The University Senate of
PROPOSAL
32-05
(Voting Units: Academic Senators)
Ph. D Program in Biomedical
Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Proposal:
The
University Senate recommends approval of the PhD Program in Biomedical
Engineering described below.
Introduction,
This is a proposal to formally establish an Ph.D.
program in Biomedical Engineering (BME) within MTU’s Department of Biomedical
Engineering. The mission of the proposed
graduate program is to train both engineers and life scientists in the science
and technology of this field and to recognize their achievement by creating an
advanced biomedical engineering degree at
Biomedical engineering is a discipline that advances
knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine, and improves human health
through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences
with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice. [Whitaker Foundation] The
proposed PhD program will emphasize research and education in
biomaterials/tissue engineering and physiological measurements. Because biology will have increasing
importance in all of engineering in the coming years, this Ph.D. program will have
a strong life science component. Our
goal is to prepare students at the doctoral level who can continue their
research work in post doctoral training, assume positions in academia,
industry, or governmental agencies and be prepared to grow into positions of
leadership.
Our specific short-term (1 – 3) and long-term (4 – 5)
objectives to achieve this mission are:
1. Return the Department of Biomedical
Engineering to full-staffing with six full-time faculty and a Department Chair
2. Establish PhD student enrollment at
a level of 1.5 – 2 per faculty member
3. Prepare a recruiting effort to
publicize our program, identify promising potential students and encourage them
to matriculate in our PhD program
4. Expand graduate course offerings in
the Department by emphasizing our fields of specialization and the biological
aspects of these fields
5. Increase external funding to an
average level of $200,000 annual
research expenditures per faculty member
6. Contribute to MTU’s mission to be a
nationally prominent and internationally recognized technological university
that bridges technology and business and meets the needs of a global and
technologically rich society through excellence in undergraduate and graduate
education, scholarship, and research.
1. Related
Programs
Biomedical
engineering is an interdisciplinary field.
The study of biomedical engineering has been ongoing at MTU, but BME did
not exist as a department or as a major until 1997. In fact, most current BME faculty do not have
degrees in biomedical engineering. Their
degrees are more likely to be in electrical or mechanical engineering or
perhaps materials science or chemical engineering. These remain related programs. For example, here at MTU, without a graduate
program in biomedical engineering, our current graduate students are enrolled
in other departments (mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering, and materials
science), and our BME faculty have adjunct appointments in those departments so
they can serve as the research advisors and mentors for students in those other
departments who are doing research in BME.
The interdisciplinary nature of BME will not change with the addition of
a Ph.D. program in BME. It is important
to note, however, that while these other programs are related to BME, they are
not BME programs.
2. Rationale
Biomedical
Engineering is one of the fastest growing engineering specialties in the
There are
many reasons to establish a doctoral program in biomedical engineering at
MTU. First, there is an increasing
demand for biomedical engineers at all levels.
The biomedical engineering job market is growing at a rapid rate. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that
there will be a 31% increase in biomedical engineering jobs by the end of the
decade, and many of these positions will require an advanced degree.
[ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ep/ind-occ.matrix/occ_pdf/occ0135.pdf] The fundamental life sciences and biology
are undergoing a major revolution that is changing these fields from
qualitative, descriptive disciplines to quantitative, mathematically-based
disciplines similar to the physical sciences.
Applications of biology are increasing exponentially, and the
biotechnology industry continues to grow.
Engineers of all backgrounds are playing an increasing role in these
areas, and biomedical engineers are well-positioned to be at the forefront of
this expansion with their specialized training in the application of the
fundamentals of the biological sciences to
real-world problems
using the techniques of traditional engineering, the physical sciences and
mathematics.
As the
world’s population ages and the cost of health care rises, the demand for
professionals trained in biomedical engineering will continue to increase The cost of health care will be an important
factor in future years, and technology does and will represent a significant
portion of these costs. Biomedical
engineers can play an important role in containing these costs by being aware
of the technological as well as medical issues involved in development and deployment of new technologies. Beside the cost of health
care, quality of life will be a critical concern as aging
baby-boomers look for ways to remain living independently. The solution to coming healthcare-related
problems will require engineering methodologies from a broad, interdisciplinary
approach that includes, not only engineering and the life sciences, but an
understanding of social problems associated with aging. MTU is well positioned to contribute highly
qualified candidates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to meet this
nationwide demand.
Second, a
doctoral program in biomedical engineering is a natural progression for the
Biomedical Engineering Department at MTU.
The University’s mission recognizes that it is important to couple
research-oriented graduate training programs with undergraduate programs in
order to achieve the highest quality education at all levels. Without question, a research-centered
doctoral program in biomedical engineering will also strengthen MTU’s
undergraduate program. Demand for this
program at MTU is evidenced by the twelve students who are currently enrolled
in biomedical engineering graduate study and whose thesis and dissertation
research is being supervised by biomedical engineering faculty. However, because MTU does not presently offer
a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, these students must enroll in other
departments at MTU, such as Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Engineering, in order to receive the training they want. By establishing a Ph.D. in biomedical
engineering, enrolled students can focus their research and education on this
specialized field, and MTU can continue to build a solid reputation as a leader
in the field of biomedical engineering education.
Third, by
developing a first-rate biomedical engineering graduate program, MTU can
compete for increasing funding opportunities.
In response to the demand for biomedical engineering expertise, the
Federal government established the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering and several new study sections to review grant applications
specifically in the area of biomedical engineering. The National Science Foundation, an agency in
which MTU is very successful in securing research funding, has increased its
support for biomedical engineering-related education and research
activities. This support even extends to
major programs such as NSF’s Engineering Research Centers. By offering a Ph.D. in biomedical
engineering and by developing a strong accompanying research program, MTU will
be able to submit competitive proposals to research and funding agencies
traditionally associated with the medical profession, such as the National
Institutes of Health. These agencies
help support our graduate degree programs by creating research opportunities
and by providing financial support for graduate students.
Fourth, MTU is capable of delivering a nationally-recognized
doctoral biomedical engineering program.
MTU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering has received solid support
from The Whitaker Foundation, a leader in the support of research and education
in biomedical engineering. Recently, MTU
received another award from The Whitaker Foundation. This $180,000 award, which will help the
Biomedical Engineering Department expand industrial co-ops and internships for
biomedical engineering majors, evidences external confidence in MTU’s ability
to deliver a high-quality education founded in both theory and practice.
Biomedical
engineering has a strong interdisciplinary component, and combines traditional
engineering fields and the basic sciences.
A graduate biomedical engineering program at MTU can and will take
advantage of the strong engineering and science faculties at the University. A hallmark of the proposed program will be
the close interaction with other science and engineering departments with
particular emphasis on Biological Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering,
and Chemical Engineering. The program
will also be able to partner with local and regional health care facilities in
order to provide our students with a comprehensive graduate education in
biomedical engineering.
Finally, because
the proposed program will attract students who have non-engineering
undergraduate degrees or no previous life science courses, some students
admitted to the program will find it necessary to take additional training to
fill gaps in their background. Interaction between students in the biomedical
engineering graduate program who have diverse undergraduate backgrounds will
provide many informal educational opportunities for this interdisciplinary field.
3. Curriculum
Design
Admission
Requirements: Students with a B.S. or M.S. degree
in engineering, mathematical sciences, the physical sciences and biological
sciences from an accredited college or university will be eligible for
admission to the Ph.D. program. Students
who have a baccalaureate or Master’s degree from a non-engineering discipline
(e.g. life science) will be considered for admission to the program on a case
by case basis and will be eligible for provisional admission. Students with non-engineering degrees will be
required to complete the following pre-requisite courses or BME faculty
approved equivalent courses prior to full admission into the Graduate
program:
1. BL
1020, General Biology
2. Math
courses through Differential Equations
3.
MY
2100, Materials Science
4.
MEEM
2120, Statics and Mechanics of Materials
5.
EE
3010 Electrical/Electronic Circuits
Optional:
1.
MEEM
3210 Fluids Mechanics
2.
MEEM
3230 Heat Transfer
3.
MEEM
2700, Dynamics
4.
MEEM
2200, Thermodynamics
Curriculum: A minimum of sixty
credits after a B.S are required for the Ph.D. degree. These credits are distributed as follows:
14 credits
of core courses,
25 credits
of research,
21 committee
approved thrust area credits.
The number of credits for the Ph.D. degree after a
Master’s degree is 30 credits. The
courses these students will need will be determined on a case-by-case
basis. Common to each field at the Ph.D.
level are the following core courses:
|
Core course |
Credits |
|
Life
Science |
6 |
|
Graduate
Seminar |
2 |
|
Advanced
Math |
3 |
|
Statistics |
3 |
|
Total Core Credits |
14 |
Throughout their degree program, the graduate
students will be required to attend the Graduate Seminar. During the first year of study, the students
will receive one credit for each semester for participation. After the first year, attendance will still
be mandatory, but the students will not receive credit.
The student will have the option to take at least one
of the following advanced math courses to satisfy the core math requirement:
|
Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
|
MA4515 |
Intro.
Partial Diff. Eqns. |
3 credits |
|
MA4520 |
Integral
Trans & Series Methods |
3 credits |
|
MA4610 |
Numerical
Linear Algerba |
3 credits |
|
MA4620 |
Finite
Difference Methods & PDEs |
3 credits |
|
MA4635 |
Numerical
Methods for Integral Eqations |
3 credits |
|
MA4710 |
Regression
Analysis |
3 credits |
|
MA4720 |
Design/Analysis
of Exp. |
3 credits |
The following is the proposed list of biomedical
engineering courses to be offered, including the number of credits and the
frequency with which the course will be offered.
|
Course Number |
Course Title |
Frequency |
Credits |
|
BE4930 |
Graduate
Seminar |
Semester |
2 |
|
BE4930 |
Advanced
Physiology |
annually |
3 |
|
BE5500 |
Advanced
Biomaterials |
annually |
3 |
|
BE4930 |
Advanced
Biomechanics |
annually |
3 |
|
BE4210 |
Exercise
Physiology |
annually |
3 |
|
BE5600 |
Laser,
Optics, and Biosensors |
alternate
years |
3 |
|
BE5930 |
Biomaterial
Interfaces |
alternate
years |
3 |
|
BE5940 |
Implantable
Devices |
alternate
years |
3 |
|
BE5930 |
Genetic
Engineering |
alternate
years |
3 |
|
BE5930 |
Advanced
Polymeric Materials |
annually |
3 |
|
BE6930 |
Special
Topics in Biomedical |
varies |
Variable |
|
BE9990 |
Ph.D.
Dissertation |
Semester |
Variable |
Each of the above courses is presently offered at MTU. As faculty are added to the BME Department,
additional courses will be developed based on the interests and expertise of
the new faculty, and the listed courses may undergo revision as they are taught
by new faculty.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the biomedical
engineering program, courses also will be taken outside the Biomedical
Engineering Department as determined by the student and his/her advisory
committee and dependent on the student’s area of emphasis.
Academic advancement by the student is measured in
terms of semester hour credits or, simply, credits. One credit should average three hours of a
student’s time per week for one semester.
Depending on the course requirements, these three hours may be spent in
the classroom, laboratory, or may be divided between home study, class or
laboratory attendance. One hour in class
and three hours of individual study is a typical division.
Courses numbered in the 3000 and 4000 series are
intended primarily for upper-division undergraduate students but are available
to graduate students for graduate credit with approval by the Department of
Biomedical Engineering. Courses of the
5000 level are intended primarily for graduate students, but senior level
undergraduates that have at least a 3.0 G.P.A. can also take these
courses. Courses numbered in the 6000
and above series are available only to advanced graduate students.
Typical
Program of Study: Below are lists of
example curricula for the Ph.D. degree in each of the areas of concentration,
Biomaterials/Tissue Engineering, and Physiological Measurement:
Biomaterials /Tissue
Engineering
BE4930 Advanced
Physiology
BE4930 Graduate Seminar
----------- Advanced Math Course (as
appropriate to each student)
MA5701 Statistical Methods
MY 5000 Materials
Science and Engineering BU------- Entrepreneur/Industrial Modules
(under development)
Suggested Electives:
BL4010 Biochemistry I
BL4020 Biochemistry II
BL4820 Biochem. Techniques I
BL4830 Biochem. Techniques II
BL5350 Special Topics Physiol.
BL5360 Special Topics Biochem.
BL4320 Histology
BL4470 Analysis of Biological Data
CH5530 Molecular Spectroscopy
BE5500 Advanced Biomaterials
BE5930 Biomaterials Interfaces
BL4030 Molecular Biology
MY
5100 Thermodynamics and
Kinetics I
MY
5110 Thermodynamics and
Kinetics II
MY
5200 Scanning Electron
Microscopy
MY
5250 Practical Transmission
Electron Microscopy
MY
5400 Mechanical Behavior of
Materials
MY
5540 Surface Chemistry I
MY
5550 Surface Chemistry II
Physiological
Measurement
BE4930 Advanced
Physiology
BE4930 Graduate Seminar
MA5701 Statistical Methods
BE5940 Implantable
Devices
BU------- Entrepreneur/Industrial
Modules (under development)
Suggested
Electives:
MY 5000 Materials
Science and Engineering
BE5500 Advanced
Biomaterials
BE5930 Biomaterials Interfaces
BE5600 Lasers, Optics, and Biosensors
BE4930 Advanced Polymeric Materials
BE5930 Genetic Engineering
BL4010 Biochemistry I
BL4030 Molecular Biology
BL4080 Cardiopulmonary Physiology
EE
4211 Computer-Aided Circuit
Design
EE
4231 Physical Electronics
EE
4232 Electronic
Applications
EE4252 Two-Dimensional Signal and
Image Processing
EE4253 Real Time Signal Processing
EE4255 Wireless Communications
EE4261 Classical Control Systems
EE
5430 Electronic Materials
EE
5450 Modeling of IC
Interconnects
EE
5460
EE
5530 Wireless Digital
Communication
EE
5580 Wavelet and Spectral
Analysis
EE
5900 Introduction
to MEMS
EE6470 Thin Films
MY5200 Scanning Electron Microscopy
MY
5540 Surface Chemistry I
MY
5550 Surface Chemistry II
Each plan of work must be approved the Graduate
Program committee.
Enrollment and Credit
Requirements: Full-time and part-time students
will be permitted to enroll in the program.
Full-time students not supported by GRA or GTA appointments are required
to take a minimum of 9 credits per semester at the Doctoral level. All graduate students using University
Services must be enrolled for at least one course or at least one credit of
graduate research. The maximum is 16
credits per semester, though supported graduate students should generally plan
to take 9-11 credits per semester.
Graduate students supported by a GRA or GTA appointments or fellowships
may not drop below the minimum number of credit hours as described above. GRA and GTA students are required to register
for and complete a certain number of credit hours, depending on their level of
support, in each semester in which they receive support. In the Doctoral programs, research credits
may be included for the purpose of determining whether the minimum and maximum
enrollment criteria have been met. GRAs
and GTAs who are enrolled for the minimum of credits are considered to be
full-time students.
Appointment levels shall be as follows:
Quarter
time (10 hours per week) 9 credit minimum,
Half
time (20 hours per week) 9 credit minimum,
Three
quarter time (30 hours per week) 9
credits minimum,
Summer
enrollment 1
credit or 1 course
Unless the fellowship carries other requirements for
determining eligibility, fellowship students must be enrolled full time (9
credit minimum Ph.D. level).
Grade
Requirements: Students must maintain a minimum
grade point average of 3.0 in order to complete and graduate from the
program. A ‘C’ earned in one course may
be counted towards graduation requirements, provided that it is offset by an
equivalent number of ‘A’ credits to allow at least a 3.0 grade point average to
be maintained. Also, if a student
receives a ‘C’ in two of his/her classes, the classes can be repeated with
permission from the student’s advisor and the Graduate Program Committee.
Time to Degree
Requirements: Ph.D. students must complete the doctoral
degree within eight years from the time of a student’s first enrollment in the
doctoral program by the Dean of the
Other Degree
Requirements: The degree requirements for a Ph.D.
in Biomedical Engineering will adhere to the general rules and requirements
established by the
Advisory Committee - Each student will have an Advisor
who is a member of the Biomedical Engineering faculty. Approval by the Department chairperson will
be required. The Advisor’s primary
responsibility will be supervising the student’s research project and directing
the student’s academic and professional growth.
Adjunct faculty can serve as a student’s research advisor, but the
Department chairman may choose to appoint an academic advisor in those cases
where the adjunct faculty may not be familiar with the Department’s rules and
requirements.
An Advisory Committee for each
student will be comprised of the student’s advisor plus 4 additional
members. Two of the four may be from the
same department as the Advisor while the other two will come from members of
the Graduate Faculty outside the Department of Biomedical Engineering. At least one of the Committee members must be
an engineer as defined by holding a doctorate in an engineering
discipline. Since biomedical engineering
is an interdisciplinary field, it will be imperative that the Advisory
Committee play an active role in the research project. Therefore, it will be critical that the
Advisory Committee members be appointed during the student’s first academic
year in the BME Ph.D. program. Also, the
Advisory Committee must meet at least twice a year with the advisor and the
student to discuss progress. A brief
written and oral report on the research will be expected from the student at
these meetings. It is expected that the
student and advisor will meet on a regular basis.
Comprehensive Examination - Advancement to doctoral candidacy
is contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive written and oral
examination. All Ph.D. students will be
expected to take the examination no later than three years after
enrollment. However, students will be
encouraged to take the examination after completion of the core courses. The exam will be offered twice a year depending
upon need. Each student will take a
comprehensive written examination composed of two core areas (Math and BME Core
Courses: Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Life Sciences Bioinstrumentation) and one
area of specialization (which will cover material relevant to the candidate’s
research focus).
Students must pass the written
examination before the oral examination may be scheduled. Students will pass each portion of the
written examination with a score of 70% or better. If a student fails one section, she/he must
re-take all sections for which scores were less than 70 percent. Students will not be required to re-take
sections for which scores were 70 percent or greater. In the event a student must re-take any
portion or each portion of the written test, she/he must wait until the next
scheduled examination date (approximately 6 months). Students will be allowed to take each section
of the written examination a maximum of two times unless special circumstances
arise. Failure on the second attempt may
result in dismissal from the program after a complete review of the student's
records.
An oral examination will also be
administered. Students may schedule the
oral examination, which will be administered by the student’s advisory
committee members, following successful completion of the written
examination. The decision to pass or
fail a student will be made by the committee, and criteria may vary on an
individual basis. Students will be
allowed to take the oral examination a maximum of two times. Failure on the second attempt may result in
dismissal from the program. Following
successful completion of the oral examination, the student is admitted to
candidacy for the doctoral degree.
Research Dissertation Proposal - Before accumulating more than 10
semester credits of BE 9990 Doctoral Dissertation Research, each student is
required to successfully pass an oral defense of the research dissertation
proposal. This examination shall be a
presentation of the proposal for the dissertation research, and is to be
administered by the student’s doctoral committee.
4. New
Course Descriptions
No new
courses are planned. However, as BME
faculty are added, we anticipate that they will develop new courses in their
areas of interest and expertise and that they will revise existing courses to
suit their teaching methods student needs.
5. Projected
Enrollment
We project
our initial Ph.D. graduate enrollment to be 1.5 graduate students per BME
faculty member. Our goal is to increase
this number to 2.0 graduate students per BME faculty member. Upon approval of the proposed Ph.D. program
in biomedical engineering, the department will offer the biomedical students
currently enrolled in other departments the opportunity to transfer to
BME. The department’s immediate plan is
to increase our current size from 5 faculty (including department chair) to 7
faculty (including department chair).
These positions are included in the Department’s budget and do not
require new funding authorizations. The
department is on track to meet this staffing goal. A new faculty member will begin at MTU on
Recruitment
plans include (1) carefully screening our BME undergraduate majors for
potential graduate school candidates, (2) working with MTU’s
6. Scheduling
Plans
The Ph.D.
program in BME will be offered at the beginning of Fall Semester 2005, although
students already enrolled in other departments who are studying biomedical
engineering will be invited to transfer into the program sooner. The number of BME faculty will be at the
projected and budgeted number of 7 (including department chair) by the
beginning of Fall Semester 2005. Student recruitment will begin upon approval of this proposed Ph.D. program.
7. Administration
of Degree Program
Even though
the proposed PhD degree program is within the
8. Program
Costs (Years 1, 2, and 3)
Estimated
program budgets for Years 1, 2, and 3 are attached to this proposal as
Attachment A.
9. Description
of Available/Needed Equipment
Graduate
students in the BME Department will require computing resources in or near
their workspace. The current BME
computing labs are located in the West Computing facilities in the
10. Faculty
Resumes
Current CVs
for each BME faculty member are attached t this proposal as Attachment B.
11. PRR
(if planned) – NA to this proposal.
12. Internal
Status of Proposal
This
proposal for a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering has the support of the entire
BME faculty, and a letter indicating this signed by all BME faculty members is
attached to the original copy of this proposal.
The proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Dean of MTU’s
13. Planned
Implementation Date
This
proposed Ph.D. program will be implemented upon final approval at all required
levels.
14. Library
and Other Learning Resources
We have
requested an allowance in our budget for library acquisition of books and journals relevant to the biomedical engineering field. The library’s present collection of biomedical engineering resources is not adequate to
support a graduate program in BME. There
are a number of professional journals and books that are essential library
resources for BME graduate students.
15. Space
No
additional space is required to support this proposed Ph.D. program.
16. Accreditation
Requirements
There are
no further accreditation requirements for this proposed Ph.D. program. The BME Department will be seeking ABET
accreditation for its undergraduate BME program in the fall of 2004.
Ph.D. Program in
Biomedical Engineering
Attachment A
Estimated Budget and
Justification for Years 1 – 3
|
Budget Item |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Total |
|
Faculty |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Graduate
Support (Stipend,
Tuition, Fees) |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
$360,000 |
|
Equipment (Computers
and support for added grad students) |
$ 8,000 (4
computers and support) |
$ 8,000 (4
computers and support) |
$ 4,000 (2
computers and support) |
$ 20,000 |
|
Library
Resources |
$ 4,000 |
$ 4,000 |
$ 4,000 |
$ 12,000 |
|
Travel |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Additional
Space or Renovations |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Totals |
$132,000 |
$132,000 |
$128,000 |
$392,000 |
Budget Justification:
Faculty
salaries are already included in the existing BME budget, and no new funding
authorization is required at this time.
This
estimated budget assumes continuing graduate student support at current levels,
which includes 6 graduate teaching assistants supported by MTU and 5 graduate
students supported by external research funding. For the first 3 years of the new Ph.D.
program, the Department requests support from MTU for 4 additional Ph.D. graduate
students. This assumes an annual stipend
of $20,000 and tuition and fees of $10,000 per student. When the Ph.D. program is well-established,
the Department anticipates increased external research funding to support more
graduate students.
Graduate
students in the BME Department will require computing resources in or near
their workspace. Some of the current
graduate students associated with the Department already have computing
facilities though their research support, but others and new students will
require additional facilities. Other
than computing resources, no new equipment is needed to support this proposed
Ph.D. program
The
Department requests $4,000 per year for library acquisition of books and
journals relevant to the biomedical engineering field. The library’s present collection of
biomedical engineering resources is not adequate to support a graduate program
in BME. There are a number of
professional journals, such as Physiological
Measurement, and books that are essential library resources for BME
graduate students. $4,000 per year will
allow for annual subscriptions to 4 professional journal subscriptions and
acquisition of several books
20 April 2005:
Adopted by the Senate
28 April 2005: Approved
by President Mroz
24 June 2005: Approved by Board of Control
[1]In the Fall Semester of 1997, there were 38 students enrolled in MTU’s BME undergraduate program. There are presently, in 2003-2004, 165 students enrolled in MTU’s BME undergraduate program. In the spring of 2000, 9 B.S. degrees in BME were awarded. In the spring of 2003, 38 degrees were awarded. These BME undergraduates also provide MTU with a pool of potential BME graduate school candidates.