The biomedical engineering curriculum integrates selected engineering sciences and design methods with life science coursework. The program prepares students for careers in a variety of health care related professions including work for medical device manufacturers and regulatory governmental agencies. The course content of the biomedical engineering curriculum complements the departmental strengths in mechanical engineering and includes a comprehensive coverage of engineering materials and biomechanics applications. Elective courses are available to allow students to specialize their curriculum to areas of particular current interest in the marketplace such as cellular and tissue engineering applications. The biomedical engineering program also allows students to take medical school admission requirements with an appropriate selection of technical electives.
The educational objectives of the biomedical engineering program are
- either to be an entrepreneur or to be employed in industry, government, academia or a nongovernmental organization, and
- to continue professional development by participating in structured professional activities and/or by obtaining professional registration or certification, post-graduate credits and/or graduate degrees.
uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)
Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.
PROGRESSION POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS
Progression
The first two years of the curriculum are considered to be lower-division and the two remaining years upper-division. Students must apply for progression to departmental upper-division courses, which depends on academic performance. Factors considered include overall grade point average, performance in selected lower-division courses and evidence of orderly progression through the prescribed curriculum.
Full Status
A lower-division student may apply for progression to upper-division after completing EF 152 * or EF 158 *, CHEM 120 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231 , and ME 321 , as well as BME 201 for biomedical engineers, with a grade of C or better in each, and an overall GPA of at least 2.4 in these courses. Students who have not satisfied the requirements for full status will be dropped from departmental class rolls in upper-division courses.
Provisional Status
Students who have completed EF 152 * or EF 158 *, CHEM 120 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231 and ME 321 , as well as BME 201 for biomedical engineers, with a grade of C or better and have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.4 in these courses may apply for provisional status. The granting of provisional status is based on the availability of space in departmental programs after full status students have been accommodated. Provisional status students are required to demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactorily in upper-division by attaining a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the first 12 hours of 300-level required engineering courses. Award of upper-division full status is dependent upon this performance. Students with a UTK GPA less than 2.0 will not be admitted to upper-division. Students who have not progressed to upper-division will be dropped from departmental class rolls in upper-division courses.
