Bioengineering, MS

Program Description

Bioengineering is the application of engineering and scientific principles to understand and solve medical problems. As medical technology has rapidly developed over the past four decades, the demand for qualified bioengineers has dramatically increased. Career opportunities for bioengineers range from teaching and conducting basic research in academia, to research and development work in the growing medical product industry. Employment opportunities are also available in independent research laboratories, hospitals, and federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration or the National Institutes of Health.

The basic requirement for admission to a bioengineering advanced degree program is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate engineering program. Students are most commonly trained in biomedical engineering/bioengineering, materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, electrical/computer engineering or mechanical engineering, although students from other traditional engineering disciplines are also accepted. Exceptional students in physics, chemistry and the life sciences are also considered. Students must demonstrate knowledge in calculus of several variables and ordinary differential equations, as well as biology and physiology, at a minimum.

Students can enter the department prior to demonstrating these competencies if approved by the admissions committee. These students are responsible for demonstrating competencies such as completing a course addressing their knowledge in a topic during their enrollment in addition to the requirements stipulated for the graduate degree. Undergraduate course credits taken to meet competencies are not applied toward a graduate degree.

The MS degree program in bioengineering offers thesis and non-thesis options, both requiring 30 total credit hours of graduate coursework that may be earned through a combination of classroom and online courses. Students interested in obtaining a doctoral degree are encouraged to apply directly to the PhD program from their BS degree program, with the PhD program typically requiring about five years to complete following the BS degree or about four years following the MS degree. More detailed information is available on the website: https://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/bioe/academics/masters/index.html.

Combined Bachelors/Graduate Programs

The Department of Bioengineering offers a combined BS/Graduate plan. Under the plan, Clemson students may reduce the time necessary to earn both a BS degree in Bioengineering or Biological Sciences and a graduate degree in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering by applying graduate credits to both undergraduate and graduate program requirements.

Students are encouraged to obtain the specific requirements for the dual degree from the undergraduate department or the Department of Bioengineering as early as possible in their undergraduate programs to ensure that all prerequisite and other program requirements are met. Enrollment guidelines and procedures can be found at http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/bioe/academics/bs-graduate.html.

Summary of Degree Requirements

Students pursuing the Master of Science Thesis Option in Bioengineering complete a set of core courses before selecting graduate coursework based on one of five emphasis areas including: biomaterials engineering, regenerative medicine, bioelectrical engineering, biomechanical engineering, cellular and molecular engineering.

The Masters in Bioengineering thesis option requires 24 hours of graduate credit coursework and a minimum of six credit-hours of master thesis research (BIOE 8910 ). Of the course credits, the following are required:

• BIOE 6150 - Research Principles and Concepts 1 Credits  
• BIOE 8000 - Seminar in Bioengineering Research 1 Credit  (up to two credits)
• BIOE 8460 - Biomedical Basis for Engineered Replacement 3 Credits  

In addition to the required core coursework, students select graduate-level courses that assist them in their studies while in enrolled and in their future career. At least one-half of the total graduate credit hours required by the advisory committee, exclusive of thesis research, must be selected from courses numbered 8000 or above. A final oral examination of the MS thesis is required.

The Masters in Bioengineering non-thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credits of graduate coursework hours and does not include a research requirement. The non-thesis option can include no more than six credit hours of non-thesis Independent Study in Bioengineering (BIOE 8920 ) and/or internship (BIOE 8900 ) at an approved external location. At least one-half of the total graduate credit hours required by the advisory committee, exclusive of thesis/non-thesis research, must be selected from courses numbered 8000 or above.

For more information about curriculum requirements and coursework visit https://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/bioe/academics/masters/index.html.

Outcomes, Learning Objectives, and Graduation Requirements

Outcomes

1. Gain knowledge of bioengineering-related government regulations: MS students have up-to-date knowledge of ethics dealing with biomedical research and for issues of government regulations, compliance, and health hazards in bioengineering research and industry.
2. Build effective communications skills: MS students have excellent written and oral communication skills for expressing ideas.
3. Ability to understand the scientific method: MS students understand relationships among hypotheses, the experiments, and theories related to bioengineering research. They have knowledge providing them a factual basis to use methods of scientific inquiry, such as abilities for questioning precisely, developing hypotheses and designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions and making definite claims.

Learning Objectives

1. Engineering skills: MS students use advanced engineering knowledge to solve problems, setup experiments, follow protocols, and analyze the resultant data.
2. Communication: MS students are proficient in oral and written communication, as necessary for presenting to a scientific audience.
3. Government Regulations and Responsible Conduct of Research: MS students categorize governing agencies with respect to research in bioengineering and identify the relevant regulatory and safety issues dealing with biomedical research and development.