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Master’s Degree Program in Biomedical Engineering

Students whose primary training is in engineering can prepare themselves for entrance into one of the biomedical fields by completing a program leading to the master’s degree in biomedical engineering. The program also offers the biology and chemistry student a means of achieving the mathematical, engineering, and instrumentation skills necessary for a career in biomedical engineering after completing remedial coursework.

Master’s degrees may be earned under either of two plans, as determined by the advisory committee. The first plan (Plan A) emphasizes research, while the second (Plan B) requires comprehensive understanding of a more general character. In either case, advisory committees may require more than the minimum number of credits.

Once a student begins a Plan A M.S. degree program and receives a graduate research assistantship, he or she can switch to a Plan B only if approved by the Biomedical Engineering Program Director and Major Advisor. It is also possible, with identification of a research project and approval from his or her Major Advisor, to change from Plan B M.S. degree program to Plan A.

Plan A

Plan A requires no fewer than seven (7) graduate courses (21 credits) of advanced course work and, not fewer than nine (9) additional credits of Master’s Thesis Research (GRAD 5950), as well as the writing of a thesis. Most students take two classes a semester and leave the summers free to work on their Master‘s Thesis.  During the first year, the student identifies a project, writes a Master’s Proposal, and after approval from the advisory committee, begins work on a Master’s Thesis.

Students are expected to present and publish their Master’s Thesis at a conference (or have their paper accepted) before graduation. Information on Master’s Proposal, Project and Thesis requirements can be found at http://grad.uconn.edu/current-students/masters-degree-program/.

Plan B

The Plan B Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering requires a total of ten (10) graduate courses (30 credit hours).

There are no publication requirements for Plan B M.S. degree students.

*The Clinical Engineering Internship program has separate requirements. See section Clinical Engineering Internship below for specific requirements.
**Note that all BME MS students are required to take at least two semesters of the Graduate Seminar. These credit hours will be counted toward the total credit requirement but not towards advanced course credits. This requirement does not apply to students in the Clinical Engineering Internship Program.

Life Sciences Courses– To help integrate biology into your engineering experience, we require that you take two life science course recommended on the BME course website at https://www.bme.uconn.edu/academics/graduate-program/tracks-and-coursework.

Courses are typically selected from anatomy and physiology, cell and molecular biology or biophysical chemistry, but are not limited to these areas.

Engineering Courses– An engineering course should be any engineering course recommended on the BME Course Track List at https://www.bme.uconn.edu/academics/graduate-program/tracks-and-coursework.

Elective Courses– Graduate level courses which will be selected in consultation with the Major Advisor in the area related to the student’s research.

Candidacy and Plan of Study

To become a candidate for a Master’s degree, the student must have on file with the Graduate School a plan of study prepared with the aid and approval of an advisory committee and approved by the Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty Council. The Plan of Study form can be found at Graduate School Website. In order for a student to be eligible for graduation with a Master’s degree, the student must have been granted Regular status and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. More information can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Clinical Engineering Internship

Clinical engineering is the application of engineering methods and technology to the delivery of health care.  The clinical engineer is a member of the health care team responsible for the management of medical technology in the hospital environment.  The tasks that a clinical engineer provides include supervising a clinical engineering department, designing or modifying sophisticated medical instruments, evaluating new medical equipment for purchase, integrating medical equipment into existing systems and networks, repairing equipment, testing the safety of equipment, asset management, vendor service management, projects (i.e., R&D, re-engineering, new system implementations), regulatory support (i.e., JCAHO [Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations], CAP [College of American Pathologists]), and instructing clinicians (physicians & nurses) in the proper use of medical equipment.  The Clinical Engineering internship program offers an in-depth, rigorous, clinical experience that matches the engineering expertise gained in the classroom.  The primary objectives of this intense internship program are as follows:

• Provide exposure to hospital organization and administrative functions.
• Permit hospital experience in clinical engineering; that is, provide an opportunity to apply engineering techniques to patient care and hospital-based research.
• Provide substantial experience working with hospital personnel, including administrators, nurses, technicians, and medical staff.
• Provide a better understanding of the environment in which modern medical systems and devices are used to assist in the delivery of patient care.

Understand the risks and safety issues associated with the use of medical equipment in the hospital

These objectives are not traditional classroom experiences; rather, they emphasize the practical side of health care technology.  They are achieved not only by observing, but also by actually working on projects in the clinical environment.  Because the program requires that the intern spend the entire two academic years working approximately twenty (20) hours per week at the hospital with the remaining time concentrated in classroom activities, there is ample time for the student to be thoroughly indoctrinated into hospital operation and procedures and to select those courses most helpful to them as they profit from experience in the clinical environment.

The Clinical Engineering Internship at the University of Connecticut is a hospital-based, two-year program that currently includes:

• The University of Connecticut Health Center – John Dempsey Hospital
• Hartford Hospital
• Baystate Health System
• VA Connecticut Healthcare System (West Haven)
• University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center (Worcester)
• Providence VA Medical Center
• VA Boston Healthcare System
• Lifespan Health System (Providence)
• Middlesex Hospital
• Brigham & Women’s Hospital
• LINC/ABM Health Incorporated
• Massachusetts General Hospital
• VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

This program was first established in the greater Hartford area in 1974 and moved its academic affiliation to the University of Connecticut in 1996.

As part of the selection process of candidates, some applicants are invited to interview in February and March.  Interviews are conducted in person at all of the hospitals offering an internship position for the next academic year.  A decision on the interns selected for the next academic year is made in early April.  An interview is required to secure an internship.

The internship includes a stipend for each academic year and a full tuition scholarship.  Summer support is also available at many of the hospitals.  Health care benefits are not included in the internship.

Dr. David Kaputa is the major advisor for all Clinical Engineering Interns.  Mr. Frank Painter is the Clinical Engineering Internship Director.

Application Procedure

Required in the application package for the Clinical Engineering Internship:

• Application Form (http://grad.uconn.edu/admissions)
• Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement describing applicant’s interest in the Clinical Engineering and previous involvement in this field.  Also include any other information that might be helpful for evaluation purposes
• Two letters of recommendation that are written and dated within one calendar year of the application submission
• Résumé or CV
• Official Transcripts
• GRE Scores (required for applicants that received previous degree from an institution outside of the US)
• TOEFL Scores (required for international applicants)

M.S. Degree and Curriculum

The degree awarded is either a Plan A or Plan B Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. Plan A requires a minimum of 21 credit hours of coursework and a Thesis Project (9 credits of GRAD 5950). Plan B requires 30 hours of coursework.

Plan A for Clinical Engineering Interns

The following courses are required for all Plan A Clinical Engineering Interns:

• BME 5020 – Clinical Engineering Fundamentals
  
• BME 5030 – Human Error and Medical Device Accidents
  
• BME 5040 – Medical Instrumentation in the Hospital
  
• BME 5050 – Engineering Problems in the Hospital
• BME 5060 – Clinical Engineering Rotations I
  
• GRAD 5950 – Master’s Thesis Research
  
• GRAD 5950 – Master’s Thesis Research
  
• GRAD 5950 – Master’s Thesis Research
  

Clinical Engineering Interns can select from the following electives. Other courses may be used to complete the required 30 credit hours if approved by the Major Advisor.

• BME 5500 – Clinical Instrumentation Systems
• BME 5000 – Physiological Systems I
• BME 5070 – Clinical Engineering Systems

• BME 5600 – Human Biomechanics
• BME 5700 – Introduction to Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
• BME 5100 – Physiological Modeling
• GPAH 6305 – Program Evaluation for Health Professionals (Allied Health Sciences)
• MGMT 5675 – Strategic Management of Human Resources
• NURS 5020 – Statistical Methods in Nursing
• NURS 5860 – Organization, Systems, and Health Care Policy Leadership
• NURS 5865 – Information Systems for the Scholarship of Application

Clinical Engineering Interns are not required to take the BME graduate seminar or present their thesis at the BME graduate seminar. Interns are required to present and publish their Master‘s Thesis at a conference, or have a paper accepted before graduation.

Plan B for Clinical Engineering Interns

A total of 30 credit hours are required.  The following courses are required for all Plan B Clinical Engineering Interns:

• BME 5020 – Clinical Engineering Fundamentals
  
• BME 5030 – Human Error and Medical Device Accidents
  
• BME 5040 – Medical Instrumentation in the Hospital
  
• BME 5050 – Engineering Problems in the Hospital
• BME 5060 – Clinical Engineering Rotation I
  
• BME 5061 – Clinical Engineering Rotations II
  

Clinical Engineering Interns can select from the following electives. Other courses may be used to complete the required 30 credit hours if approved by the Major Advisor:

• BME 5000 – Physiological Systems I
  
• BME 5070 – Clinical Engineering Systems
• BME 5500 – Clinical Instrumentation Systems
  
• BME 5100 – Physiological Modeling
  
• BME 5600 – Human Biomechanics
• BME 5700 – Introduction to Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
• GPAH 6305 – Program Evaluation for Health Professionals (Allied Health Sciences)
• MGMT 5675 – Strategic Management of Human Resources
• NURS 5020 – Statistical Methods in Nursing
• NURS 5860 – Organization, Systems, and Health Care Policy Leadership
• NURS 5865 – Information Systems for the Scholarship of Application

Clinical Engineering Interns are not required to take the BME graduate seminar.  There are no publication requirements for Plan B MS degree students.