A 4+1 Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering program is available for motivated students. The MS degree is a professional credential that usually commands a substantially higher starting salary. The 4+1 degree program offers the advantage of less time to degree completion, finishing the MS while a full-time student rather than an extended part-time program, and the ability to start employment at the master’s level.
To be eligible, undergraduate students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher after five semesters (fall semester, Third year); students with a GPA above 3.0 (but below 3.5) can be admitted with two signatures of support from BME faculty (submitted to the BME graduate program director). Students apply for admission to the 4+1 degree program during their third year by completing a short application available in the Biomedical Engineering department office or online. Once admitted to the program, students begin taking graduate courses during their senior year. Up to three graduate courses taken in the student’s fourth year can count toward their MS degree requirements and their fourth-year BS elective requirements. (Students may not take more than three graduate courses as undergraduates.) The BME Department suggests that students take BME 533 Human Physiology in the fall of their senior year and one or two BME graduate-level electives in the spring of their fourth year. Students in this program must be registered for a total of 21-24 graduate credits during their fifth (graduate) year (a total of seven or eight courses). By January 15 of the fourth year, a formal application for Graduate School admission must be completed, which, assuming continued good performance, is only a formality.
After admission to the graduate program, students are encouraged to seek employment as a graduate research assistant in one of the department’s research projects. Research experience gained in the summer after finishing the BS degree provides an excellent experience and a start on an MS thesis or MS termination project. Typically, this start on the MS thesis or MS termination project allows the completion of the MS in one academic year beyond the BS degree. The expectation is that students in the program will complete the BS and MS degrees in five years. Students in the 4+1 degree program receive their BS degree after completing their undergraduate requirements. They must then continue as a full-time student in order for the graduate courses taken as an undergraduate to count toward the MS degree requirements.
Undergraduate credits: 126. Double-counted credits: 9. Graduate credits: 30.