The University
Senate of Michigan Technological University
PROPOSAL
14-00
BS
DEGREE PROGRAM IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
A. Executive
Summary
This document presents a plan for
the offering of a new baccalaureate degree, "Bachelor of Science in Biomedical
Engineering" by Michigan Technological University. The degree program will be administered by
the Center for Biomedical Engineering, an academic unit within the College of
Engineering. The program of study will
replace the focus in biomedical engineering within the current Bachelor of
Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) degree program.
That program is scheduled for ABET accreditation review in AY '01-'02,
at which time the University will request the Biomedical Engineering curriculum
be accredited separately under the cognizant ABET criteria.
B. Biomedical
Engineering at Michigan Tech
According to the U.S. Department of
Labor, biomedical engineers Aapply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical
principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological and health
systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation,
medical information systems, and heath management and care delivery systems.@
History of Biomedical Engineering
at Michigan Tech
Prior to 1992, there were very few
biomedical engineering students at Michigan Tech. The rate of B.S.E. degree
awards in bioengineering and/or biomedical engineering was less than one per
year. A significantly greater number of students would enroll in Atraditional@ engineering curricula,
supplemented with course work in biological sciences. This nucleus enabled us
to maintain an active student Biomedical Engineering Society chapter, and to
develop a limited number of senior-level courses to meet the needs of those students
(e.g., ME 480 - Biomechanics and Human Factors in Design, Ch.E. 495 -
Engineering Analysis of the Cell).
In the mid-90's there were large
increases in the number of first-year students coming to Michigan Tech specifically
to pursue the B.S.E. degree in biomedical engineering. In fall 1994,
approximately twenty first-year students enrolled in the B.S.E. program -- an
order of magnitude increase over the historic levels. A similar number of
first-year students (twenty) entered the program in fall 1995. Clearly, a
formal program structure was needed to meet the educational needs of these
students and allow them to achieve their professional goals.
In 1997, Michigan Tech received a
three-year Special Opportunity Award in the amount of $942,605 from The Whitaker
Foundation of Rosslyn, VA. The grant was
to enable the start-up of a formal baccalaureate program in biomedical
engineering at Michigan Tech. The grant
has enabled the hiring of faculty in essential technical areas, and led to the establishment of the MTU
Center for Biomedical Engineering with the approval of the Center's charter in
1998.
Growth in undergraduate enrollment
and interest has continued. Figure 1
shows the six-year trend (1995-2000) of undergraduate enrollment in the
Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) program. The BSE students in biomedical engineering
are designated "EBS1" majors by the registrar. Prior to 1998, however, all BSE students had
the same major designation ("EBS"); biomedical engineering students
were not separable from manufacturing engineering, mechanical design
engineering, or other BSE focus areas.
For this reason, the pre-1998 enrollment data include all BSE degree
students. The bulk of those students
(>90%) were in biomedical engineering.
Virtually all the growth in BSE enrollment is attributable to the
increased population of biomedical engineering (EBS1) students.
As of January 3, 2000, ninety-two
students have been admitted to the EBS1 program (biomedical engineering) for
the class of 2004 (entering September '00).
This is double the year-ago admission rate, which yielded forty entering
students. Approximately one-quarter of the students admitted to the program
in the class of '04 are valedictorians; 60% are in the 90th percentile or
higher.
Figure 1: Bachelor of Science in
Engineering (BSE) enrollment trends. "New" indicates the number of
entering first-year students each year, while "Total" represents the
number of students in the program each year.
The biomedical engineering program
has by far the largest proportion of women students among engineering programs
at Michigan Tech. It is one of very few
engineering programs anywhere in which women constitute a majority
(approximately 60% of EBS1 students are women). This program is attracting increasing
numbers of talented women into engineering, where they have historically been
severely under-represented.
C. Opportunities
for Biomedical Engineering Graduates
With the rapid growth of the
biomedical engineering program, placement of graduates has emerged as a major
concern. We recently surveyed students
in the BE101 AIntroduction to Biomedical
Engineering@ course regarding their
post-graduation plans. As most of those
students are in their first or second years of college, their plans are prone
to change.
Of the 58 respondents, 24 (41%)
indicated they planned to find full-time employment upon graduation. The remaining students are planning full-time
post-graduate education, either in a
graduate program in biomedical engineering (21/58, or 36%) or professional
school (medical school, dental school -- 13/58, or 22%).
Extensive efforts are directed at
identifying career opportunities for those students planning to enter the labor
market immediately upon graduation. There are few surveys which specifically
address the job market for biomedical engineers. Some recent salary surveys
indicate there is substantial demand for graduates, however.
The 1998 salary survey by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers shows a mean starting salary of
$37,845 for graduates with B.S. degrees in biomedical engineering or
bioengineering, a 2.4% increase from 1997.
Within engineering disciplines, the range of mean starting salaries in
1998 was $35,335 (civil engineering) to $45,104 (chemical engineering).
The 1999 salary survey by Medical
Device & Diagnostic Industry, a trade journal, determined the mean annual
salary is $72,500 for product design engineers, and $70,200 for production and manufacturing
engineers in the medical products industry. (Note these are categorized by job
function and not by degree, and include all levels of experience.)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(Department of Labor) has recently added standard occupational classification
for "biomedical engineering" to be included in forthcoming labor
market reports and forecasts. This reflects the maturation of biomedical
engineering as a distinct discipline, and recognizes its increasing presence in
the labor market.
Biomedical Engineering encompasses
not only clinical fields, but also industrial applications. For instance, this
definition would include engineering industrial power tools to reduce worker
fatigue and trauma. While our graduates are in increasing demand in the medical
products field, we also see tremendous opportunities for our graduates to have
impact in non-medical manufacturing areas (e.g., industrial ergonomics,
engineering for safety). This point is particularly significant given the
enormous manufacturing base of Michigan and surrounding states.
D. Cooperative
Education and Internship Opportunities
Biomedical Engineering students are
strongly encouraged to take advantage of opportunities for cooperative
education or industrial internships, as those experiences can be extremely
valuable starting points for full-time employment after graduation. A number of
EBS1 students have taken advantage of co-op or internship opportunities with
various employers, including Scimed/Boston Scientific (Maple Grove, MN),
Stryker Instruments and Stryker Medical (Kalamazoo, MI), and Mayo Clinic and Foundation (Rochester,
MN). There are current placement opportunities for our students at
Kimberly-Clark (which recently acquired Baxter Health Care), Ford Motor Company
(industrial ergonomics) and numerous firms in the Minneapolis / St. Paul
metropolitan area. The phenomenal growth
of the medical and surgical device industry in Minnesota has created the
so-called "Medical Alley"and presents great career opportunities for
our students. Virtually all of the
world's pacemakers are manufactured in the Twin Cities (Medtronic, Guidant, or
St. Jude Medical). Continuing efforts
will be directed at identifying additional opportunities for co-op or
internship experiences for biomedical engineering students.
E. Off-Campus Resources
At the baccalaureate level, a
quality biomedical engineering program does not demand
affiliation with a medical school or teaching hospital. Still, students in the MTU biomedical
engineering program have opportunities to gain professional experience through
summer internships at medical schools, clinics, and governmental labs, as well
as at industrial sites. There are
ongoing faculty research collaborations with colleagues at Mayo Clinic
(Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory), NASA / Johnson Space Center, Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Duke
University Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Medical College of
Virginia. All offer potential sites for
students to gain research or clinical experience relevant to their professional
goals. Additional opportunities are
offered through the National Institutes of Health summer internships, as well
as those offered at numerous other medical schools and research laboratories.
Students also will gain practical
experience with "real-world" problems through the Senior Design
Practicum. Each senior in biomedical
engineering will be part of a team assigned a year-long project, sponsored by
an industrial or corporate partner. The partner defines and sponsors the project and provides technical
consultation and evaluative feedback. This program is being offered in AY
'99-'00, with fourteen seniors participating.
F. ABET
Accreditation Status
Michigan Tech's Bachelor of Science
in Engineering (B.S.E.) comprises four distinct focus areas: Biomedical
Engineering (EBS1), Mechanical Design Engineering -GM Distance Education
(EBS2), Manufacturing Engineering (EBS3), and Manufacturing Engineering - GM
Distance Education (EBS6). Two other focus areas were eliminated in 1999:
Geo-environmental Engineering (EBS4), and Environmental Remediation and
Reclamation (EBS5).
The B.S.E. program was reviewed in
September 1998 by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET). The result of that review was
the reaccreditation of the B.S.E. to September 30, 2002. A request must be submitted to ABET by
January 31, 2001 to initiate a
reaccreditation evaluation during Fall, 2001.
At the time of the 1998 ABET visit,
the Center for Biomedical Engineering was assuming responsibility for the
biomedical engineering curriculum, which had historically been administered by
the Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanics Department. Concerns expressed by the ABET visitors
reflected the fact that the program objectives and assessment processes had not
yet been defined by the Center for Biomedical Engineering.
With the approval of the Bachelor
of Science in Biomedical Engineering (B.S.B.E.) program, the biomedical
engineering focus (EBS1) will be eliminated effective with the 2000-1 academic
year. Students in the EBS1 curriculum will convert to the new degree, which
will have the identical curriculum. No new students will be accepted into EBS1.
The B.S.B.E. will be in conformance
with the ABET Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Similarly Named
Engineering Programs.
G. Administration
The B.S.B.E. program will be
administered by the Center for Biomedical Engineering (CBE), which currently
administers the EBS1 focus area. The
chief administrative officer of the CBE is the Director, D.A. Nelson, who
reports to the Dean of Engineering. The
Director of the CBE is responsible for the curriculum, including course
offerings and scheduling, degree certification, and compliance with ABET
criteria. The Director represents the
interests of biomedical engineering within the college and the university.
H. Program
Educational Objectives
Objective 1
Graduates should possess sufficient
breadth and depth of knowledge, and the ability to acquire skills necessary to
solve complex problems in medicine, physiology and the life sciences. This
requires the ability to integrate knowledge in the physical and life sciences
with a knowledge of engineering tools to creatively solve problems involving
living systems.
Objective 2
Graduates should be able to evaluate
and analyze problems and solutions from multiple perspectives: technical
feasibility, economic viability, conformance with regulatory practices,
ethical, social and aesthetic sensibility.
Objective 3
Graduates should be able to
communicate effectively, orally and in writing,
and express their ideas and conclusions clearly and persuasively.
I. Program
Outcomes
Educational outcomes are those
attributes to be demonstrated by graduates of the Biomedical Engineering
program. Outcomes (or goals) are measurable
or verifiable traits or bodies of knowledge which are consistent with, and
indicate achievement of, the program objectives described above. The outcomes for the B.S.B.E. program include
those broad outcomes expected of all engineering programs, as defined by ABET
(a - k, below), plus the program-specific outcomes delineated for programs in
biomedical engineering and bioengineering (l - n) and those specific to the
biomedical engineering program at Michigan Tech (o - q).
Outcomes required of all ABET-accredited
engineering programs.
Graduates should have the following
attributes:
a.
They should have a sound, fundamental knowledge of
science, mathematics, and engineering.
This includes knowledge of differential and integral calculus,
differential equations, statistics, basic biology, chemistry, and physics. Students should also understand the
principles of engineering mechanics, thermodynamics, basic circuit theory
(including digital systems), and materials science.
b.
They should be able to design and conduct experiments,
including experiments involving living systems. This includes possessing the
ability to analyze and interpret data, using appropriate statistical tools.
c.
Graduates should be able to design a system, component,
or process. They should be able to
evaluate their design from the standpoint of technical feasibility,
manufacturability, safety and reliability, and cost of production.
d.
They should be able to function on multidisciplinary
teams. This requires the ability to work
effectively with professionals from other fields of technical expertise and
from different backgrounds, to accomplish a common goal.
e. Graduates should be able to identify,
formulate, and solve engineering problems
f. They should demonstrate an
appreciation and understanding of standards of professional and ethical
responsibility.
g.
Graduates should communicate effectively, both orally
and in writing. They should be able to
utilize a variety of formats and media, and be capable of targeting their
writing and presentations to the intended audience.
h.
They should have a broad education and an understanding
of the global and societal impact of the
engineering profession.
i. Graduates should recognize the need
for lifelong learning.
j. They should be aware of and understand
contemporary issues.
k.
Graduates should understand the techniques, skills, and
tools used in modern engineering practice.
Outcomes
for ABET-accredited programs in bioengineering and similarly named programs.
l.
Graduates should have a knowledge of human anatomy and
physiology.
m.
They should be able to apply tools of advanced
mathematics (including differential equations and mathematics), scientific
investigation, and engineering analysis to solve complex problems at the
interface of engineering and biology.
n.
They should be able to make and interpret measurements
on living systems, and understand the measurement problems associated with the
interaction between living and nonliving materials and systems.
Outcomes
specific to Michigan Tech's biomedical engineering program.
o.
Graduates should know how to evaluate proposed
solutions and designs from an economic standpoint. They should understand
opportunity cost, cost of production, and marketability of a product or system.
p.
They should have knowledge of U.S. and international
regulatory issues in health care technology.
q. Graduates should have knowledge of
issues in entrepreneurship and intellectual property.
J. Program Evaluation
Three
primary tools will be used to evaluate the quality of the educational program:
1.
Engineering Fundamentals (FE) exam results. Seniors will be encouraged to take the FE
exam, as it is an important and necessary step toward obtaining the
Professional Engineer license. Tracking the number and percentage of our
seniors who pass the exam will yield an objective indicator of the rigor of the
curriculum, and provide one benchmark we can use to compare ourselves with
other programs.
2.
Exit interviews of graduating students. Every spring semester, each senior will be
interviewed by the Director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering, or by
another designated member of the biomedical engineering faculty.
3.
Surveys of alumni and employers. Periodically, we will
survey alumni and employers of our graduates to assess the long-term value of
the curriculum. While the survey results will be more subjective and anecdotal
than some other measures, it will be perhaps the most valuable tool in telling
us where we can improve the program.
K. Resources Required
The
establishment of the new program imposes no additional demand on university
resources, over what is needed for the EBS1 focus area. The curriculum will not
change, and there will be no increased resource needs attributable to the
change in degree titles. The need for increased resources will be driven by
growth in the program, not by the change in the program title.
Resource
requirements for the program are based on a nominal class size of 40 students
(i.e., total of 160 students in the B.S.B.E. program). Classes significantly
greater than that will require an incremental increase in resources, due to the
need to run multiple class sections and increase laboratory capacity. That need
is independent of the offering of the new degree.
The
Center for Biomedical Engineering consists of five full-time faculty members,
four of whom are untenured. Two of those
faculty members are funded from the Whitaker Foundation Special Opportunity
Grant, but the University has committed to funding those positions from general
fund revenues effective with the '00-'01 academic year.
There
are 1.4 FTE staff members funded from the Whitaker Foundation grant: a
full-time Senior Secretary, and a part-time Instructor and academic
Advisor. Both positions are essential to
the program, independent of whether it exists as a B.S.E. or B.S.B.E. degree.
The
increased enrollment in the existing biomedical engineering program has
impacted other departments which offer some of the service courses required of
biomedical engineering students. In
particular, additional laboratory sections were needed for the BL 201 and 201
sequence (Anatomy and Physiology). This
was anticipated, and the initial cost of added lab instruction (GTA) was funded
from the Whitaker Foundation Special Opportunity Grant. The University has since assumed the cost of
the added GTA, and this is expected to continue with the conversion of anatomy
and physiology to a full-year sequence.
The anatomy and physiology lecture sections have sufficient capacity to
accommodate the increased enrollment without additional resources.
Additional
library resources will be required to support the biomedical engineering
program. The J.R. Van Pelt Library does subscribe to some relevant journals
(e.g., IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Journal of Biomechanical
Engineering, Journal of Biomechanics), but additional periodicals may be needed
to support the undergraduate biomedical engineering curriculum. Similarly, book acquisitions in biomedical
engineering and related fields will require support.
Itemized
Program Costs for AY 2000-1 (based on 1999-2000 expenses)
The following budget estimates
indicate the expenses of the biomedical engineering program which were or will
be: 1) funded by an external grant in AY'99-00 ("Ext. Fund"); 2)
funded by General fund revenues in AY '99-'00 ("Gen. Fund"); 3)
required from the general fund for the EBS1 degree in AY '00-01; 4) required
from the general fund for the BSBE degree in AY '00-01.
Ext. Fund ('99-00) Gen.
Fund ('99-00) EBS1('00-01)
BSBE('00-'01)
Salaries & Wages
Faculty Salaries (1999-2000) 117,000 188,000 305,000 305,000
Secretary ('99-'00 wages) 21,000 0 21,000 21,000
Fringe benefits (38%) 52,440 71,440 123,880 123,880
Graduate Teaching Assistant (BE) 11,040 0 12,810 12,810
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Biol.
Sci.) 11,040 12,810 12,810
Supplies, Services & Equipment 25,000 0 15,000 15,000
Direct Program Cost 226,480 270,480 490,500 490,500
*Funded from a Special Opportunity
Grant from the Whitaker Foundation in 1999-2000; costs to be borne by General
Fund in 2000-1.
26 April 2000: Adopted by
University Senate
17 May 2000: Approved by
President Tompkins
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Standard Occupational Classification, as modified Oct. 15, 1999. http://stats.bls.gove/soc/soc_d2d1.htm
