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Master of Biomedical Engineering

The Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering offers a graduate program leading to a master of biomedical engineering (M.BME) degree. The interdisciplinary field of biomedical engineering involves the continuous development of new technologies that span the broad field of healthcare and directly impacts the quality of human life. By necessity, this field requires engineering professionals who are innovative, ethical, and sensitive to the business of healthcare delivery. The graduate program is offered as a stand-alone degree and encourages applications from students at the University of Portland and at other institutions. The program can normally be completed in one year.

Student Outcomes

Outcomes for the graduate program in biomedical engineering have been established so that students:

  • Practice real-world experiential learning.
  • Are skilled in the broad technical field of biomedical engineering including biomechanics and bioinstrumentation. 
  • Understand the business and patient care aspects of the healthcare industry.
  • Can holistically analyze complex biomedical engineering issues. 
  • Demonstrate excellent communication skills across a variety of media.

Admission Requirements

  1. Statement of Goals.
  2. Current resume.
  3. Two recommendation forms and letters.
  4. A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland.
  5. A bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physical science, or life sciences.
  6. Official transcripts from all current and previously attended academic institutions.
  7. Official GRE scores (waived for students who completed a bachelor's degree at a US institution).
  8. International Applicants: All foreign transcripts will be evaluated by International Student Services prior to an admissions decision.
  9. International Applicants: an official score from the TOEFL (minimum score of 80), IELTS (minimum score of 7.0), or Duolingo (minimum score of 110) exam is required.
  10. International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland, but is not required for application review.
  11. Confirmation of completed prerequisites (see below).

* The biomedical engineering program does not have specific minimum acceptance standards for GPA and GRE. All application materials are viewed in aggregate.

Prerequisites

To complete the biomedical engineering program, the prerequisites listed below (or their equivalents) are required at matriculation. Students who do not have all the prerequisites may apply to be conditionally accepted to the program. However, they cannot start with the graduate cohort until the necessary prerequisites are completed. These prerequisites must be completed within one year of acceptance or a new application will need to be submitted for review.
 
The prerequisites for the master of biomedical engineering degree include the following courses at the University of Portland or their approved equivalents at the University of Portland or other institutions. All prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
MTH 201Calculus I

4
MTH 202Calculus II

4
MTH 321Ordinary Differential Equations

3
Statistics course
BIO 207Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology

3
BIO 277Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab

1
CHM 207General Chemistry I

3
CHM 277General Chemistry I Lab

1
PHY 204General Physics I

3
PHY 274General Physics Lab I

1
Computer programming course
EGR 211Engineering Mechanics-Statics

3
EE 261Electrical Circuits

3
EE 271Electrical Circuits Laboratory

1
EE 262Signals and Systems

3

Degree Requirements - 30 credit hours

Thirty credit hours of graduate coursework are required. Any undergraduate courses taken to make up deficiencies do not count towards these credit hours. The curriculum includes 24 credit hours of required coursework and 6 credit hours of a graduate level electives. Of the 6 credit hours of graduate-level electives, a minimum of 3 credit hours must come from courses offered by the Shiley School of Engineering.

BME 550Physiology for Biomedical Engineers

3
BME 562Biomechanics

3
BME 563Digital Signal Processing

3
BME 578Management of Technology for Medical Devices

3
BME 583Biomedical Device Planning and Design

3
BME 584Biomedical Device Optimization

3
EGR 555Design of Engineering Experiments

3
EGR 564Instrumentation and Computer Interfaces

3
Graduate level electives

6
BME 597Biomedical Engineering Applied Internships

0

BME 583, BME 584, and BME 578 must be taken in the same academic year.

Applied Internship

All students must also secure, complete, and report on a zero credit applied internship experience. The internship requirement of a minimum of 110 hours may be met in the following ways: a) between junior and senior years, b) before the graduate program starts or c) at the end of program. To meet the requirement, the internship must follow the University's documentation rules for internships and be approved by the instructor.

Other

If a student has completed any of the required courses prior to matriculation, the student must complete the equivalent number of credit hours with graduate level elective courses.