Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Undergraduate Handbook
2022/23*
University of Utah Department of Biomedical Engineering
(Revision: Nov 6, 2022)
36 S. Wasatch Dr. (Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building Suite 3100, Office 3221)
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
585-3651
* The Year of this handbook corresponds to the year of regular entry into the program, typically the
academic year in which a student takes BME 3301 (Computational Methods) and BME 3070 - Statistics for
Engineers, ideally the spring semester of the sophomore year. This will also become the “catalog year” for
each student.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical
Engineering, as well as a program for earning a combined BS/MS degree in BME. The Department also
offers MS, and PhD degrees (described at this web page).
This handbook is intended to give information about policies and procedures for the undergraduate pro-
gram in Biomedical Engineering but it cannot replace discussing your questions with academic advisors.
Please come to the Department office at Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building Suite 3100, Office
3221, or email one of the undergraduate academic advisors: Heather Palmer (Heather[email protected]),
swers to questions not answered here. The information in this handbook as well as various downloadable
forms are also available online at https://bme.utah.edu.
The University of Utah is committed to policies of equal opportunity, affirmative action, and nondis-
crimination. The University seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people
with disabilities.
Each year, there are changes in the Handbook and we mark such changes from the previous edition with
a vertical bar in the right margin, as with this paragraph.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
1 Contact Information and Links
Undergraduate Advisor:
Undergraduate Advisor:
Undergraduate Advisor:
Minor Advisor:
Director of Undergraduate Studies:
Honors Advisor:
Biomaterials advisor:
BS/MS advisor:
See Undergrad advising
Department Web Site: https://bme.utah.edu
See the site for links to: Course Descriptions
Faculty Directory
Undergraduate Studies
College of Engineering Web Site: www.coe.utah.edu
University of Utah Web Site: www.utah.edu
Biomedical Engineering Society www.bmes.org
Engineering in Medicine & Biology: www.embs.org
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Contents
1 Contact Information and Links 2
2 Program description 5
2.1 Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 Educational objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Student outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 Status and admissions 6
3.1 Pre-Major status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 Admission to major status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.1 Freshmen admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.2 Standard admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3 Transfer Credit and Exceptions to Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.4 Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4 Requirements for the B.S. Degree in BME 9
4.1 General education requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2 Mathematics Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.3 Science Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.4 Biomedical Engineering Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.5 BME Electives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.6 COOP/Internship Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.7 Continuing Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.8 Leave of Absence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.9 Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.10 Repeat and Withdrawal Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.11 Academic Misconduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.12 Preparation for Graduation and Exit Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.13 Undergraduate Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5 BME Minor Program 18
5.1 Admission to the Minor program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.2 BME Minor classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6 Sample BME Plan of Study 20
6.1 Additional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.2 Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7 BME Electives 22
7.1 Approval of BME Electives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.2 Waiting Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.3 Bioelectrical Engineering Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.3.1 Biomedical Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7.3.2 Cardiac Bioelectricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7.3.3 Neuro Bioelectricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7.3.4 Summary of Bioelectric elective courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
7.4 Biomedical Imaging Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
7.5 Biomaterials Engineering Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.6 Biomechanical Engineering Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.7 Computational and Informatics Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.7 Computational and Informatics Focus (con’t) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7.8 Design, Regulatory, & Entrepreneurship Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7.9 Premedical Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7.10 Courses approved for inclusion as BME electives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7.11 Courses NOT acceptable for inclusion as a BME elective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8 Thesis Writing and Communications Project 32
8.1 Biomedical Engineering Research class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
8.2 Biomedical Engineering Thesis Writing and Communication classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
8.3 Research opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
8.4 Planning for Graduate School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
9 B.S./M.S. Program 35
10 Forms 35
Application Form 35
Minor Application Form 37
Research Project Contract 38
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
2 Program description
2.1 Mission
The mission of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (ABET accredited since 2010) is to
• advance human understanding, health, and the quality of life through internationally recognized re-
search, discovery, and invention in the area of biomedical engineering;
• educate world-class Ph.D. scientists and engineers for accomplishment in research, academics, medicine,
and industry;
• educate nationally-recognized B.S. and M.S. graduates for success and leadership in industry and in
preparation for future study in medicine, science and engineering;
• transfer scientific discoveries and biomedical technology to the private sector nationwide;
• deliver of high-quality M.E. continuing education to enhance the economy by supporting biomedical
industries;
• train students throughout the College of Engineering in biobased solutions to traditional engineering
problems and in the application of their specialty to biological and biomedical science.
2.2 Educational objectives
The Biomedical Engineering undergraduate program is dedicated to preparing graduates for professional
careers. We educate students such that our graduates will be:
• successful in graduate programs, in professional schools, including medicine and law, or in a biomed-
ical engineering aligned career;
• able to effectively communicate and solve problems at the interface of engineering and biology ap-
propriate to their chosen profession, as well as understand and apply standards of ethical behavior;
• motivated to pursue life-long learning, including understanding contemporary questions at the inter-
face of science, medicine, technology, and society.
2.3 Student outcomes
The Undergraduate Engineering Program Outcomes (ABET 1–7) are:
• an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of
engineering, science, and mathematics;
• an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consid-
eration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and
economic factors;
• an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make
informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic,
environmental, and societal contexts;
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
• an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a
collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
• an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use
engineering judgment to draw conclusions; and
• an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
The BME Specific Program Outcomes include:
• Applying principles of engineering, biology, human physiology, chemistry, calculus-based physics,
mathematics (through differential equations) and statistics;
• Solving biomedical engineering problems, including those associated with the interaction between
living and non-living systems;
• Analyzing, modeling, designing, and realizing biomedical engineering devices, systems, components,
or processes; and
• Making measurements on and interpreting data from living systems.
3 Status and admissions
3.1 Pre-Major status
From 2016, all students wishing to study engineering are admitted to the College of Engineering and
hence have formal status at the University. However, such admission does not mean that the student has also
received admission to major status in any program within the College. To receive a degree in Biomedical
Engineering (BME) requires admission to the BME program and for this, there is a well defined process that
all students must pursue.
Students beginning their undergraduate studies who have not been admitted to the BME program as
freshmen, including transfer students, should choose the Pre-BME category as their major for registration
purposes. All students are eligible to register for BME 1010. Pre-major students may enroll for BME 1020
and 2100 if they have met the prerequisites. Junior- and senior-year courses in the Biomedical Engineering
program are usually open only to students with major status. Pre-majors may also apply for admission to
upper division classes by special permission of the instructor and the department. Pre-majors are strongly
encouraged to meet early with one of the undergraduate advisors in the Department to outline a course of
study that will prepare them to apply for major status in a timely manner.
3.2 Admission to major status
3.2.1 Freshmen admission
A number of highly qualified students are admitted directly to major status in the program as freshmen.
Such admission is based on academic excellence and results from a careful screening of students’ records
upon their application for admission to the University. No direct action is required from students wishing
to be considered for freshman admission. Students who are admitted as freshman must, at a minimum,
maintain the same academic standard as required for students pursuing the standard admission to
major status described below.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
3.2.2 Standard admission
Admission to major status in the Biomedical Engineering program is limited by the availability of Depart-
ment teaching and laboratory resources and based solely on academic achievement. Admission to major
status is based on a combination of two components:
1. the student’s cumulative University of Utah GPA (i.e., not including transfer credit), and
2. the student’s Technical GPA from the following technical courses:
BME 1010 Careers in Biomedical Engineering
BME 1020 Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering I
BME 2100 Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering II
BIOL 2020 (or BIOL 2021) Cell Biology (or equivalent)*
CHEM 1220 (or CHEM 1221) General Chemistry II (or honors)
CHEM 1225 (or CHEM 1241) General Chemistry II Lab (or honors)
MATH 1321 or 2310 Accel. Eng. Calc II or Calculus III
MATH 2250 Diff Eq/Lin Alg
PHYS 2210 (or 3210) Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (honors)
PHYS 2220 (or 3220) Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (honors)
A student must have a grade point average (GPA) in both categories of 3.0 or better to be even
considered for the program. All students with a University GPA above 3.0 and also a Technical GPA
above 3.4 will gain automatic admission to the major. Students with a University GPA above 3.0 and a
Technical GPA between 3.0 and 3.4 will join an admission waiting list. Final decisions on applications in
the waiting list will occur just before the spring semester of each year. See the Application Form at the end
of this document and check with an Undergraduate Advisor for details.
Note that students may substitute a “C” grade for any class not yet taken and be considered for admission
as long as their Technical and University GPA’s, meet the requirements described above for admission.
To submit an addmissions application, see the Application Form at the end of this document (Sec-
tion 10) and check with an Undergraduate Advisory in the Department office for details. In order to register
for Department upper-division courses (3000-level or higher), a student must have major status or receive
permission from the Department and course instructor for exceptional circumstances.
Conditional and Probationary Admission status There are several forms of admission into the BME
program:
1. Conditional admission: Students who have completed most of the required courses in Section 4.3 but
can meet admission requirements by substituting a “C” grade for any incomplete courses, may also
apply to the program. They will be admitted under the condition that they subsequently complete the
missing courses with a “C” grade or better.
2. Probationary admissions: Students whose prerequisite course grades do not meet the acceptance
threshold may be accepted with strict performance requirements for the first semester of the program
and meet the following conditions:
• Students must achieve a composite GPA of 3.4 or better in their technical courses taken in the
first spring and summer semesters of their admission to the program.
• Students must complete all the unfulfilled prerequisite courses with a “C” grade or better.
• Students must complete the Organic Chemistry I + Lab in the first spring or summer semesters
of their admission with a “C” grade or better. These grades will also be part of the composite
GPA used for admission evaluation.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Admission timing: The minimum duration of the BME major program is 5 semesters, starting in the
spring semester of the entry year into the major. Thus, students are strongly encouraged to seek admission
to the major in time for the Spring semester of their sophomore year in order to best meet the prerequisite
requirements and complete the program on time. A delay in admission application after this deadline may
present significant disadvantages to the student leading to prolonging the program beyond 5 semesters and
causing delays in graduation.
Catalog Year The Catalog Year is critical for students as it determines the courses that are required for
graduation. The setting of catalog year is based on the academic year in which students enter the major and
take BME 3301 (Computational Methods), usually their first upper division course (3000 level or above,
excluding BME 3091) in the program. Note that students admitted in the freshman year should use the
same criteria for determining their catalog year.
Students may opt to change their catalog year to a later date in order to adjust to advantageous changes
in the requirements of the program. Such a change in catalog year MUST occur under advisement of a
Undergraduate Advisor and must be documented in the student’s file. The last time to adjust catalog year
occurs as part of the application for graduation.
3.3 Transfer Credit and Exceptions to Policy
Students wishing to apply credit from another school for any technical class which is not included in the
College of Engineering Articulation Agreement (available on the University of Utah web site) must submit
a Petition for Transfer Credit or Variance (the “tan sheet”) along with thorough supporting documentation.
Only after the petition has been approved by the Department will transfer of technical credit be allowed to-
ward completion of the BS degree in BME. This requirement applies even to classes that have been accepted
by the University for general transfer credit; the classes must still be submitted for Departmental acceptance
for transfer credit toward the degree by petition (unless they appear on the Articulation Agreement, in which
case approval is automatic). Note that any exception to the Department’s academic policies must be re-
quested by submission of this same form, and that such an exception is allowed only after the petition has
been approved by the Department.
3.4 Scholarships
The Department, in cooperation with the College of Engineering, provides a limited number of schol-
arships to highly qualified applicants. Applications for scholarships are usually due on February 1 of each
year. Contact the Department Office or see the Department web site for details.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
4 Requirements for the B.S. Degree in BME
The undergraduate degree (B.S.) in Biomedical Engineering is granted upon successful completion of a
minimum of 127 semester hours of the following requirements:
1. University’s General Education requirements,
2. Mathematics and Science courses,
3. BME core courses, and
4. BME Electives.
These program requirements are described in detail below. Note that some of the requirements have changed
from previous years and may continue to change.
Some of the General Education, mathematics, and science courses may be waived for students who have
AP credit from high school in those subjects and who have achieved certain scores on the AP test. Details
are at the website https://admissions.utah.edu/advanced-placement-credit/ under the department offering the
specific course.
4.1 General education requirements
General Education Requirements (starts in the 1
st
semester):
In order to graduate, all University of Utah undergraduate students must complete a series of general education courses. AP Test scores,
concurrent courses, transfer credit, or credit from a previous degree may be used to satisfy some or all of the course requirements. Specific
honorsandLEAPcoursescanbeusedtosatisfygeneraleducationrequirements. Some Diversity (DV) and International Requirement (IR) courses
will also satisfy a FF, BF, or HF course. The total number of courses needed will depend on students’ previous work and if they choose to take a
DV or IR course that counts towards a FF, BF, or HF requirement*. Due to the heavy load of classes needed to prepare BME students for upper
division course work, most students take general education courses later in their careers at the U, during summer, or during fall/spring
breaks.
CollegeWriting (WR2) 1
AmericanInstitutions (AI) 1
FineArtsFoundations (FF) 2
BehavioralScienceFoundations (BF) 2
Humanitiesfoundations (HF) 2
Diversity (DV) 1
InternationalRequirement (IR) 1
10TotalRequirements
(*8coursesifIR&DVcombined)
Maybecombinedwithcoursefromabovecategories
(bluewithred,e.g.MUSC1236SurveyofJazz–DV&FF)
CoursesNeeded
(~3credits/course)
Typicallyfulfilledby
completionofan
associates degreeor
IBprogram
Figure 1: Gen Ed Requirements. Flowchart of the general education requirements to complete the University
of Utah’s BS degree.
See the website https://ugs.utah.edu/general-education/requirements for a description of the University’s
General Education requirements and see the website https://ugs.utah.edu/general-education/intersection-courses.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
php for more details on Gen Courses and guidelines. General Education includes Intellectual Explorations
courses (including a Diversity requirement), and the Writing, American Institutions, and Quantitative Rea-
soning course requirements.
Lower division writing Writing 2010 or the equivalent is required.
Upper division communications/writing The University’s upper-division communication/writing require-
ment will automatically be met by successful completion of BME 4992 (Thesis Writing and Communication
II) in the senior year.
American institutions See this website for courses that meet the American Institutions requirement. The
American Institutions requirement may also be cleared by AP credit or by examination at the Testing Center
in the Student Services Building during regular testing room hours.
Quantitative reasoning The Quantitative Reasoning and Quantitative Intensive course requirements (QA,
QB, and QI) are met by the Biomedical Engineering curriculum through the calculus requirements and
through BME 4001 and BME 4250 (Biotransport/Biomolecular and Biomechanics).
International Course Requirement Each student entering the University on or after Fall, 2007, must ful-
fill an upper division International Course Requirement. This requirement will give students a broad base
of knowledge about global issues and about global perspectives in a comparative context. It will introduce
students to international frames of reference so that they may think critically about long-standing and newly
emerging issues. It will help students accept and appreciate the interdependence of nations and the view-
points of other nations, and give them the ability to communicate with people across international borders.
At present, the College of Engineering does not offer an accredited class for this requirement. Please
see this web site for more information and an up to date list of accepted courses.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
4.2 Mathematics Courses
The following courses (or their equivalent) are required from the areas of mathematics:
MATH 1310 Eng Calc I
MATH 1320 Eng Calc II
MATH 2310 Calc III
or (recommended)
MATH 1311 Honor’s Accelerated Eng Calc I
MATH 1321 Honor’s Accelerated Eng Calc II
MATH 2250 Diff Eq/Lin Alg
Math (starts in the 1
st
semester):
All BME students must master the concepts in at least calculus 1, 2, & 3 as well as differential equations/linear algebra. There are 3 options for
completing the calculus series. Selecting the correct path will depend on your previous college courses and/or test scores. Furthermore,
depending on your previous courses/test scores, additional classes may be required in order to be prepared for entry into one of the University
of Utah’s calculus series.
PreparatoryMathClasses:
Optionsforcompletingcalculus1,2,&3:
(Youonlyneedtocomplete1pathway)
Dif.Eq./Lin.Alg.:
Math1010
(ACTscore18+)
(SATscore470+)
Math1050&1060
(ACTscore23)
(SATscore570+)
Math1080
(ACTscore24+)
(SATscore580+)
Math2250
Math1210,1220,&2210
(ACTscore28+)
(SATscore650+)
Math1310,1320,&2310
(ACTscore28+)
(SATscore650+)
Math1311,Math1321
(onlyforthoseenteringwith
appropriateAPtestscores—
seetablebelow*)
Completing
eitherpath
witha“C”or
higher
≥B
≥C
**Math2210or
2310maybe
takenbeforeor
after
Math2250
Note: If any student does not believe their ACT/SAT test scores accurately represent their math skills, students may take the Accuplacer Exam for
placement purposes. Accuplacer exams are administered by appointment in the Testing Center (SSB 498) at the Student Services Building (and
most other colleges/universities). Weeklong preparatory boot camps are held to prepare students for the Accuplacer exam each summer.
**Math 2210 or 2310 may be taken before or after taking Math 2250 (most student do)
APCalc Exam&Score Coursesyoumay startin
BCof 4or5 Math1321or2210
BCof3 Math 1311,1320,or1220
ABof4or5 Math 1311
ABof3 Math 1310or1210
Prerequisitesinclude:
Math1320(1321)
Or
Math2210
or
Math1220+Phys2210
Figure 2: Math class requirements. Flowchart of the math course requirements for admission to the BME
program.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
4.3 Science Courses
The following courses (or their equivalent) are required from the areas of science:
PHYS 2210/3210 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I
PHYS 2220/3220 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II
CHEM 1210 or CHEM 1211 General Chemistry I
CHEM 1215 General Chemistry Lab I
CHEM 1220 (or CHEM 1221) General Chemistry II (or honors)
CHEM 1225 (or CHEM 1241) General Chemistry Lab II (or honors)
CHEM 2310 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2315 Organic Chem Lab I
BIOL 2020/2021 Cell Biology
The flowchart in Figure 3 shows the Chemistry and BME courses required for admission to the program
and Figure 4 shows the Physics and Biology course requirements.
Chemistry (starts in the 1
st
semester):
All BME students must master the concepts in at least General Chemistry 1 & 2 as well as Organic Chemistry 1 (with the accompanying labs for each
course). If a student does not have previous Chemistry experience, we recommend taking a preparatory Chemistry course (1200) prior to taking General
Chemistry 1 (Chem 1210). AP testing can be used to count for one or both of the General Chemistry courses. However, students who plan on going to Medical
School may still need to take both General Chemistry courses as most Medical Schools require at least 4 semesters of College Chemistry with labs and
typically do not recognize AP Scores in this subject (the U of U med school will waive the first semester with a score of 4 or 5). If AP students also completed a
laboratory component at their high school, they may petition the Chemistry department to waive one or both of the General Chemistry lab requirements by
submitting their lab notebooks to the Chemistry Department. Honors versions of these classes are also available but are offered less frequently.
Chemistry (starts in the 1
st
semester):
All BME students must master the concepts in at least General Chemistry 1 & 2 as well as Organic Chemistry 1 (with the accompanying labs for each
course). If a student does not have previous Chemistry experience, we recommend taking a preparatory Chemistry course (1200) prior to taking General
Chemistry 1 (Chem 1210). AP testing can be used to count for one or both of the General Chemistry courses. However, students who plan on going to Medical
School may still need to take both General Chemistry courses as most Medical Schools require at least 4 semesters of College Chemistry with labs and
typically do not recognize AP Scores in this subject (the U of U med school will waive the first semester with a score of 4 or 5). If AP students also completed a
laboratory component at their high school, they may petition the Chemistry department to waive one or both of the General Chemistry lab requirements by
submitting their lab notebooks to the Chemistry Department. Honors versions of these classes are also available but are offered less frequently.
Chem 1200
Chem 1210&1215*
(FulfilledbyAPChem 4)
Chem 1220&1225*
(FulfilledbyAPChem 5)
Chem 2310&2315
ChemistryCoursesNeededForMajorStatus:
PreparatoryChemistryClass:
CanWaitUntilAfter EntryIntoTheMajor:
*ChemistrylabsmaybefulfilledbyreviewofAPlabnotebook
Biomedical Engineering Classes (starts in the 1
st
semester):
All BME students will take the BME core (49 credits) plus will choose a set of BME electives (15 credits). The first class a student typically takes is BME 1010:
Careers in Biomedical Engineering. The class serves as an introduction to the variety of career paths possible with a degree in BME, how best to prepare to
enter a career, and the type of activities (including core skill development and class selection) that will be useful in career development. Topics will also cover
how best to organize a plan of study and to get involved in research. After the first semester, students will start progressing through the major classesstarting
in the spring semester with a Fundamentals of BME class (BME 1020) focused on an introducing to materials, chemistry, and biology fundamentals.
Biomedical Engineering Classes (starts in the 1
st
semester):
All BME students will take the BME core (49 credits) plus will choose a set of BME electives (15 credits). The first class a student typically takes is BME 1010:
Careers in Biomedical Engineering. The class serves as an introduction to the variety of career paths possible with a degree in BME, how best to prepare to
enter a career, and the type of activities (including core skill development and class selection) that will be useful in career development. Topics will also cover
how best to organize a plan of study and to get involved in research. After the first semester, students will start progressing through the major classesstarting
in the spring semester with a Fundamentals of BME class (BME 1020) focused on an introducing to materials, chemistry, and biology fundamentals.
BME1010
BME1020
Prerequisite:Chem1210
&1215
Corequisite:Math1310*
BME2100
Prerequisite:Math1321**
Corequisite:Phys2220
BME3301*
BME3070*
BME3091
BMECoursesNeededBeforeStartingUpper‐Division:
IntroductiontoBME:
FirstUpper‐DivisionClasses:
*orMath1310(Math1220)**orMath1320(Math1220)
Note:Theseclassescanbetakenineitherorder.
*EntrybyPermission:fourthsemesterofprogram
PriorWork Coursesyoumay startin
NoHighSchoolChemistry
or
MathACT<25andMathAB<2andAccuplacerAAF<263
Chem1200
MathACT25+orMathAB2+orAccuplacerAAF263+orMath1050(1080)+ Chem1210
APChem4or(5andpremed) Chem1220
APChem5¬premed Chem
2310
Figure 3: Chemistry and BME requirements. Flowchart of the chemistry and BME course requirements for
admission to the BME program.
All mathematics, science, and biomedical engineering core and technical elective courses should
be taken for letter grade whenever this option is available.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Biology (second year):
All BME students must complete Cell Biology in the second year. In order to take Cell Biology, the biology department requires either an AP Biology Score of
4+, our Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering I (BME 1020), or General Biology (Biol 1610). Note: General Biology is not required for a BME degree and will
not count as a BME elective course. However, for students planning to go to Medical School, please note that those medical schools typically require two
biology courses. Also if you are planning on Medical School, you should also take the C ell Biology lab (or an alternate biology lab) to fulfill the entry
requirements of most medical schools. Wherever available, honors versions of the courses may be substituted to satisfy the requirements.
Biology (second year):
All BME students must complete Cell Biology in the second year. In order to take Cell Biology, the biology department requires either an AP Biology Score of
4+, our Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering I (BME 1020), or General Biology (Biol 1610). Note: General Biology is not required for a BME degree and will
not count as a BME elective course. However, for students planning to go to Medical School, please note that those medical schools typically require two
biology courses. Also if you are planning on Medical School, you should also take the C ell Biology lab (or an alternate biology lab) to fulfill the entry
requirements of most medical schools. Wherever available, honors versions of the courses may be substituted to satisfy the requirements.
Physics(startinthe2
nd
semester):
AllBMEstudentsmustcompletePhysicsforScientistsandEngineers1&2(Calculus‐basedphysics). Successinphysicsclassesinpartisachievedthrough
adequatedevelopmentofmathematicandproblem‐solvingskills(developedinBMEandchemistryclasses).Forstudentsplanningto gotoMedicalSchool,
pleasenotethatyoushould
alsotaketwophysicslabstofulfilltheentryrequirementsofmostmedicalschools.Eitherthealgebraorcalculus‐basedphysics
labswillcount.Whereveravailable,honorsversionsofthecoursesmaybesubstitutedtosatisfytherequirements.
Physics(startinthe2
nd
semester):
AllBMEstudentsmustcompletePhysicsforScientistsandEngineers1&2(Calculus‐basedphysics). Successinphysicsclassesinpartisachievedthrough
adequatedevelopmentofmathematicandproblem‐solvingskills(developedinBMEandchemistryclasses).Forstudentsplanningto gotoMedicalSchool,
pleasenotethatyoushould
alsotaketwophysicslabstofulfilltheentryrequirementsofmostmedicalschools.Eitherthealgebraorcalculus‐basedphysics
labswillcount.Whereveravailable,honorsversionsofthecoursesmaybesubstitutedtosatisfytherequirements.
BME1020
APBiol5
Biol1610
PreparatoryBiologyClass:
BiologyCourseNeededForMajorStatus:
PremedsOnly:
Biol 3215or
Chem/Biol3225
Phys 2210
(Prereq:Calc.1)
(FulfilledbyAPPhys CMech 4+)
CalculusBasedPhysicsCoursesNeededForMajorStatus:
Phys 2220
(Prereq:Calc.2)
(FulfilledbyAPPhys CE&M4+)
PremedsOnly:
Phys 2015,2025
or
Phys 2215,2225
Biol2020*
Oneofthefollowing
ClassesStartedinSubsequentSemesters
*AlsoasaprerequisiteofChem1210
Figure 4: Physics and Biology class requirements. Flowchart of the Physics and Biology course require-
ments for admission to the BME program.
4.4 Biomedical Engineering Core
The following 16 courses are required from the BME Core:
Pre-major
BME 1010 Careers in Biomedical Engineering
BME 1020 Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering I
BME 2100 Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering II
Major
BME 3070 Biomedical Engineering Statistics*
BME 3091 Current Research in Biomedical Engineering
BME 3101 Biosignal Analysis
BME 3202 Physiology for Engineers
BME 3301 Computational Methods for Biomedical Engineers
BME 3801 Biomedical Engineering Design I
BME 4801 Biomedical Engineering Design II
BME 4990 Biomedical Research
BME 4991 Thesis Writing and Communication I
BME 4992 Thesis Writing and Communication II
BME 4001 Biotransport and Biomolecular Engineering
BME 4101 Biosystems Analysis and Modeling
BME 4250 Biomechanics I
BME 4301 Intro to Modern Biomaterials
BME 5900 Digital Design and Fabrication**
* It is possible to substitute another statistics class from the College of engineering e.g., ECE 3530,
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
or CS 3130 (but not MET E 3070) for this requirement. We will not accept the Math 3070 course as a
substitute. ** The class number for this course will change from a special topics class to a permanent 3000
number by spring 2024.
4.5 BME Electives
BME electives are courses that students use to help achieve the main goal of the program—to determine
(or confirm) the future direction of their post graduate career and to ensure they are optimally prepared
for that career. For some students, BME elective classes offer the opportunity to deepen and focus their
knowledge in order to prepare for a career in a specific area of biomedical engineering. Others take electives
to help make the decision among the wide range of directions open to students in biomedical engineering,
in anticipation of subsequent education and training in the selected area(s).
The BME program is loosely organized into the following foci or areas of emphasis. Note that students
make take classes from any focus area so that the selection of a focus direction is not restrictive:, rather,
the set of BME electives can include topics from more than one of the focus areas described below.
Bioelectrical Engineering: based on course material from electrical engineering typically with a focus on
instrumentation, device development, or electrically based diagnostics and therapy.
Biomaterials Engineering: based on course material from materials science, material engineering, and
mechanical engineering focused on the role of materials in biomedical applications. Also includes
topics like biocompatibility, tissue engineering, biomimetic materials, and synthetic biology.
Biomechanical Engineering: based on course material from physics or mechanical engineering focused
on mechanical aspects of the body, mechanical characteristics of biomedical materials, fluids, use of
heat and heat-inducing therapies, and prosthetics.
Biomedical Imaging: based on courses in mathematics, radiology, and biomedical engineering that cover
the underlying physics and mathematics of medical imaging as well as the use of image processing to
extract information from those images.
Computational Biomedical Engineering: based on courses in computer science, physics, and mathemat-
ics and focused on the application of numerical and computational approaches to the analysis, inter-
pretation, visualization, and simulation of living systems.
Premedical Preparation: includes the required courses for entry to most medical and dental programs
with an emphasis on clinical perspectives of engineering.
A student must propose a set of BME elective classes based on his/her career goals and often after a
discussion with an Undergraduate Advisor in order to meet one or more of the following needs:
• Deeper knowledge of a particular technical field because of a pre-existing interest or focused career
goals.
• Broader knowledge of a technical field in order to be prepared for a diverse career based on post
graduate training.
• Exploration of a wide variety of technical directions and courses in order to identify the most com-
pelling and fulfilling future career directions.
Section 7 contains specific requirements and lists of approved BME electives. Note that approval of the
BME electives must occur with the approval of Dr. Rob MacLeod.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
4.6 COOP/Internship Opportunities
Students interested in including industrial experience in their university education should consider par-
ticipating in the Department’s COOP/Internship Program. Internships can also lead to credit through the
required BME 4990 Research Class, or the BME 4995 Class for additional elective credit. Note: all students
must take BME 4990 as part of the core requirements. The BME 4995 is a course for Coop or internship
students wishing to receive additional elective credit.
4.7 Continuing Performance
A student admitted to major status must maintain a cumulative University of Utah GPA, as reported on
his or her transcript, at or above 3.00. Students must also have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA to
graduate.
Each course taken to satisfy departmental requirements in mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology,
biomedical engineering core, and the BME electives must be taken for credit and passed with a grade of C
or better. Generally, and in accordance with College of Engineering policy, a student may repeat these
technical courses only once, and the second grade received will be counted for the requirement. It is
possible to apply for a variance from these requirements by meeting with Dr. Rob MacLeod.
4.8 Leave of Absence
Students are expected to complete all degree requirements within four years of acceptance to major
status (6 years for students admitted as freshmen). Students accepted into major status who are planning to
be absent from the program for more than one year should request a leave of absence by submitting a letter
to an Undergraduate Advisor. (A copy should also be sent to the University Admissions Office to avoid the
necessity of reapplying for admission and repaying the admission fee upon return.)
Students who move to a part time status and do not take the normal course load should apply to an
Undergraduate Advisor, fill out a variance (tan colored form), and work out an acceptable plan for continuing
progress in the program.
Otherwise, students accepted into major status who are not making satisfactory progress may be dropped
from the program and declared inactive. To be reinstated to active status, students must submit a written
petition to an Undergraduate Advisor. Reinstated students matriculate under the graduation requirements in
place at the time they are reinstated.
4.9 Probation
A student admitted to major status whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 is placed on departmental
academic probation and given written instructions for a return to good standing. Normally, these conditions
must be met during the ensuing semester. Students who fail to meet probationary conditions are dropped
from the program. Reinstatement requires a written petition to Dr. Rob MacLeod. Reinstated students
matriculate under the graduation requirements in place at the time they are reinstated.
4.10 Repeat and Withdrawal Policies
The BME program adheres to the College of Engineering policies for a course that is repeated and for
withdrawals. In particular, a technical course required for the degree may be repeated only once, and the
second grade received will be counted toward application for admission to major status and to the continuing
performance requirement. Grades of W, I or V on the student’s record count as having taken the class.
This policy does not apply to courses taken to satisfy Intellectual Exploration and lower division Writing
requirements.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
4.11 Academic Misconduct
The Biomedical Engineering program has a zero tolerance policy with any form of academic mis-
conduct. We encourage group interactions and exchange but ultimately, each student must submit individual
homework assignments, projects, and exams (with the exception of Design Class projects or those assign-
ments explicitly declared otherwise). We follow the University policy on academic misconduct, as follows:
Definitions
“Academic misconduct” includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s
work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information,
as defined further below. It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally
helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.
1. “Cheating” involves the unauthorized possession or use of information, materials, notes,
study aids, or other devices in any academic exercise, or the unauthorized communication
with another person during such an exercise. Common examples of cheating include, but
are not limited to, copying from another student’s examination, submitting work for an
in-class exam that has been prepared in advance, violating rules governing the adminis-
tration of exams, having another person take an exam, altering one’s work after the work
has been returned and before resubmitting it, or violating any rules relating to academic
conduct of a course or program.
2. Misrepresenting one’s work includes, but is not limited to, representing material prepared
by another as one’s own work, or submitting the same work in more than one course
without prior permission of both faculty members.
3. “Plagiarism” means the intentional unacknowledged use or incorporation of any other
person’s work in, or as a basis for, one’s own work offered for academic consideration or
credit or for public presentation. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, representing
as one’s own, without attribution, any other individual’s words, phrasing, ideas, sequence
of ideas, information or any other mode or content of expression.
4. “Fabrication” or “falsification” includes reporting experiments or measurements or sta-
tistical analyses never performed; manipulating or altering data or other manifestations
of research to achieve a desired result; falsifying or misrepresenting background infor-
mation, credentials or other academically relevant information; or selective reporting,
including the deliberate suppression of conflicting or unwanted data. It does not include
honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data and/or results.
Sanctions:
A student who engages in academic misconduct as defined above may be subject to aca-
demic sanctions including but not limited to a grade reduction, failing grade, probation, sus-
pension or dismissal from the program or the University, or revocation of the student’s degree or
certificate. Sanctions may also include community service, a written reprimand, and/or a writ-
ten statement of misconduct that can be put into an appropriate record maintained for purposes
of the profession or discipline for which the student is preparing.
1. Any person who observes or discovers academic misconduct by a student should file a
written complaint with the faculty member responsible for the pertinent academic activity
within thirty (30) business days of the date of discovery of the alleged violation.
2. A faculty member who discovers or receives a complaint of misconduct relating to an
academic activity for which the faculty member is responsible shall take action under this
code and impose an appropriate sanction for the misconduct.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
3. Upon receipt of a complaint or discovery of academic misconduct, the faculty member
shall make reasonable efforts to discuss the alleged academic misconduct with the ac-
cused student no later than twenty (20) business days after receipt of the complaint, and
give the student an opportunity to respond. Within ten (10) business days thereafter, the
faculty member shall give the student written notice of the academic sanction, if any, to
be taken and the student’s right to appeal the academic sanction to the Academic Appeals
Committee for the college offering the course. Such sanctions may include requiring the
student to rewrite a paper(s) or retake an exam(s), a grade reduction, a failing grade for
the exercise, or a failing grade for the course. In no event shall the academic sanction
imposed by the faculty member be more severe than a failing grade for the course.
4. If the faculty member imposes the sanction of a failing grade for the course, the faculty
member shall, within ten (10) business days of imposing the sanction, notify in writing, the
chair of the student’s home department and the senior vice president for academic affairs
or senior vice president for health sciences, as appropriate, of the academic misconduct
and the circumstances which the faculty member believes support the imposition of a
failing grade. If the sanction imposed by the faculty member is less than a failing grade
for the course, the faculty member should report the misconduct to the dean or chair of the
student’s home department or college. Each college shall develop a policy specifying the
dean and/or the chair as the appropriate person to receive notice of sanctions less than a
failing grade for the course.
5. A student who believes that the academic sanction given by the faculty member is arbitrary
or capricious should discuss the academic sanction with the faculty member and attempt
to resolve the disagreement. If the student and faculty member are unable to resolve
the disagreement, the student may appeal the academic sanction to the Academic Appeals
Committee for the college offering the course within fifteen (15) business days of receiving
written notice of the academic sanction.
6. If the faculty member, chair or vice president believes that the student’s academic mis-
conduct warrants an academic sanction of probation, suspension or dismissal from a
program, suspension or dismissal from the University, or revocation of a student’s de-
gree or certificate, they may, within thirty (30) business days of receiving notice of the
misconduct, prepare a complaint with recommendations, refer the matter to the chair or
dean’s designee of the student’s home department or college, and notify the student of the
complaint and recommendation. The chair and/or dean’s designee of the home depart-
ment/college may undertake an investigation of the allegations and recommendations set
forth in the complaint. Within ten (10) business days of receipt of the complaint, the chair
and/or dean’s designee shall forward the complaint and recommendation to the Academic
Appeals Committee of the home college for proceedings in accordance with Section C, be-
low, and so notify the student in writing. The chair and/or dean may accompany the com-
plaint with his/her own recommendation supporting or opposing the sanction sought in
the complaint. The person initiating the original complaint continues as the complainant
in the case unless that person and the chair/dean’s designee both agree that the latter shall
become the complainant. If the student has appealed the academic sanction imposed by
the faculty member, the time periods set forth in this paragraph may be extended until ten
(10) business days after the resolution of the student’s appeal.
7. If a department chair, the dean, the senior vice president for academic affairs and/or the
senior vice president for health sciences, become aware of multiple acts of academic mis-
conduct by a student, they or their designees may, within thirty (30) business days after
receiving notice of the last act of misconduct, prepare a complaint with recommendations
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
for probation, suspension or dismissal from a program, suspension or dismissal from the
University, or revocation of a degree or certificate, and refer the matter to the Academic
Appeals Committee of the student’s home college for proceedings in accordance with Sec-
tion C, below, and so notify the student in writing.
4.12 Preparation for Graduation and Exit Interviews
In order to be cleared to graduate, a student must meet with Dr. Rob MacLeod to review the DARS
audit report and to verify that all graduation requirements will be completed by the time of graduation. This
meeting must occur one semester prior to graduation. See Applying for Undergraduate Degree for the
details. Each student should seek guidance from the instructor of the Senior Thesis Writing and Presentation
class (BME 4991/2), currently Heather Palmer, for the steps required for this approval.
Immediately prior to graduation, the student must attend an exit interview with a faculty member during
a time announced in the senior classes. This exit interview is required and provides important feedback to
the Department to help improve the BME program.
4.13 Undergraduate Advising
To receive specific advising, please visit the Department of Biomedical Engineering undergraduate of-
fice, SMBB Suite 3100, Office 3221, or contact any of the Undergraduate Advisors listed in Section 1.
5 BME Minor Program
The minor program is available to students interested in learning how to apply the knowledge gained in
another engineering major to biomedical applications. It includes a set of required credits from BME, many
of which can also count as electives in the home department.
5.1 Admission to the Minor program
To apply for admission to the program use see the Minor Application Form at the end of this document
(Section 10). GPA requirements for the minor are consistent with those of the BME major (see Section 3.2).
After completing the form, meet with the Department’s Minor Program Advisor to finalize your application.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
5.2 BME Minor classes
The course requirements for the BME Minor include two prerequisite courses:
BIOL 2020 (or BIOL 2021) Cell Biology (or equivalent)
MATH 2250 Diff Eq/Lin Alg
and then 6 cr. hrs. of Life Science Emphasis courses from the following list:
BME 3202 Physiology for Engineers (4) Fall
BME 4001 Biotransport/Biomolecular (3) Spr
BME 4301 Introduction to Biomaterials (3) (Meets with MSC 5040) Spr
BME 5005 Computational Neuroscience (3) Spr odd years
BME 5160 Engineering Aspects of Clinical Medicine (2) Spr
BME 5306 Genetic Eng./Synthetic Biology (3) Spr
BME 6000* Systems Physiology I (4) Spr
BME 6002* Molecular Biophysics (3) Fall
BME 6230* Functional Anatomy for Engineers (3) (Meets with ME EN 7120) Spr
BME 6302* Biomaterials II (3) Spr
BME 6303* Cell and Tissue Engineering (3) Fall
BME 6304* Intro to Biopolymers (3) Fall
BME 6305* Cell and Tissue Engineering Organ Systems (3) Fall
BME 6308* Biomolecular Engineering (3) Spr
BME 6405* Nanomedicine (3) every other Fall
BME 6430* Systems Neuroscience (4) (Meets with NEUSC 6050) Spr
BME 6440* Neural Engineering (3) Fall
BME 6770* Genomic Signal Processing (3) Spr
and 7 cr. hrs. of Engineering Emphasis courses from the following list:
BME 1020** Fundamentals of BME I (3) Spr
BME 2100** Fundamentals of BME II (4) Fall
BME 3070 Biomedical Engineering Statistics (3) Spr
BME 3101 Biosignals Analysis (3) Spr
BME 3301 Computational Methods for BME (3) Spr
BME 4101 Biosystems Analysis & Modeling (4) Fall
BME 4250 Biomechanics I (4) Fall
BME 5110 Intro to Regulatory Affairs (3) Fall
BME 5401 Medical Imaging Systems (3) Fall
BME 5480 Ultrasound (3) (Meets with ECE 5480) Fall even years
BME 5701 Microfluidic Chip Design (3) (Meets with ME EN 5730) Spr
BME 5220 Biofluid Mechanics (3) Spr even years
BME 6421* Fundamentals of Micromachining (3)
(Meets with ECE 5221, ME EN 5050, MSE 6421) Spr
BME 6433* Biomedical Stat. Sig. Proc. (3) Spr even years
BME 6640* Introduction to Image Processing (3) (Meets with CS 6640 & ECE 6532) Fall
BME 7210* Computational Biomechanics (3) Fall even years
* Note: These 6000-level classes may be taken by qualified undergraduates with permission of the
instructor. Students must have appropriate prerequisites to take these classes.
** Only one of 1020 or 2100 can be included, the former for students interested in chemistry-based
approaches and the latter for physics-based approaches to BME.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
6 Sample BME Plan of Study
Here is a sample plan of study, a plan few students follow exactly but a useful starting point for planning.
The best order of classes will depend on the needs of the student and the Undergraduate Advising can assist
in selection of courses. Note: many students use the summer semesters for courses in the Sciences and
Math and for the Gen Ed requirements. Descriptions of Biomedical Engineering Department courses can be
found at https://bme.utah.edu/course-list
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Course # Title Hrs Course # Title Hrs
Freshman Year
BME 1010 Careers in Biomed Eng 1 BME 1020 Funds of BME I 3
CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I 4 CHEM 1220 General Chemistry II 4
CHEM 1215 General Chemistry Lab I 1 CHEM 1225 General Chemistry Lab II 1
MATH 1311 Hon Accel Eng Calc I
(1)
4 MATH 1321 Hon Accel Eng Calc II
(1)
4
WRTG 2010 College Writing 3 PHYS 2210 Physics for Scientists I 4
Gen Ed Elective 1 3 or 3210
Total 16 16
Sophomore Year (Spring Entry in Program)
BME 2100 Funds of BME II 4 BME 3301 Computational Methods 3
BIOL 2020
(2)
Cell Biology 3 BME 3091 Current Research in BME 1
MATH 2250 Diff Eq/Lin Alg 4 BME 3070 Statistics for Eng
(3)
3
PHYS 2220 Physics for Sci. & Eng II 4 BME 5900 Digital Design and Fabrication 2
or 3220 CHEM 2310 Org. Chem I 4
CHEM 2315 Org. Chem I Lab 2
Total 15 15
Junior Year
BME 3202 Physiology for Engineers 4 BME 3101 Biosignals Analysis 3
BME 4250 Biomechanics I 4 BME 3801 bioDesign I 3
BME Elective 1 3 BME 4301 Biomaterials 3
Gen Ed Elective 2 3 BME 4990
(4)
Biomedical Eng. Res. 1
Amer. Inst. Elective 3 BME Elective 2 3
Gen Ed Elective 3 3
Total 17 16
Senior Year
BME 4801 bioDesign II 3 BME 4001 Biotransport/Biomolecular 3
BME 4991 Sen. Thes. Commun. I 2 BME 4992 Sen. Thes. Commun. II 2
BME 4101 Biosystems Anal./Model. 4 BME Elective 4 3
Gen Ed Elective 4 3 BME Elective 5 3
BME Elective 3 3 Gen Ed Elective 5 3
Gen Ed Elective 6 3
Total 15 17
Grand total 127
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
6.1 Additional Notes
(1)
As an alternative to this math sequence, students may take MATH 1310, 1320 and 2310.
(2)
Students will take BME 1020, a required BME core class, which meets one of the prerequisites for
BIOL 2020. Students may also take BIOL 1610 to meet the BIOL 2020 prerequisite, but it is neither
required nor recommended for BME majors.
(3)
ECE 3530, or CS 3130 may also stand as replacement courses for BME 3070. The MET E 3070 and
Math 3070 will not be considered a substitute.
(4)
All students must take BME 4990 before they begin the Writing & Communication series (BME 4991/2).
In addition, students may also take BME 4995 once and apply that credit to the required BME elec-
tives. Students who perform a research internship outside of the University of Utah or with a faculty
mentor who is not a member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering must seek prior approval
for BME 4995 and, upon completion, a grade from the BME 4995 Course Director (Heather Palmer)
6.2 Prerequisites
While there are many variations on the plan laid out above, there are some courses which must be
taken in certain orders. Such sequences are aimed at ensuring suitable preparation for all students and more
productive and fulfilling experiences in the intermediate and advanced classes.
The current set of prerequisites and class sequences among the BME core classes are as follows:
1. PHYCS 2220 (or 3220), Physics for Scientists II, is a prerequisite for BME 3202, 4101, and 4001.
2. BME 3301 Computational Methods: should be one of the first classes students take in the program
and is a prerequisite or co-requisite for almost all other BME classes at the sophomore, junior, or
senior levels, i.e., BME 3070, 3101, 3202, 4101, 4301, 4250, and 4001.
3. BME 3070 Statistics for Engineers should be taken in the first spring semester of the major, i.e.,
directly after regular admission. It is a prerequisite or co-requisite for almost all other BME classes at
the junior or senior levels. For transfer students or other, exceptional situations, it is possible to take
BME 4301 together with BME 3070.
4. BME 1020 Fundamentals I: requires Math 1310 or 1311, and Chem 1210 and 1215. Chem 1220 and
1225 must also be taken before or concurrently.
5. BME 2100 Fundamentals II: requires Math 1320 or 1321 and Physics 2220 (or 3220) is a corequisite.
6. BME 4101 requires BME 3101 as prerequisite and BME 3202 as a pre- or co-requisite.
7. BME 3202 Physiology requires 3301 as a prerequisite.
8. BME 3802 bioDesign I is a prerequisite for BME 4801 bioDesign II.
9. BME 4991 Writing & Communication I requires BME 4990, BME Research, as a prerequisite.
10. BME 4992 Thesis Writing & Communication II requires BME 4991 Thesis Writing & Communica-
tion I as a prerequisite.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7 BME Electives
To successfully complete the BME elective component of the program requires a selection of courses that
meets the following goals:
1. a minimum of 15 credit hours of course work, of which
2. at least 5 hours must be from courses taught in the College of Engineering and/or the College of Mines
& Earth Sciences* (ensures meeting ABET course requirements), and
3. at least 9 of the hours must be at the upper division level (3000 or above).
4. and of which up to 3 hours may come from upper division courses outside the colleges of Science and
Engineering, or be non-technical classes taught within the College of Engineering, provided they are
approved by Dr. Rob MacLeod before they are taken. The goal of such classes is to provide exposure
to materials from other disciplines, e.g., Business, Law, Ethics, that directly support the individual
goals of each student. All such courses must have a significant and direct link to engineering and
must deepen the skill set and exposure of students in a field related to Biomedical Engineering. Note
again that if a students would like to take a course from this category, the course must be approved
by Dr. Rob MacLeod BEFORE it is taken.
The following are useful guidelines when selecting BME Electives:
• Note: Transfer credits are generally only accepted as a BME elective if they are lower division (1000
and 2000 level) and must first be approved for transfer by means of a Petition for Transfer Credit or
Variance (the “tan sheet”). Additionally, if transferred upper-division BME electives are accepted,
they will count as lower-division credit. See Section 3.3 for more details on transfer classes.
• Students should use past schedules as guidelines in scheduling BME elective classes to ensure that
they do not conflict with required classes.
• For admission to graduate level classes (6000, 7000), all students must simply meet standard pre-
requisites and obtain written (email) permission from an instructor in order to apply for admission.
Students should then forward the permission directly to an Undergraduate Advisor, who will then
hand-enroll the student in the course. Note that admission to 7000 classes is generally restricted to
PhD students so only available to undergraduates with explicit permission.
• A list of Biomedical Engineering Department courses suitable for inclusion as a BME elective appears
at the end of this section.
• Students must pay attention to prerequisites to be sure the courses are taken in the correct order.
• Note that entry into upper division courses in other departments is often possible without the stan-
dard prerequisites for those departments as long as the associated BME core course is completed.
For example, to enter upper division classes in Mechanical Engineering, ensure that the BME 4250,
Biomechanics I course, is completed first (or concurrently). When in doubt, contact Dr. Rob MacLeod
for clarification or assistance.
• Organic Chemistry II, both the lecture and lab courses, (CHEM 2320 and CHEM 2325), typically
required for entry to medical school, are acceptable as BME elective.
• If students perform a second semester of research in a lab or internship with a company, they may
take the class BME 4995 for a maximum of 1 hour of BME elective credit.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
• Directed reading, independent study, literature surveys, and special project classes do not generally
qualify as BME electives. Exceptions are possible but Dr. Rob MacLeod must approve these before-
hand.
• Some research seminar classes (e.g., BME 5280 and BME 6280, Biomechanics Research) may be
acceptable for 1 hour of BME elective credit, but usually when they are used only to ensure adequate
college credit hours, i.e., they are not counted as part of the minimum 15 hours. Again, students must
consult with Dr. Rob MacLeod beforehand to receive permission.
7.1 Approval of BME Electives
A student’s BME elective plan must be approved by Dr. Rob MacLeod by submitting a BME elective
Coursework Plan via the BME Undergraduate web site Seeking approval for a BME elective plan should
occur in the first or second semester after admission to major status and before starting the BME elective
sequence. Students may (and almost always do) update their plans through the course of their studies and
should review the plan each semester. A final version of the plan must be approved in order to complete
graduation requirements. Students who have not applied for BME elective approval by the middle of the
fall semester immediately following their admission may not be allowed to register for the following
semester BME courses.
Below are some samples of courses organized by focus or emphasis area. Note that in many cases,
BME students can progress directly to the upper division classes offered by other departments without
completing the usual requirements for those classes. When in doubt, Dr. Rob MacLeod or the instructor
of the course can provide guidance.
7.2 Waiting Lists
Some of the BME electives that are offered only during specific semesters or are very popular are
regulated via wait lists. All BME undergraduate advisors have access to these wait lists and can assist
students in being added to the courses of interest. These courses include the following:
• BME 5160, Engineering Aspects of Clinical Medicine;
• BME 6110, Biomedical Technology in Anesthesia;
• and BME 6230, Functional Anatomy
7.3 Bioelectrical Engineering Focus
Students with a bioelectric focus are likely to take several ECE courses as part of their BME elective
requirements. To satisfy those courses’ prerequisites, these students should take some ECE-relevant BME-
core courses earlier than other students. In particular, BME 2100, 3301, 3101, 4101 all satisfy some ECE
prerequisties. Students may take BME 2100 and BME 3301 at the normal time, but BME 3101 and BME
4101 should be taken sooner than is typical. One simple way to take those courses early is to swap BME
3101 and a General Education Elective between sophomore and junior spring semesters, and to swap BME
4101 and BME 4250 between the junior and senior fall semesters.
The ECE undergraduate coordinators typically approve the following prerequisite substitutions:
1. BME 2100 can replace ECE 1250
2. BME 3301 can replace CS 1410/1420
3. BME 3101 + BME 4101 can replace ECE 2240 + ECE 3500
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
We designate three subspecialties in this focus area: 1) Biomedical instrumentation, 2) Cardiac Bioelec-
tricity, and 3) Neural Bioelectricity. Each of these has the following associated recommended set of electives
that will develop the specific skills needed to pursue each area. Note that some General Education electives
may need to be moved around to accommodate the following BME elective plans.
7.3.1 Biomedical Instrumentation
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Course # Title Hrs Course # Title Hrs
Sophomore Year (Assuming otherwise standard classes)
BME 2100 Fundamentals II 4 MATH 3150 PDE’s for Engineers. 2
BME 3101 Biosignals 3
Junior Year
ECE 2280 Fund of Eng Electronics 4 BME 5433 Biomed Stat Sig Processing 3
BME 4101 BioSystems 4 MATH 3150 PDE’s for Engineers 2
Senior Year
ECE 5960 Medical Instrumentation 3 ECE 3110 Engineering Electronics II 4
7.3.2 Cardiac Bioelectricity
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Course # Title Hrs Course # Title Hrs
Sophomore Year (Assuming otherwise standard classes)
BME 2100 Fundamentals II 4 MATH 3150 PDE’s for Engineers. 2
BME 3101 Biosignals 3
Junior Year
BME 4101 BioSystems 4 BME 6000 Systems Physiology I 4
ECE 5960 Medical Instrumentation 3 PHYS 3730 Intro To Computing In Physics 4
Or
ECE 5960 Bioelectricity Measurement 3
Senior Year
BME 6003 Cell. Electrophys. 3 BME 5433 Biol. Stat Sign Process. 3
Or
BME 6460 Bioelectricity 3 CS 3200 Intro to Scientific Computing 3
7.3.3 Neuro Bioelectricity
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Course # Title Hrs Course # Title Hrs
Sophomore Year (Assuming otherwise standard classes)
BME 2100 Fundamentals II 4 MATH 3150 PDE’s for Engineers. 2
BME 3101 Biosignals 3
Junior Year
BME 4101 BioSystems 4 BME 5433 Biomed Stat Sig Processing 3
ECE 2280 Fund of Eng Electronics 4
Senior Year
BME 6440 Neural Engineering 3 BME 5005 Computat. Neurosci. 3
BME 6003 Cellular Electrophysiology 3
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.3.4 Summary of Bioelectric elective courses
BME 5460 Engineering Aspects of Clinical Medicine
BME 5480 Ultrasound
BME 5005 Computational Neuroscience
BME 5433 Biological Signal Processing
BME 6002 Cellular Electrophysiology
BME 6421 Fundamentals of Micromachining Processes
BME 6440 Neural Engineering
BME 6460 Bioelectricity
BME 6110 Biomedical Technology in Anesthesia and Critical Care
ECE 2280 Fundamentals of Engineering Electronics
ECE 3110 Engineering Electronics II
ECE 3300 Fundamentals of Electromagnetics and Transmission Lines
ECE 3510 Introduction to Feedback Systems
ECE 5231/32 Microsensors Lecture/Lab
ECE 5325 Wireless Communication Systems
ECE 5340 Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics
ECE 5410 Lasers and Their Applications
ECE 5510 Random Porcesses
ECE 5530 Digital Signal Processing
ECE 5780 Embedded System Design
ECE 5960 Bioelectrical Measurement
ECE 5960 Medical Instrumentation
MATH 4600 Mathematics in Physiology and Medicine
PHYS 3610 Electronics for Scientific Instrumentation
PHYS 3620 Data Acquisition for Scientific Instrumentation
PHYS 4310 Physics in Biology
ENG 5020/6020 Emerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship
7.4 Biomedical Imaging Focus
BME 5480 Ultrasound
BME 5601 Scanning Electron Microscopy
BME 6330 Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
BME 6401 Medical Imaging Systems
BME 6500 Mathematics of Imaging
BME 6640 Introduction to Image Processing
BME 7310 Advanced Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
BME 7320 3-D Reconstruction Techniques in Medical Imaging
CS 5320 Computer Vision
CS 7640 Advanced Image Processing
MATH 3150 PDEs for Engineers
PHYS 3730 Intro To Computing In Physics
PHYS 4310 Physics in Biology
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.5 Biomaterials Engineering Focus
BME 5308 Biomolecular Engineering
BME 5601 Scanning Electron Microscopy
BME 6002 Molecular Biophysics
BME 6302 Biomaterials II
BME 6303 Cell and Tissue Engineering: Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering
BME 6305 Cell and Tissue Engineering: Organ Systems Design
BME 6304 Polymers and Biopolymers
BME 6405 Nanomedicine
BME 6422 Biomedical Applications of Micromachining
BME 6900 Biomimetic Materials Engineering
BIOL 3210 Microbiology
CH EN 6853 Thermodynamics
CH EN 3453 Heat Transfer
CH EN 5103 Biochemical Eng.
CH EN 5810 Nanoscience
MSE 2160 Elements of Materials Science & Engineering
MSE 3010 Materials Processing
MSE 3310 Introduction to Ceramics
MSE 3011 Materials Characterization
MSE 3210 Electronic Properties of Solids
MSE 3410 Introduction to Polymers
MSE 5072 Thin Film Techniques
MSE 5073 Nanostructured Materials: Science & Technology
MSE 5074 Photovoltaic Materials & Solar Cells
MSE 5353 Physical Ceramics
MSE 5354 Processing of Ceramics
MSE 5475 Introduction to Composites
ME EN 2010 Statics
ME EN 2030 Dynamics
ME EN 5060 Sustainable Products and Processes
MET E 1620 Introduction to Physical Metallurgy
MET E 3530 Experimental Techniques in Metallurgy
MET E 5260 Physical Metallurgy I
MET E 5450 Mechanical Metallurgy
MET E 5600 Corrosion Engineering
Note: for a complete list of elective course in Materials Science Engineering, please see the MSE Tech-
nical Electives web page.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.6 Biomechanical Engineering Focus
BME 5220/6220 Biofluid Mechanics
BME 5250/6250 Biomechanics II (treat as a required class)
BME 5601 Scanning Electron Microscopy
BME 6230 Functional Anatomy for Engineers
BME 6421 Fundamentals of Micromachining
BME 5280 Biomechanics Research (treat as required class, maximum enrollment of 1 semester)
BME 6280 Biomechanics Research (treat as optional, second semester of research seminars)
BME 7210 Computational Biomechanics
CH EN 6853 Thermodynamics
CH EN 3453 Heat Transfer
CS 3200 Introduction to Scientific Computing
CS 5962 Programming for Engineers
CS 5963 Introduction to Data Science
MATH 3150 PDEs for Engineers
ME EN 5250 Programming for Engineers
ME EN 5510 Introduction to Finite Elements
ME EN 2650 Manufacturing for Engineering Systems
ME EN 2010 Statics
ME EN 2030 Dynamics
ME EN 3300 Strength of Materials
ME EN 3610 Thermodynamics
ME EN 3650 Heat Transfer
ME EN 3710 Fluid Mechanics
ME EN 4610 Heat Transfer
ME EN 4650 Thermal luid and Energy Systems (TFES) Lab
ME EN 5010 Principles of Manufacturing Processes
ME EN 5035 Design of Experiments
ME EN 5060 Sustainable Products and Processes
ME EN 5160 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
ME EN 5170 Systems Engineering and Integration
ME EN 5300 Advanced Strength of Materials
ME EN 5500 Engineering Elasticity
ME EN 5520 Composites
ME EN 5720 Comp. Fluid Mechanics
ME EN 5960 Product Safety
ME EN 6200 Classical Control Systems
ME EN 6205 System Dynamics
ME EN 6220 Robotics
PHYS 3730 Intro To Computing In Physics
PHYS 4310 Physics in Biology
ENG 5020/6020 Emerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.7 Computational and Informatics Focus
BME 6005 Computational Neuroscience
BME 6640 Introduction to Image Processing
BME 6670 Genomic Signal Processing
BME 6760 Modeling and Analysis of Biological Networks
CH EN 5353 Computational Fluid Dynamics
CH EN 6703 Applied Numerical Methods
CS 1410 Object-Oriented Prog
CS 1420 Accelerated Intro to Object-Oriented Prog
CS 2100 Discrete Structures
CS 2420 Introduction to Algorithms & Data Structures
CS 3100 Models of Computation
CS 3190 Foundations of Data Science
CS 3200 Introduction to Scientific Computing (recommended)
CS 3500 Software Practice I
CS 3505 Software Practice II
CS 3810 Computer Organization
CS 4150 Algorithms
CS 4300 Artificial Intelligence
CS 4960 Intro. Computational Geometry
CS 4964 Math for Data
CS 5150 Advanced Algorithms
CS 5300 Artificial Intelligence
CS 5310 Robotics
CS 5320 Computer Vision
CS 5340 Natural Language Processing
CS 5350 Machine Learning
CS 5530 Database Systems
CS 5540 Human/Computer Interaction
CS 5600 Introduction to Computer Graphics
CS 5610 Interactive Computer Graphics
CS 5630 Scientific Visualization
CS 5650 Visual Perception from a Computer Graphics and Visualization Perspective
CS 5962 Programming for Engineers
CS 5360/Math 4100 Introduction to Data Science
CS 5968 Algorithms & Approximation
CS 6210 Advanced Scientific Computing I
CS 6320 3D Computer Vision
CS 6330 Intro to Robot Control
CS 6630 Visualization
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.7 Computational and Informatics Focus (con’t)
ECE 5340 Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics
MATH 3150 PDEs for Engineers
MATH 3600 Mathematics in Medicine
MATH 4600 Mathematics in Physiology and Medicine
MATH 5110 Mathematical Biology I
MATH 5120 Mathematical Biology II
MATH 5600 Survey Numerical Analysis
MATH 5610 Intr. Numerical Analysis I
MATH 5740 Mathematical Modeling
ME EN 5510 Introduction to Finite Elements
PHYS 3730 Intro To Computing In Physics (recommended)
7.8 Design, Regulatory, & Entrepreneurship Focus
This focus requires a subset of the following classes:
BME 5110 Regulatory Affairs I
BME 5120 Regulatory Affairs II
BME 5160 Engineering Aspects of Clinical Medicine
BME 6110 Biomedical Technology in Anesthesia
ENGIN 5020
(1)(2)
Engineering Entrepreneurship
ENGIN 5790
(1)(2)
The Business of Entrepreneurship
ENGIN 5791
(1)(2)
Launching Technology Ventures
MDCRC 6000 Intro to Biostatistics
MDCRC 6050 Biostatistics for Basic Science
MDCRC 6040 Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials
MDCRC 6430
(2)
Bioethical Issues of Clinical research
MDCRC 6470 Implementation of Clinical Trials
ME EN 5000
(1)(2)
Engineering Law & Contracts (or “IP and business Law”)
ME EN 5035 Design of Experiments
ME EN 5050 Fundamentals of Micromachining Processes
ME EN 5051 Microsensors
ME EN 5055 Microsystems Design and Characterization
ME EN 5100 Ergonomics
ME EN 5130 Design Implications for Human-Machine Systems
ME EN 5160 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
ME EN 5170 Systems Engineering and Integration
PHIL 3520
(2)
Bioethics
(1)
Taking BME 5110, ENGIN 5020, 5790, & 5791 will complete the Engineering Entrepreneurship Cer-
tificate (see the College of Engineering Entrepreneurship web site for details). Note: While ME EN
5000 is listed as a College of Engineering requirement for the Entrepreneurship Certificate, due to
the heavily regulated nature of the medical device industry, biomedical engineering students must
complete BME 5110 instead of ME EN 5000 to complete the certificate.
(2)
Only one of these classes may be counted for BME elective credit. The class will fill the maximum 3
credits that may come from upper division non-technical courses.
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.9 Premedical Focus
Students planning on applying to medical school may wish to design a set of BME electives that supports
this goal. The BME electives selected should meet, to the extent possible, three criteria:
1. Students complete course requirements set by the medical schools for admission;
2. The selected courses are from a subject area in which the student performs well;
3. The courses provide the student a sound foundation for an alternative career choice should the medical
schools not respond favorably.
The BS program in BME generally meets all the course requirements for medical school with the ex-
ception of Organic Chemistry II (lecture and laboratory) and laboratories in introductory courses in Biol-
ogy. However, the BME core courses taken in the junior and senior years supply laboratory course hours
which may be accepted in lieu of these explicit laboratory courses. Some medical schools also require
an upper division writing course, i.e., they may not accept the Thesis Writing and Communications series
BME 4991/4992 as equivalent.
Because there is considerable variability in what is both recommended and required among different
medical schools, students should review the entrance requirements of the medical schools to which they
are considering applying and determine which of the following courses (or equivalent) to include in their
BME electives. They should also schedule advisory visits with TBD, the special advisory for pre-medical
students.
BME 5480 Ultrasound
BME 6000 Systems Physiology I: Cardiovascular System
BME 6303 Cell and Tissue Engineering: Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering
BME 6305 Cell and Tissue Engineering: Organ Systems Design
BME 6401 Medical Imaging Systems
BME 6230 Functional Anatomy for Engineers
BME 6405 Nanomedicine
BME 6430 Systems Neuroscience
BME 6440 Neural Engineering
BME 6110 Biomedical Technology in Anesthesia and Critical Care
BIOL 2030 Genetics
BIOL 3210 Microbiology
BIOL 3215 Cell Biology Lab
BIOL 3230 Developmental Biology
BIOL 3510 Biological Chemistry I (highly recommended)
BIOL 3515 Biological Chemistry Lab
BIOL 3520 Biological Chemistry II
CHEM 2320 Organic Chemistry II (a required class for medical school)
CHEM 2325 Organic Chemistry II Lab (a required class for medical school)
PATH 5030 Basic Immunology
MATH 3600 Mathematics in Medicine
ME EN 5035 Design of Experiments
PHYS 2215 Physics Lab I for S & E
PHYS 2225 Physics Lab II for S & E
PHYS 4310 Physics in Biology
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
7.10 Courses approved for inclusion as BME electives
All regular courses offered by Biomedical Engineering outside the required core classes in the BME
program are recommended and approved for inclusion in the BME electives plan. This course list is chang-
ing constantly and course offerings change in other departments, so please consult with Dr. Rob MacLeod
whenever making a decision on the BME electives. It is up to the individual student to ensure that the
BME elective courses exist and are offered at the time the student wishes to take them. Note that some
courses are taught only every second year or may be postponed for a host of reasons. For the most
updated list of course offered by the Biomedical Engineering department, visit the “Course List” page on
the department web site
7.11 Courses NOT acceptable for inclusion as a BME elective
The following courses are not acceptable as a BME elective. The reasons for excluding courses include:
• course does not include adequate engineering or biomedical content;
• course overlaps too much with a course already in the core curriculum of the BME program;
• course level, requirements, or evaluation are not equivalent to the rest of the BME program;
• course does not require active participation of the student
BME 4999 Honors Thesis/Project
BME 5950/6910 Independent Study
BME 6090/1 Department Seminar
BME 6464 Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biophysics Seminar*
BME 6810 Medical Imaging Seminar*
BME 6900 Special Topics**
BME 6930 Special Project
PHYS 3110 Physics of the Human Body I
PHYS 3111 Physics of the Human Body II
PHYS 2015 and 2025 Physics I/II Labs (take the Engineering and Sciences versions
PHYS 2215/2225 instead).
Language training courses
* Generally, students may take these courses for BME electives credit only if they otherwise have ade-
quate numbers of hours but need to achieve the required number of college hours.
** Special topics class may count as BME electives, depending on the type and structure of the course.
Please see Dr. Rob MacLeod before taking a special topics class to determine its status.
BioInnovate classes: The following courses are part of the graduate BioInnovate program and are open
only to MS/PhD students in that program. They do not qualify as BME electives.
BME 6081 bioInnovate I
BME 6082 bioInnovate II
BME 6181 Clinical Problem Solving Through Strategic Analysis I
BME 6182 Clinical Problem Solving Through Strategic Analysis II
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
8 Thesis Writing and Communications Project
The goals of the senior thesis project are to develop specific experience and skills in scientific research
and/or engineering design and development and to learn to present the results of such a study in all forms:
written, oral, and visual. For most students, the senior project should be the culminating activity of their
program in which they use skills acquired from numerous courses and laboratory experiences and develop a
whole new set of abilities in the science (and art) of organizing and presenting ideas.
The senior thesis project involves two components:
1. A substantial involvement (approximately 200 hours) in one of three research activities, each of which
requires participation in the BME 4990 class:
• A scientific research project supervised by a faculty member either in or affiliated with the
Biomedical Engineering Department.
• A design project that extends above and beyond the scope of the BME Design Course, mentored
by a BME faculty member.
• A substantial design or research project undertaken as part of an industrial or academic intern-
ship.
2. Completing the Thesis Writing and Communications course series (BME 4991/2).
Success in the senior project requires students to take the following steps. Students must:
1. At the very latest in the last week of the winter break of the Junior year, obtain a position in a research
lab, internship, or receive permission to use the design class project as your Thesis project. For help in
finding lab placement there is a department directory that is organized by research topics at this link.
After reading about their research, students should contact individual faculty whose research sounds
interesting and ask for a meeting to discuss opportunities. Students must be prepared to volunteer in
the lab (although paid positions often become available once they have established some skills).
2. Obtain the research contract and associated information and templates from the BME 4990 course
web page or in Section 10 of this document.
3. Discuss with a mentor/manager the specific needs of the senior project and develop a plan to carry out
and complete, by August 1 of the summer before taking BME 4991, a project of adequate scope to
generate the results for the senior project. Students must obtain their signature on the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) and the contract and submit this and an abstract to an Undergraduate Advisor
to obtain the necessary permission code.
4. Request a permission code at the Undergrad Program Resources web page and sign up for BME 4990
before the fall semester in which you wish to take BME 4991.
The sections below contain more details about each of these steps.
8.1 Biomedical Engineering Research class
BME 4990 (BME Research) is course that meets weekly to provide coaching and best practices for re-
search laboratory or the internship experience. This course runs in the spring semester and is a prerequisite
for Senior Thesis Writing and Communications classes (BME 4991/2). To be allowed to take BME 4990,
student must be actively working on a thesis project, either in a laboratory setting or in an internship. Ad-
ditionally, enrollment will require a permission code that students receive when they demonstrate that they
are actively participating in research, no fewer than 14 days before the beginning of the semester in which
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
students wish take the course. Demonstration of participation in research is by means of a research/project
contract to be read and signed by both the student and his/her Principle Investigator/Manager, and when
applicable, the graduate student supervising the student’s research.
More information about the course is available on the Department Course List web page and the contract
template in Section 10 of this manual.
8.2 Biomedical Engineering Thesis Writing and Communication classes
This course sequence uses each student’s required senior project as source information that the student
will repeatedly present to the class in both a written and oral format. Due the communication emphasis of
the class, the combination of BME 4991/2 covers the University’s upper-division communication/writing
requirement. During the course of the class, each student provides several drafts of their research thesis and
several oral presentations that generate instructional criticism from the class students and the instructor(s).
Each student also prepares a draft of their final project poster at the conclusion of the semester that are
critiqued and returned at the start of BME 4992 for revision and resubmission.
8.3 Research opportunities
The program encourages all students to take advantage of opportunities to pursue a project in a research
lab on the campus. Such projects are typically the basis for the data needed for the Thesis Writing and Com-
munications course series but can also become a source of employment or the starting point of a research
career.
A typical dialog with a student about pursuing research opportunities might go as follows:
Student: “I have a few questions concerning the senior project that I am hoping you can help me with:
“Does my project need to be related to the bioelectric engineering focus I chose? “
Advisor: “Heavens, no! Often the point of the project is to delve into some biological system or applications
area that is new to you. Or to simply see how a lab operates.”
Student: “Does the project need to be solely my own work or can I build my project off of previous re-
search?”
Advisor: “We always assume that senior projects are pieces of a larger project; most research we engage in
is like this actually. The main thing is to be sure you understand the larger project and how your piece fits.
You can make this context clear in your writing and your presentations.”
Student: “Would you recommend using the design project as the senior project? What are the advantages
and disadvantages of choosing this option?”
Advisor: “This is a path less traveled and so we are still gaining experience on how to make this work. We
have perhaps 1 student per year who has decided on this option. I think all students benefit from a true lab
experience, especially those considering medical or graduate school. The design experience also has value
but all things about the specific project have to be just right for it to work out well as a senior project.”
Student: “Are you aware of any lab openings within the biomedical engineering department that could help
me get started on a project? If so, how is the best way to contact them?”
Advisor: “We don’t keep lists of openings but rather respond to students approaching us by creating projects
such students could work on. Some faculty place limits on the number of UG students they have in the lab at
any given time, while others are more flexible. So the best approach is to identify those faculty who pursue
research that you find motivating and interesting. The department web site is a good place to start such a
search, in the Directory by Research Area web page
“Once you have narrowed the search, contact some professors by email and ask them for an appointment
to discuss possible senior projects they might have. It is helpful to come to the interview informed from
reading some of the professor’s papers, enough to at least have an idea of the research and some questions
prepared. Then see what options emerge.”
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Student: “I am concerned that since it is the spring of my Junior year, I am behind in getting started on this,
so I would appreciate any help you could give me in getting started.”
Advisor: “If you start aggressively now with the plan of working over the summer on the project, then
you should be fine. But do start NOW and feel free to contact me again with more questions or to get
suggestions.”
If there are questions or uncertainty at any step in the process, the Major Advisor is available to help.
8.4 Planning for Graduate School
Here are some tips to help prepare for further training in graduate school, especially a PhD or research
MS degree. These describe a personal perspective of Dr. Rob MacLeod, Director of the Undergraduate
Studies.
“Finding a good mentor or mentors at each step is key. These are people who not only
write nice letters for you but are there on a regular basis to answer the little questions that
come up along the way, to bounce ideas off when you are considering various options. They
should be people you respect, have relevant experience, and who you feel you can trust to put
your interests ahead of other considerations. It helps if you feel like you can talk openly and
honestly with them. Natural candidates are the PIs from the lab(s) you spend time in, perhaps
also a mature post doc or even a grad student, perhaps even a mix of these different roles.
Finding someone who already does what you might one day want to do can be very helpful too,
be this an academic person or someone from industry.
“If you have a passion, e.g., sports, music or arts, you can also seek out mentors who un-
derstand your situation. We usually have several PhD students who are former varsity or even
national team level athletes and they could help you understand and also overcome the special
challenges of balancing sports and school in a way that most cannot. I (Dr. MacLeod) was not
a student athlete but rather a manager of our varsity hockey team as a student. I had arguably
a worse schedule than the athletes with practice and travel and all the support and organiza-
tional work behind the scenes; it was tough to keep up course work (even tougher to give up
ski seasons). Very few of my team were taking challenging academic courses and it was pretty
isolating at times when I was awake late at night in some hotel room finishing my physics home-
work. Someone who working full time as a student has a different experience, as does someone
starting a family, or someone with full financial support and few other obligations. If you can
find people who have been through your experience, they will always be more empathetic and
supportive, hopefully also helpful.
“A book to consider owning (and reading!) is called ‘A PhD is not Enough’, which is useful
even before the PhD and clearly once you are doing it. It summarizes are lot of information
about the process. There are other books with similar goals so feel free to browse them too and
see if they speak to you.
“Consider attending a meeting like BMES, which is really directed towards students, both
grad and undergrad. They have a wide range of science sessions, which are mediocre but
still a nice venue to present your own research. More important are the opportunities to meet
other students and to check out different programs; most good programs have a booth to get
information and meet people and there is also a social event evening when programs put on a
party. So each of a set of hotel rooms at the conference host parties from different programs
where you are meant to mingle and meet people. The deadline for submitting something to this
meeting is usually March or April (the meeting is always in the fall) so make sure you plan
ahead, talk to your research mentor about what it would take to go to this meeting with a poster
Page 34
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
or even a presentation, start to seek out financial support (the department will often help, for
example, as will the ASUU).
“Similarly, make sure you are getting UROP funding and take advantage of the special
sessions they have. They accept applications a couple times per year so find out those deadlines
and then work with your research mentor to prepare a solid application.
“Find a like minded group of undergrads, students who share your goals and with whom
you can discuss openly. They do not need to be BME students, just students who aspire to a
PhD program. It is like any other team setting, when you can share the stresses and the joys of
trying to reach your goals. They can be sources of information and motivation and as a group,
can often help leverage or even initiate events. The University and certainly our program are
very responsive to students and if a groups proposes something useful like a panel discussion or
a meeting with some successful people in the profession, then there are often ways to organize
such things.
“Attend the Senior Symposium even before you have to present at it. It is usually around
the third week in April in the evening and it is an excellent chance to see the sort of research
and the level of presentations that you should be aiming for. You can meet students this way,
talk to seniors who are also planning on graduate school or who have perhaps worked in labs
you might be targeting. They can, for example, tell you about how a specific lab works in
practice, how to improve your chances of getting into that lab or generally being successful in
undergraduate research.”
9 B.S./M.S. Program
The Department offers for students interested in rapidly advancing to the Master’s level a combined B.S./M.S.
program. The program is described in a separate document on the BS/MS web page and students interested
in the program should read this description carefully to ensure that their course of study complies with the
requirements.
For students interested in pursuing the BS/MS, please first meet with any of the Undergraduate Advi-
sors. They are well-situated to provide foundational information about the program. Once students have
completed their first official semester in the major (typically spring of sophomore year), they should plan
to meet with the Graduate Advisor to discuss the best way to navigate both the admission and completion
process for the BS/MS degree.
Note that international students on visas are not eligible to participate in the combined BS/MS programs,
per SEVIS regulations according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (http://www.ice.gov/
sevis).
10 Forms
The forms on the following pages are also available in paper form from an Undergraduate Advisor and in
electronic form on the department UG Program website.
Note: To submit proposed BME electives, please use the electronic entry system available at the BME
Undergraduate Resources web site .
Page 35
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Application for Admission to Major Status in BME (2022/23)
Instructions: To earn a Bachelor of Science in BME, you must be admitted to major status before registering for upper-
division Biomedical Engineering courses. To be considered for major status, each of the courses listed below must be passed
with a grade of C or better, the GPA among the courses listed below must be at least a 3.4, and the cumulative U of U GPA
must be at least a 3.0. If any of these criteria are not met, your application may not be considered.
Applications are due by the last day of fall classes of every year; late applications will not be considered.
For classes in progress at the time the application is submitted, DO NOT include a grade. However, DO indicate the semester
and year a course is being taken. Indicate if you intend to apply for an Honors designation on your Bachelor Degree.
Write legibly, and ensure that all grades included on the application are correct. Grades will be verified, and any inaccuracy
may disqualify the application.
Application for Major Status Submission Process: set up a meeting with a BME academic advisor. Come prepared to
complete the application for major status and bring with you a specific plan for your graduation timeline. In the meeting, you
will discuss your graduation plan and submit permission code requests for the upper-division BME courses that you intend to
take in the spring, as you begin the major. The application process is incomplete without exactly following this procedure.
Intention to apply for Honors designation Y / N?
*
Grade Values: A = 4.00, A- = 3.70, B+ = 3.30, B = 3.00, B- = 2.70, C+ 2.30, C=2.00
Student Signature: Date:
Office use
Confirmed:
Action date(s): _________ Admit _________ Wait list _________ Decline
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Student No. ________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________
____________________________________________________________
Email: ____________________
Course
Letter
Grade
Credit
Semester/Year
Grade
Value*
x
Hours
=
Points
Taken
Example:
A-
3.70
x
3
=
11.10
Fall 18)
BME 1010
Careers in Biomedical Engineering
_____
N/A
N/A
N/A
_____________
BME 1020
Fund. of Biomedical Engineering I
_____
_____
x
3
=
_____
_____________
BME 2100
Fund. of Biomedical Engineering II
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
BIOL 2020
Cell Biology
_____
_____
x
3
=
_____
_____________
CHEM 1220
General Chemistry II
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
CHEM 1225
General Chemistry II Lab
_____
_____
x
1
=
_____
_____________
MATH 1311,
1320 or 1220
Accel. Eng. Calc I,
Calculus II
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
MATH 1321,
Accel. Eng. Calc II
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
2210, or 2310
Calculus III/Vector Calc
_____
_____
x
3
=
_____
_____________
MATH 2250
Diff. Equations & Linear Algebra
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
PHYCS 2210
Physics for Scientist & Engineers I
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
PHYCS 2220
Physics for Scientist & Engineers II
_____
_____
x
4
=
_____
_____________
Total
34 or 35
A GPA from courses above (Total Points / Total Credit Hours):
____________
B U of U Cumulative GPA reported on transcript:
____________
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Page 36
Department of Bioengineering
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE MINOR PROGRAM
IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(Return in person to the Dept. Minor Program Advisor)
Name _______________________________________ Student ID#_____________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________
Email________________________________________ Phone #________________________
Major Department_________________________ University GPA (as on DARS) __________
Expected date of graduation _____________________________________________________
—Proposed Program of Study –
Courses Semester Taken or to be Taken
A. Math 2250 – ODEs and Linear Algebra ________________________
Biology 2020 – Principles of Cell Biology ________________________
B. Category I – Life Science Emphasis (see approved courses on website)– 6 cr. hrs. reqd.
______________________________________ ________________________
______________________________________ ________________________
______________________________________ ________________________
C. Category II – Engineering Emphasis (see approved courses on website) – 7 cr. hrs. reqd.
______________________________________ ________________________
______________________________________ ________________________
______________________________________ ________________________
NOTES
1. Minimum Grades – All courses listed above must be passed with a letter grade of C or better.
2. Cross-Listing – Courses that are cross-listed between the Bioengineering Department and
another department may be taken from either department to count toward the minor.
3. Registration – If admitted to the minor program, you may obtain permission codes to allow
you to register for upper-division Bioengineering courses by contacting the Undergraduate
Secretary in the Bioengineering Department office.
4. Graduation Clearance – The semester before your plan to graduate, please bring the
Graduation Clearance form (the same one signed by your major advisor) to the Minor
Program Advisor in the Bioengineering Department to be signed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For Office Use Only: Univ. GPA checked _______________________
Admission Decision: Admit _______________ Don’t Admit _________________
Signed ___________________________________ Date _______________________
Graduation cleared _________________________ GPA at graduation ___________
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Page 37
Semester__________________________ Year________________
Student'–'Facult y/Manager'Mentor'Contract:'BME'4990'(BME'Research/Internship)
Student
Duties
• Minimum of 200 actively engaged project hours
• Hours don’t include training time and are often spread
over multiple semesters
• 80 hours minimum for 1 credit of BME 4990 (may be
repeated under BME 4995)
• Approximately 6 hours/week (minimum)
• Be integrated into a research/design group
• Make weekly contact with faculty advisor/manager (or
representative)
• Participate in lab/company culture including attending
group meetings
• Become trained to perform experiments, simulations,
device testing, or related tasks
• Conduct literature review for project
• Read key papers related to research project under
guidance of research advisor/manager
• Be actively engaged in the research or design activity for
the thesis project
• Actively participate in experimental/engineering design
• Conduct experiments, simulations, tests and/or designs
• Apply statistics to experimentation
• Generate results for papers, posters, and presentations to be
used in BME 4991/4992
• Papers, posters, and presentations will be single author
documents in BME 4991/4992
• Students must not plagiarize, including other lab
documents
• Material submitted for a grade in BME 4991/4992 must
be the student’s work product and should accurately
reflect the student’s ability (i.e. mentor/manager will
not write or edit the thesis)
• Create a project that is approved by PI/Manager
• Submit a 3-5 page research report to the Thesis
course Primary Instructor (Heather Palmer) prior
to enrolling in BME 4991 (Thesis I). See assignment
sheet for report requirements.
Expectations/Deliverables
• Collect data for and complete thesis project prior to taking
BME 4991
• Minimum of 200 total research/project hours
• Typically done over several semesters but can be done
in one
• Successful completion of BME 4990 (C grade or better)
allows enrollment in BME 4991
• Volunteer position unless UROP or other funding is obtained
• Submit a 3-5 page research report to the Thesis course
Instructor/Coordinator prior to enrolling in BME 4991
Faculty Advisor/Manager
Duties
• Act as a mentor for the student
• Direct in development of a clearly defined thesis
project
• Meet regularly with student
• Provide direct, regular feedback to student on his/her
performance
• Facilitate lab participation (e.g., be considerate of
student’s class schedule)
• Provide instruction on bibliography generation
• Provide three papers to start literature research
• Instruct student on literature search methodologies
• Provide instruction on lab methodologies
• Involve student in experimental or engineering design
of project
• Instruct on lab safety and appropriate methodologies for
project
• Introduce appropriate statistical treatment of data and
post-hoc analysis
• Provide limited review of project-relevant papers, posters,
and presentations
• Papers, posters, and presentations will be single author
documents in BME 4991/4992
• Remind students not to plagiarize lab documents
• Material submitted to BME 4991/4992 must be the
student’s work product and accurately reflect the
student’s ability (i.e. mentor/manager will not write or
edit the thesis)
• Identify intellectual property concerns and develop an
appropriate disclosure strategy
• Student will publically present work in April of the year
taking BME 4992
• The senior symposium in April is considered a public
disclosure by USPTO standards
Expectations
• Student will contribute at least 80 hours for BME 4990
• Student will contribute at least 200 hours toward completing
thesis project
• Student will enhance lab/company community
• Student has no expectation to be paid for research hours
(except in an internship setting in industry) but advisor is not
restricted from paying the student
I, the undersigned, hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the advisor/manager expectations as well as the student expectations
and will comply with them to the best of my ability. I also understand and verify that the project is the student’s thesis project and that it
will be used for and presented in BME 4991/4992.
Advisor/Manager’s Name (Please Print):______________________________________________________________
Advisor/Manager’s Signature:_____________________________________ Date:____________________________
Advisor/Manager’s Email:_________________________________________________________________________
Graduate Student’s Name (if applicable):_____________________________ Date:____________________________
Graduate Student’s Email:__________________________________________________________________________
Student (print):_______________________________________ Date:_____________________________________
Student Email:_____________________________________ Student ID #:_________________________
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Page 38
Semester__________________________ Year________________
BME 4990 Research/Design Report Assignment
Purpose: Eligibility for BME 4991 (Thesis Writing and Communication I) is based on the content of this report. As you are
aware, you need to meet two minimum requirements: 1-at least 200 hours of research on one project (this can be done as part
of an internship) and 2-a completed research/internship project. The research/internship project may be done in conjunction
with a graduate student or coworker, but you will EXCULSIVELY focus on your personal contribution to the research/project.
This paper is SINGLE AUTHOR (i.e. you).
Your eligibility will be determined by the results you include in this report. Please provide relevant tables, charts, and figures to
demonstrate your findings.
Your audience for this report is a general, academic biomedical engineering reader. Your audience dictates much about the
writerly choices you make.
This report is due by the last day of classes in the semester (the specific date will be communicated to you). Please use
Microsoft Word, not pdf.
Please cover these 7 aspects as thoroughly as possible in 3-5 pages (1.5 or double spaced). Include headers to designate
specific sections (e.g. Introduction, Methods, Results, Timeline). Note that the page limit does not include figures, charts, and
tables (these can take as many pages as necessary beyond the 3-5):
1. Title and author: Use a title that balances the general area of the research with your specific contribution. A reader will
decide whether or not to continue with a scientific article based on the title, so choice of words and phrasing is part of the
effectiveness of the paper—be careful to make the title accessible and not unwieldy. Finally, this is a single-author paper, so
only your name will appear in this area.
2. Introduction: Appropriately cover the global context as well as the project’s context. Be sure to include your hypothesis,
design aim, or method aim. Any work that is not your own that is included here should be cited.
3. Methods: Include the materials used, describe the experimental method and the rationale behind why this method was
used, and describe any data processing used (including statistical analysis). You may organize the methods according to
subheadings. Provide sufficient detail to demonstrate that you followed a robust methodological approach.
4. Results: Include the relevant results derived from your methods. You need sufficient detail to allow your reader to fully
understand your findings, but DO NOT interpret. You may organize the results section according to the relevant subheadings
found in methods, but it isn’t required. You need sufficient detail to allow your reader to fully understand your findings. Also,
include appropriate tables with useful titles and figures with useful captions, and relevant statistics.
5. In-text References: Cite any information pulled from primary literature according to IEEE Transactions on Biomedical
Engineering.
6. Reference Section: Include 5-7 references. Cite in the text where applicable (this is most likely to come up in the
background). Format according to IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.
The report format is submission style (i.e. single-column, 1.5 or double spaced, 10 or 12 pt., any professional font). However,
provide your charts, tables and figures as near as possible to the text where you describe them. Also include a title and page
numbers.
7. Timeline: If you are finished with your project, please simply indicate that you are done. If the results are preliminary,
provide a detailed timeline (dates) of when you will have your results. The results must be collected, analyzed, and ready to
report by August 1. The timeline will greatly determine whether or not you will be allowed to take BME 4991.
Please refer to the grading rubric for more details on content areas.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Page 39
Semester__________________________ Year________________
BME 4990 Report Rubric
Comments
Background:Global Context, Project
Context, Research/Design/Method
Statement, Strategy and
Accomplishments
Methods:Description of Materials,
Experimental methods with rationale,
and data processing, including statistics
Results: Detailed description of findings
or prospective findings from
methodological approaches
(qualitatively and quantitatively)
Include data analysis and statistics (if
available)
Timeline: If results are preliminary,
provide a timeline of major milestones
Structure and Organization: Logically
ordered ideas, Flow, Transitions,
Appropriate sign-posting and over-
viewing (between sections), Clearly
identifiable topic sentences, Balance
Supporting Material/References: 5-7
relevant references; Consistent citation
format
Overall written presentation quality:
Effectively communication to the
intended audience (discourse
community) Balance between concision
and detail
Definition of
terms/abbreviations/symbols
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
Page 40
Semester__________________________ Year________________
BME 4991/4992 (Thesis Writing and Communication I and II)
Faculty/Manager Memorandum of Understanding
Thesis Writing and Communication I and II (BME4991/4992) are the research writing and
communication capstone experience for the undergraduates in the Biomedical Engineering BS degree in
the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. Prior to taking this course
sequence, students have participated in health-related, data-driven research, and have completed a
research project. The scope of the project can be broad or narrow, simple or robust, but the purpose of
the project is to be mentored and learn research practice, data analysis, and making claims
substantiated by results. Furthermore, the project can be performed as a component of a larger project,
but the student may only make claims based on his or her own contribution to that work.
The deliverables of this course are as follows:
1. A single-author (the student), publishable-quality thesis paper,
2. A conference-quality research poster geared toward a generally educated biomedical
engineering audience and shown at the annual Biomedical Engineering Senior Research
Symposium*,
3. A 15-minute, conference-quality scientific presentation given to an audience of peers, and
4. A 5-minute research presentation geared to a public, non-scientific audience that will be
presented at the annual Biomedical Engineering Senior Research Symposium in April.**
I understand that ______________________________ (student) will be using research done under my
guidance for his/her Thesis Project. He/she has my permission to use this research in the ways outlined
above.
Name:_______________________________________ Date:_________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________
*The student will meet with his/her advisor to receive an additional permission on the research poster
prior to it being presented at the Symposium.
**If you have concerns about a public disclosure (for reasons of IP), it is possible for the student to meet
the course requirements with a private, closed presentation to the course instructors.
Note: If you feel that presenting the research publically is acceptable but feel uncomfortable with the
way your name or lab may be represented, there is no obligation to have yourself included on the poster
as the research advisor or in the presentation. Please simply request that the student remove your
name.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah BME Undergraduate Handbook 2022/23
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