Sep 19, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biomedical Engineering Major, BS in Biomedical Engineering


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.

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 *, or CHEM 122 * and CHEM 123 * or CHEM 128 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231 , and ME 321 , 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 122 * and CHEM 123 * or CHEM 128 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231  and ME 321 , 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.

uTrack Requirements


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.

Term 1


Credit Hours 15-16


Term 1 Milestone Notes


Term 2


Credit Hours 17


Term 2 Milestone Notes


Term 5


Term 6


  • 1 Expanded Perspectives  Elective 3 Credit Hours *
  • 2 Technical Elective or Biomedical Engineering Elective 3 Credit Hours
  • 2 Technical Elective or Biomedical Engineering Elective 3 Credit Hours

Credit Hours 15


Term 6 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Term 7


  • Oral Communication  Elective 3 Credit Hours * (choose from approved list)
  • 1 Expanded Perspectives  Elective 3 Credit Hours *
  • 2 Technical Elective or Biomedical Engineering Elective 3 Credit Hours

Credit Hours 19


Term 7 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Term 8


Credit Hours 15


Term 8 Milestone Notes


  • No milestones

Total Credit Hours 131-132


Footnotes


  1. Choose any course from the Volunteer Core   list.
  2. Technical Elective: Must be preapproved based on selected Track (see footnote 5 below).
  3. Biomedical Engineering Elective: Restricted to any 300-500 biomedical engineering course not required for the degree or CHEM 260  or CHEM 268 CHEM 360  or CHEM 368 .
  4. There are (4) Tracks in the BME Undergraduate Program: (1) Diagnostics, (2) Medical Device Design, (3) Therapeutics, and (4) Pre-Med. The technical or biomedical engineering elective courses for each Track are:

Biomedical Engineering Major – Honors Concentration


In addition to satisfying the requirements for the biomedical engineering major, candidates for the honors concentration must also complete the following requirements.

  • Maintain an overall GPA of 3.4.
  • Four 100- or 200-level honors courses* (14 hours minimum, at least two courses must be from Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Fundamentals, Physics, Math, Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, or MSE 207 ).
  • Complete two upper-division honors courses in biomedical engineering (BME 367 , BME 477 ).
  • Satisfy the Breadth Requirements for the Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program.
* While most students fulfill this requirement with 100- and 200-level courses, students may substitute upper level courses on approval of the Honors faculty.

Biomedical Engineering Major – Five-Year BS/MS Program


The department offers a Five-Year BS-MS program for qualified students. The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:

  • Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.4 to be admitted to the program. Conditional admission may be granted after completing 64 hours of required course work while full admission is granted after completing 96 hours of required course work with a minimum overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work.
  • Students must at least have conditional admission before taking graduate courses for both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the departmental chair of the program. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit. Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School.
  • Admission of students into this program must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.
  • Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

* Meets Volunteer Core Requirements .