The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers a minor to students within the College of Engineering who are interested in biomedical applications of engineering related to the fields of biomechanics, biomaterials and bioinstrumentation. Eligible students must submit an application in order to be considered for and allowed to pursue a minor in Biomedical Engineering. It is recommended that students have a strong foundation in Python.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for a minor in biomedical engineering, students must meet the following requirements:
- Admitted into a College of Engineering major
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Requirements
- Maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA in minor courses
- Complete the courses listed for the selected BMEN minor track
- Following acceptance into a particular track, change of BMEN minor track will not be permitted unless by petition and review by the director of Undergraduate Programs
Application Steps
Eligible students must submit an application in order to be considered for and allowed to pursue a Minor in Biomedical Engineering.
- Complete the BME minor application, including the essay (250 words max) on why you want a biomedical engineering minor.
- The deadline to apply for the fall semester is May 1 and the deadline to apply for the spring semester is December 1.
- Applications will be reviewed and decisions will be made after final grades have been posted for the current semester. Enrollment into BME courses will not be granted until decisions have been made.
- All applicants and their advisors will be notified by email once decisions have been made.
- Once accepted, the student's major advisor will add the minor to their record.
BMEN Minor Tracks:
Biomechanics Track
The Biomechanics Track is designed to educate BMEN students in the field of biomechanics that spans from small-scale applications in molecular and cellular mechanics, tissue-scale applications such as cardiac and orthopedic implants, and whole body-scale applications for studying injury prevention and developing assistive devices. This track will provide students the opportunity to gain
View Current Program Requirements
Cellular & Molecular Bioengineering
Cellular & Molecular Bioengineering affects cellular behavior using molecular-level interactions to understand, detect, mitigate, and improve human health. In this track, students will study critical cellular, molecular, and genetic processes, cell-biomaterial interactions, small and large biomolecules, nano- to micro-scale devices, bioreactors, and how to design and control the mechanical, chemical, and electrical processes of cells. Applications include synthetic biology systems, biomanufacturing, diagnostic medicine (lab-on-a-chip, organ-on-a-chip, mechanosensors, etc.), preventative medicine (molecular biosensors and imaging probes, etc.), and therapeutic medicine (drug design and delivery, nanomedicine, immunoengineering, etc.).
Computational Bioengineering
Computational Bioengineering generally describes the science of computational approaches to biological and medical problems, including molecular modeling, computational biomechanics, computational bioimaging, and healthcare informatics. In this track, students will apply engineering, mathematics, computer and data science, statistics, sciences, and medicine to improve human health using computational approaches to model, analyze, and understand complex biological data across atomic to whole body length scales and femtoseconds to lifetime temporal scales. Application areas include disease and injury modeling and simulation, decoding multi-omics information, pharmaceutical design, development of personalized medical information systems, and bioinformatics.
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Imaging & Photonics
Imaging & Photonics applies the interaction of light, sound, electrons, x-rays, and other signals to cells, tissues, and organs on the nano- to macro-scale through microscopy and clinical imaging modalities. In this track, students will study the underlying physics and mathematical theory of imaging; the physical science and application of signal generation, detection, and manipulation; image acquisition; image processing to hardware design; and clinical and biological applications. Application areas include optical, electron, scanning probe, infrared, intravital, and particle image velocimetry microscopy, as well as x-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computer and positron emission tomography, and myelogram clinical imaging.
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Medical Devices
Medical Devices applies engineering to medicine to design, validate, and manufacture instruments, apparatus, implants, machines, tools, in vitro reagents, or similar articles that are to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure disease or other conditions, and achieves their purpose by physical, structural, or mechanical action within or on the body. In this track, students will study the medical design process, prototyping and fabrication, quality engineering, regulatory and reimbursement environments, risk identification and management, market-clinician-patient interactions, preclinical and clinical trials, and computer-aided design and simulation tools. Application areas include surgical and medical instruments, surgical implants and supplies, electro-mechanical and electro-therapeutic devices, in vitro diagnostic clinical kits, dental, auditory, and ic devices, and irradiation and imaging devices.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative Medicine applies cells, biomaterials, and biochemical and biomechanical factors to create functional substitutes to replace tissues or organs lost due to age, disease, injury, or congenital defects, and functional mimics for the study of biological systems. In this track, students will study the manipulation of molecular, cell, and tissue microenvironments; development and characterization of "smart" and biomimetic biomaterials that promote structure and function; bioreactors and bioprinting; testing, manufacturing, and translation of cell- and biomaterial-based products; and applications of artificial organs, drug delivery, and implanted devices. Application areas include musculoskeletal, urologic, neural, and vascular tissues and organs, as well as wound healing and hemostasis.
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Sensing & Monitoring
Sensing & Monitoring applies new materials, instrumentation, communication, and analysis approaches to detect and track physical and chemical indicators of health and biology. In this track, students will study the design, fabrication, use, and evaluation of diagnostic systems; device interaction with cells, tissues, and organs; design and application of analog and digital signal analysis; and fundamentals of embedded system architecture and programming. Applications include wearable and implantable sensors, point-of-care desktop of handheld devices, bioreactor and biomanufacturing sensing, and surgical suite sensing.
For application for the minor, email
Eileen Hoy
- Academic Advisor IV
- Undergraduate Advisor
- Office: ETB 5050
- Phone: 979-845-3539
- Email: ehoy@tamu.edu
