Overview
Case Western Reserve University Department of Engineering: A Tradition of Engineering Better Health
The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leader in one of the most challenging and rewarding of all engineering fields, with a longstanding track record in producing the best and brightest professionals in the field. Among the most experienced BME programs in the nation, the department has worked diligently to earn its ranking as one of the top biomedical engineering departments in the country by leading college catalogs and review organizations.
Innovative, Immersive Graduate Programs Lead to BME Degrees that Help Dedicated Professionals Help Others World-Wide
The department offers various innovative educational programs that prepare graduates for careers in biomedical engineering (BME) research, development, and design in academia, industry, government service, medical centers, and research institutions.
Graduate degrees include the M.S. and Ph.D. in BME, a combined M.D./M.S. degree offered to School of Medicine students and combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees in BME available in the Physician Engineer Training Program (PETP) or the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).
Uniquely individualized BME programs empower students to master an engineering specialty and apply their expertise to important biomedical problems under the aegis of a faculty guidance committee. Students can select from some 43 courses regularly taught in BME, as well as various courses from other departments. An M.S. program normally consists of seven to nine courses, with a Ph.D. program taking another thirteen courses beyond the B.S.
Students can select research projects from the many strengths of the department, including biomaterials, tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, sensors, neural engineering and neural prostheses, drug and gene delivery, optical imaging and diagnostics, the cardiovascular system, biomechanics, mass and heat transport, and metabolic systems. Collaborative research, as well as training in basic biomedical sciences and translational research, is available through primary faculty members, associated faculty members, and researchers in nearby major medical centers.
A Wide Range of Master's and Doctoral Degree Programs Bring BME Professionals to the Top of Various Crucial Fields
Case Western BME graduate programs provide a learning environment where students apply biomedical engineering methods to advance basic scientific discovery, while the uniquely integrated medical, science, and engineering environment empowers and enables research projects ranging from basic science through engineering design and clinical application.
The M.S. in Biomedical Engineering provides depth in biomedical engineering and the opportunity to work on biomedical research and/or design. The Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering provides additional depth and breadth in engineering and biomedical science, and, under faculty guidance, students undertake original research focused on biomedical problems. Research possibilities include the development of new theories, devices or methods for diagnostic or therapeutic applications.
The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 12 courses beyond the B.S. degree, including four required core courses, with the balance of courses chosen with significant flexibility to meet student career goals, producing a solid foundation as well as the ability to adapt to fast-paced changes in today's research environment.
Students with first-rate qualifications enter the M.D./Ph.D. programs via two programs in the School of Medicine: the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and the Physician Engineering Training Program (PETP). The MSTP trains students to pursue research as academic physician-scientists, while the goal of the unique PETP is to imbue future physicians with expertise in emergent engineering medical technologies.
The M.D./M.S. program for a combined MD/MS in Biomedical Engineering prepares medical graduates to be leaders in the development and deployment of medical engineering technology. Current Case Western Reserve University medical students in either the School of Medicine or the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine may apply.
The Master of Engineering and Management degree program was designed for students to develop critical skills in technology and management that are needed for industrial careers. This 42-credit hour program is designed to be completed in three semesters. The curriculum is integrated and taught by faculty at both the Case School of Engineering and the Weatherhead School of Management.
The BME Student Employment Program Makes Connections for Graduates Who Go on to Academia, Industry, and Government
The BME Program has developed strong connections with employers, making the BME Student Employment Program a great success. This program lets employers specifically target BME graduate students for their hiring needs, and assists them in filling full-time, part-time, co-op, or internship opportunities in their organizations. The department also works to make connections for graduate students in the areas of sponsored research and collaborative undertakings.
The Director of Employer Relations works with employers to connect with departmental faculty or schedule campus visits, and encourages external collaborators to contact department faculty and staff to employ various research resources in new project collaborations.
Ph.D. Students Are Eligible to Receive Full Tuition, a Stipend, and Health Benefits for the Duration of Their Studies
Graduate students in the Ph.D. programs may receive financial support from faculty members as research assistants, from training grants (NIH, NSF, DoE GAANN), or from the School of Medicine (M.D./Ph.D. only). These positions are awarded on a competitive basis. There are additional opportunities for research assistantships for students that wish to pursue the M.S.
