BSE Chemical Engineering/MSE Biomedical Engineering – Biotechnology Concentration
Updated June 2024
Introduction
What is Biomedical Engineering (BME)? It’s a synthetic heart valve that saves a grandmother’s life. It is an MRI scanner that reduces parents’ worries about their infant’s head injury. It’s an automatic biosensor for rapid gene sequencing. Biomedical engineering is the newest engineering discipline, integrating the basic principles of biology with the tools of engineering. With the rapid advances in biomedical research, and the severe economic pressures to reduce the cost of health care, biomedical engineering will play an important role in the medical environment of the 21st century. Over the last decade, biomedical engineering has evolved into a separate discipline bringing the quantitative concepts of design and optimization to problems in biomedicine.
The 5-year sequential undergraduate/graduate study (SUGS) program in biomedical engineering combines an undergraduate engineering discipline with a graduate program in one of the fastest growing fields in engineering. At the end of the program, a student has a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biotechnology.
ChE students can pursue any of the concentrations in the BME SUGS program, but will likely find the most overlap in the Biotech concentration. View the course list (link below) for more information, and contact the BME Advisor (contact info below) to discuss the options.
Opportunities
The opportunities for a biomedical engineer are wide ranging. The medical device and drug industries are increasingly investing in biomedical engineers. As gene therapies become more sophisticated, biomedical engineers will play an important role in bringing these ideas into real clinical practice. Finally, as technology plays an ever-increasing role in medicine, there will be a larger need for physicians with a solid engineering background. From biotechnology to tissue engineering, from medical imaging to microelectronic prosthesis, from biopolymers to rehabilitation engineering, biomedical engineers are in demand.
Application information
To officially enter the SUGS program a Chemical Engineering student must have obtained senior standing (85+ hours) by the time of entry and have a GPA of 3.2 or above. Students may apply for admission their last semester before graduation. To apply, first make an appointment with Ms. Tara McQueen, BME Academic Advisor/Counselor, to discuss this program and ensure that it is a good fit with your career goals and plans. A student may also be referred to a faculty advisor for further services.
Students are admitted on a rolling basis. The application deadlines are:
To begin SUGS in Fall term –
Completed applications are reviewed monthly beginning in February and continuing each month on the first of that month (February 1, March 1, April 1, etc…). U.S. & Canadian students apply by July 1, International students apply by June 1
To begin SUGS in Winter term –
Completed applications are reviewed monthly beginning on September 1. U.S. & Canadian students apply by Nov. 1, International students apply by October 1
Students in the SUGS program are not eligible for a Life Sciences concentration in BSE ChE. Students pursuing dual degrees are not eligible to enroll in SUGS programs.
Course list and requirements
See Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate study (SUGS) Programs for ChE Students for more information regarding how SUGS works.
Contacts
Undergraduate:
Lisa Clark, 3142 Dow, (734) 763-7125, cheugadvising@umich.edu
Undergraduate SUGS Program Website
Graduate:
Ms. Tara McQueen, 2182 LBME Bldg., (734) 763-3878, tarac@umich.edu