Program of Study

The undergraduate program in Biomedical Engineering at WPI prepares students for rewarding careers in the health care industry or professional programs in biomedical research or medicine. Unlike traditional engineering programs at WPI, our program truly integrates physical, chemical, mathematical, and computational sciences and engineering principles to study biology, medicine, behavior, and health. Through a project-oriented curriculum, which closely embraces the WPI educational philosophy, we prepare students to engage in a lifetime of professionalism and learning.

More Information...

BME Program and ABET information
General Advising Guidelines for Current Undergraduate Students
BME Undergraduate Courses
Combined BS/Master's Degree Program

Overview of WPI Degree Requirements

WPI's academic requirements are specifically designed to develop an overall educational experience which meets the goals of the university. Each requirement plays a supporting role as follows:

To provide intellectual breadth and a better understanding of themselves, their cultures, and their heritage, every WPI student must complete a Humanities and Arts Requirement;
To provide an understanding of the priorities of other sectors of society, develop an ability to communicate effectively with disparate groups, organize and derive solutions to complex problems, and gain an awareness of the interrelationships between technology and people, every WPI student must complete an Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP);
To provide a capstone experience in the professional discipline, to develop creativity, instill self-confidence and enhance the ability to communicate ideas and synthesize fundamental concepts, every student must complete a Major Qualifying Project (MQP);
To provide for learning through an academic program with fabric and course balance while encouraging individual student choices within that framework, every student must fulfill Program Distribution Requirements.

Program Distribution Requirements for the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Major

The normal period of residency at WPI is 16 terms. In addition to the WPI degree requirements applicable to all students, a biomedical engineer needs a solid background in mathematics, physical, and life sciences. The distribution requirements are satisfied as follows:

Biomedical Engineering	Minimum Units
1. Mathematics (See Note 1)	2
2. Basic Science (See Note 2)	2
3. Supplemental Science (See Note 3)	2/3
4. Laboratory experience with living systems (See Note 4)	1/3
5. Biomedical Engineering and Engineering (See Note 5)	4-1/3
6. MQP (See Note 6)	1

Notes:

Mathematics must include differential and integral calculus, differential equations and statistics.
Two courses from each of the following areas: BB, CH and PH.
Two courses from BB, CH, or PH.
Experimental Physiology (e.g., BB 3511 and BB 3514) or equivalent.
Thirteen courses from Biomedical Engineering (BME) or Engineering (CE, CHE, ECE, ES, or ME) as specified in the WPI Catalog "Courses Qualifying for Engineering Department Areas" with the following distribution: (1) seven courses from BME or Engineering as specified as , one of which must be an engineering design course; (2) four courses from BME or Engineering at the 3000-level or above; (3) two courses in BME at the 4000-level or above. A minimum of eight of the thirteen courses must be from BME, not including BME 3110.
Must include 1/3 unit Capstone Design Experience.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: October 03, 2008 07:32:43