects
One Engineering or Systems Transport subject (e.g. 2.005, 3.185, 6.002, 10.301)

For more information on these courses, please go to: http://student.mit.edu/catalog/

Application Procedures

Applications are accepted from students in all departments of the School of Engineering or the School of Science. Obtain an application from the Admmissions Office (Rm. 3-104), from the BE Academic Office (Rm. 56-651) or download an application from the admissions page of the MIT web site at http://web.mit.edu/admissions.

Students should apply by the end of their Junior year (May 31st), submitting the application, statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation and an official MIT transcript to the BE Academic Office. (Note: the GRE score is not required.) Applications will be reviewed during the summer and final decsion will be announced by the end of that summer (August 31st). Admission into the program is highly competitive.

Program Requirements

In addition to Thesis credits, at least 66 units of coursework are required; at least 42 of these subject units must be from H-level graduate subjects. The remaining units may be satisfied with G-level subjects, or in some cases, with advanced undergraduate subjects. Of the 66 units, a minimum distribution in each of three categories is specified below.

Bioengineering Core (at least 24 units) selected from:

20.410 Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Biomechanics
20.420 Biomolecular Kinetics and Cellular Dynamics
20.430 Fields, Forces & Flows in Biological Systems

Biomedical Engineering Electives (at least 24 units)

A selection of G or H level subjects from the following list:

2.183 Biomechanics & Neural Control of Movement
2.763J Hyperthermia: Biology, Technology, and Cancer Therapy
2.782 Design of Medical Devices and Implants
2.785J Cell-Matrix Mechanics
2.79J Biomaterials - Tissue Interactions
6.541J Speech Communication
6.542J Laboratory on the Physiology, Acoustics, & Perception of Speech
6.551J Acoustics of Speech and Hearing
6.552J Signal Processing by the Auditory System Perception
6.555J Biomedical Signal & Image Processing
6.566J Biosensors, Signal Processing, and Biomedical Applications
6.872J Medical Computing
8.515J Biological Physics
8.591J Systems Biology
8.592 Statistical Physics in Biology
8.593J Biological Physics
10.449 Cell and Tissue Engineering
10.544 Metabolic and Cell Engineering
16.423 Aerospace Physiology & Life Support Systems
22.55J  Radiation Biophysics
22.56J  Noninvasive Imaging in Biology and Medicine
Techniques
BE.442 Molecular structure of Bio-Materials
BE.462 Molecular Principles of Biomaterials
HST.525J Transport Phennomena and Tumor Pathophysiology
HST.545 Introduction to Systems Anallysis with Physiological Applications
HST.548  Neural Signal Processing
HST.573  Complex Biological Control Systems
HST.582J Biomedical Signal and Image Processing
HST.750 Modeling Issues in Hearing and Speech

Bioscience Elective (at least 12 units)

One biological science subject in addition to organic chemistry and biochemistry. This must be a laboratory subject if one was not taken as part of the student's undergraduate curriculum.

Thesis

The student is required to complete a thesis that must be approved by the Program Director. The thesis is an original work of research, design, or development. If the supervisor is not a member of Biological Engineering, a reader who belongs to the BE faculty must also approve and sign the thesis. The student submits a thesis proposal by the end of the fourth year, and conducts the work and completes the thesis by the end of Spring Term of the fifth year.

Financial Support

It is anticipated that a student will complete the Program in approximately one summer term and two academic terms; one full calendar year beyond what would normally be required for the SB degree. The additional 12 months of tuition required by the Program is paid by the student. Although there is no promise of support, students are permitted to seek funding through a traditional Research Assistantship or Teaching Assistantship. Note, however, that full-time RAs or TAs may enroll for a maximum of two subjects; half-time RAs or TAs may register for no more than three subjects. Students who hold RA or TA appointments are expected to complete the MEBE program within three or four regular terms. To ensure compliance with these guidelines, no additional RA or TA support will be allowed beyond four regular terms. The BE Academic Office will handle all requests for RA and TA support for MEBE students.

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