Bioengineering, MSE
The Bioengineering master’s program provides an interdisciplinary education grounded in scientific and engineering fundamentals, with an emphasis on emerging developments in the field. The program is designed to give students a customizable curriculum that prepares them to think creatively and work independently in industry, research and development, government, or academia. Each student can tailor the program to align with their individual interests and career goals.
Students receive rigorous training in engineering with a strong foundation in biological and medical sciences. The flexible curriculum allows students to select graduate-level coursework in bioengineering, mathematics, biomedical sciences, and other engineering and science disciplines.
Master’s students may choose either a thesis or non-thesis track. Most students complete the degree in two years (four semesters). Graduates are well-prepared for careers in biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, government, or academia, for further study in PhD programs, or for admission to medical school. Students also have opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research alongside world-class faculty.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Curriculum
A total of 10 course units are required for the MSE degree.1,2
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses 3 | ||
| Select 2 Math courses (with Attribute EMBM or EPBM) | 2 | |
| Select 2 Biological Science courses (with Attribute EMBS or EPBS) | 2 | |
| Select 2 Bioengineering graduate courses 4 | 2 | |
| Select 1 SEAS and/or Biological Science (EMBS/EPBS) elective | 1 | |
| Select 1 general elective | 1 | |
| Thesis/Non-Thesis Requirements | ||
| BE 9990 | Master's Thesis (or 2 additional SEAS/Biological Science electives) | 2 |
| Total Course Units | 10 | |
Thesis Option Requirements
If you choose to write a thesis, you will enroll in 2 units of thesis research, BE 9990 Master's Thesis.
Be sure to read the Master's Thesis Guidelines. In choosing the thesis option, your thesis advisor may provide additional guidance on course selection and will supervise your thesis research. The director of the Bioengineering MSE program will help you find a mentor, traditionally selected from the Bioengineering Graduate Group.
Non-Thesis Option Requirements
If you choose not to write a thesis, you will enroll in an additional 2 course units (2 CU) of SEAS and/or Biological Science (EMBS) electives (of which 1 may be BE 5990 Master's Independent Study)
- 1
The program director helps you develop a program of study for the fall and spring semester of your first year. You can also access a list of suggested graduate courses broken down by discipline.
- 2
Please work with the BE master's administrator/program on the curriculum and course plan. Once your course selection is approved, you will be permitted to register through PATH.
- 3
Must be taken by students in both the thesis and non-thesis tracks. All courses must be 5000 level or above.
- 4
Select any BE 5000+ level courses
Biomedical Data Science and Computational Medicine
Employs concepts and infrastructure from computer science and broad-based principles from engineering, applied mathematics, physics, and chemistry, to navigate large data sets of biological information and model biomolecules to gain insight into complex biological systems.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Biological Data Science II: Data Mining Principles for Epigenomics | ||
| Introduction to Neuroengineering | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Computational Biophysics | ||
| Biomedical Image Analysis | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
| Special Topics in Bioengineering | ||
| Cryo-Em | ||
| Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies | ||
| Statistics for Biologists | ||
| Mathematical Modeling in Biology | ||
| Introduction to Biomedical and Health Informatics | ||
| Data Science for Biomedical Informatics | ||
| Foundations of Artificial Intelligence in Health | ||
| Natural Language Processing for Health | ||
| Molecular Modeling and Simulations | ||
| Applied Machine Learning | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Introduction to Bioinformatics | ||
or BIOM 5350 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | |
or MTR 5350 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | |
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Programming Languages and Techniques | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Physical structure-preservation & advanced computational techniques for scientific machine learning | ||
| Statistics for Data Science | ||
| Statistics for Genomics and Biomedical Informatics | ||
or BMIN 5330 | Statistics for Genomics and Biomedical Informatics | |
or IMUN 5770 | Statistics for Genomics and Biomedical Informatics | |
| Fundamentals of Computational Biology | ||
or BIOL 5536 | Fundamentals of Computational Biology | |
or CIS 5360 | Fundamentals of Computational Biology | |
| Advanced Computational Biology | ||
| Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance | ||
| Introduction to Nonparametric Methods and Log-linear Models | ||
| Data Analytics and Statistical Computing | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Biomedical Devices
Design of instruments, implants or other biotechnologies that are used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease. They require design, fabrication, manufacturing and interfacing with biological systems.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace | ||
| Introduction to Neuroengineering | ||
| Human Centered Design for Clinical Emergency Medicine | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation I | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation II | ||
| Biomicrofluidics | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Medical Entrepreneurship: Commercializing Translational Science | ||
| Feedback Control Design and Analysis | ||
or MEAM 5130 | Feedback Control Design and Analysis | |
| Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies | ||
| Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization | ||
| Management and Strategy in Medical Devices and Technology | ||
| Product Design | ||
| Smart Devices | ||
| Design of Mechatronic Systems | ||
| Feedback Control Design and Analysis | ||
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| Introduction to Robotics | ||
| Micro and Nano Fluidics | ||
| Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials | ||
or MEAM 5050 | Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials | |
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Cellular/Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials
Engineering of synthetic and/or biological materials to support or manipulate cellular or tissue growth. Constructs are used to understand cell behavior, as tissue implants or as platforms for therapeutic applications.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
or MSE 5850 | Materials for Bioelectronics | |
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| Biomedical Microsystems | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Biomedical Imaging and Radiation Physics
Physics of medical and biological imaging modalities, the use and effects of radiation in imaging and therapy, methodologies for image acquisition and processing, development of computer-based imaging theory and analysis methods, and the development and use of contrast media and molecular imaging agents.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Biomedical Image Analysis | ||
| Fundamental Techniques of Imaging | ||
| Techniques of Magnetic Resonance Imaging | ||
| Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging | ||
| The Mathematics of Medical Imaging and Measurement | ||
| Advanced Biomedical Imaging Applications | ||
| Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance | ||
| Image-Based Anatomy | ||
| Radiation Biology | ||
| Modern Optics | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Systems and Synthetic Biology
Understanding the nature of molecular and cellular processes and how individual biological entities interact to produce function at the cellular and organism level. It also includes the development of new devices, biomolecules, or biomimetics to control or manipulate these interactions to introduce new functionality, improve function and/or impair function.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Computational Science of Energy and Chemical Transformations | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies | ||
| Principles of Genome Engineering | ||
| Advancements and Applications in Genome Editing and Engineering | ||
| Protein Engineering & Practical Applications | ||
| Engineering Biotechnology | ||
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Mechanics of Macromolecules | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Neuroengineering
Neuroengineering involves the confluence of neuroscience, device development, computation, and mathematics in an effort to better understand, track, and modulate neural function in health, disease, and degeneration.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Introduction to Neuroengineering | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
or ESE 5660 | Networked Neuroscience | |
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Advanced Systems Neuroengineering | ||
| NeuroAI - A Principled Understanding of the Human Brain | ||
| Electrical Language of Cells | ||
| Systems Neuroscience | ||
| Foundations of Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience | ||
| A Neuroscience Perspective of Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Multiscale Biomechanics
Understand how biomolecules, cells, tissues, or living subjects interact mechanically with their environment and to use this knowledge to understand disease and repair processes and/or to guide the design of technological solutions to rehabilitate subjects with injuries or disabilities.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Biomechanics and Biotransport | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Continuum Tissue Mechanics | ||
| Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Mechanics of Soft and Biomaterials | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Therapeutics, Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine
Encompasses drug discovery, drug design, manufacturing, preparation of micro- and nanodelivery platforms, gene and cell therapy, innovations in targeting, controllable drug release, biodegradation and the mathematical modeling of these systems.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace | ||
| Immunology for Bioengineers | ||
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Nanoscale Systems Biology | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
or CBE 5620 | Drug Discovery and Development | |
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Medical Entrepreneurship: Commercializing Translational Science | ||
| Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | ||
or IMUN 6090 | Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | |
| Engineering Biotechnology | ||
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Immune Engineering
Immune Engineering encompasses the development of new technologies that influence the behavior of the immune system, often in response to disease, infection, or wounds. It also includes the study of the immune systems response to biomaterials, implants, or foreign materials and the development of new tools to study this response.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 4 CUs from the following: | 4 | |
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Master's Independent Study | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Immunology for Bioengineers | ||
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Nanoscale Systems Biology | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
or CBE 5620 | Drug Discovery and Development | |
| Wistar Institute Cancer Biology Course: Signaling Pathways in Cancer | ||
| Advanced Seminar in Gene Therapy | ||
| Cell and Gene Therapy | ||
or MTR 6210 | Cell and Gene Therapy | |
| Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine | ||
| Immune Mechanisms | ||
| Immunopathology | ||
| Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | ||
or CAMB 6090 | Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | |
| Introduction to Vaccine Development | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Sample Plans of Study
Each of these two-year sample plans (thesis and non-thesis) is of many possible ways to structure the curriculum, which can be completed over more than two years or in as little as one. The program is designed to be flexible so that students can progress at their own pace. Students are encouraged to discuss their individual goals and needs with their advisors to determine the plan of study that works best.
Sample Plan of Study – Thesis Option
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| Biological Science course (with Attribute EMBS or EPBS) | 1 | |
| Math course (with Attribute EMBM or EPBM) | 1 | |
| BE Graduate Course | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| Math course (with Attribute EMBM or EPBM) | 1 | |
| BE Graduate Course | 1 | |
| SEAS Course | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Biological Science course (with Attribute EMBS or EPBS) | 1 | |
| BE 9990 | Master's Thesis | 1 |
| General Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| BE 9990 | Master's Thesis | 1 |
| Course Units | 1.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 10.00 | |
Sample Plan of Study – Non-Thesis Option
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| Biological Science course (with Attribute EMBS or EPBS) | 1 | |
| Math course (with Attribute EMBM or EPBM) | 1 | |
| BE Graduate Course | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| Math course (with Attribute EMBM or EPBM) | 1 | |
| BE Graduate Course | 1 | |
| SEAS Course | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Biological Science course (with Attribute EMBS or EPBS) | 1 | |
| SEAS Course | 2 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| General Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 1.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 10.00 | |