Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.

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College of Engineering
Department: Medical Engineering

Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

Also offered as a Concurrent Degrees

The Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida prepares students to contribute, both as individuals and as members of research teams, in this highly interdisciplinary field that combines engineering and medicine. Graduates are trained to solve complex problems in areas such as artificial organs, biomaterials, biomechanics, biosensors and instrumentation, computational modeling, drug development and targeting, diagnostic imaging, neuroscience, prosthetic devices, and regenerative medicine. The doctoral major capitalizes on USF’s strong programs in Engineering and in the Health Sciences as well as affiliate institutions, including the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, the James Haley Veterans Administration Hospital, and Tampa General Hospital, to develop and commercialize new technologies that spawn growth of biomedical companies throughout the region and catalyze scientific discoveries that lead to better health care and improved quality of life.

Students in the Major may choose to concentrate in one of several nationally-recognized areas of biomedical engineering strength at USF, including:
•   Biomedical Imaging
•   Bioelectronics
•   Cell and Tissue Engineering
•   Molecular Medicine
•   Drug and Gene Delivery
•   Neuroengineering
•   Rehabilitation Engineering

Major Research Areas: neuroengineering, bioelectronics, cell and tissue engineering, molecular medicine, drug and gene discovery, and rehabilitation engineering

Admission Information

Applicants must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below.

An undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering or equivalent, with a GPA of greater than 3.50 (out of a possible 4.00) based on official transcripts.
GRE with preferred scores of:
Quantitative > 75th percentile
Verbal > 50th percentile
Analytical Writing ≥ 4.0
Statement of research interests and CV.
Three (3) letters of reference.

Note: Admissions decisions are made using multiple measures indicated above. We strongly encourage applicants to contact specific faculty conducting research related to the student’s interests. Such direct contact with individual faculty members can greatly strengthen an application.

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours: 90 hours
For students with an approved master’s degree 60 hours minimum post-master’s
For students without a master’s degree 90 hours minimum post-bachelor’s.

Post-Master’s - 60 hours

Core Requirements – 6 Credit Hours*
Life Science and Mathematics Requirements - 9 Credit Hours*
Elective Course Requirements - 15 Credit Hours*
Additional Elective Courses - 30 Credit Hours
Dissertation – 30 Credit Hours

*completed as part of the Post-Bachelor’s requirements - not counted in the total minimum post-master’s hours.

Post-Bachelor’s - 90 hours

Core Requirements – 6 Credit Hours
Life Science and Mathematics Requirements - 9 Credit Hours
Elective Course Requirements - 15 Credit Hours
Additional Elective Courses - 30 Credit Hours
Dissertation – 30 Credit Hours

Students are expected participate in department professional development seminars each semester throughout the program.

Core Requirements (6 Credit Hours)

BME 5913 Research and Innovation Principles and Practice Credit Hours: 3
GMS 6605 Basic Medical Anatomy Credit Hours: 3

Life Science and Math Requirements (9 Credit Hours)

Students are required to take one (1) Life Science course from the list below:
BME 5313 Molecular and Cellular Engineering Credit Hours: 3
BME 6000 Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 3
BME 6410 Engineering Physiology Credit Hours: 3
AND

Students are required to take two (2) Mathematics courses from the list below:
BME 6510 Biomedical Signals and Systems Analysis Credit Hours: 3
PHC 6051 Biostatistics II Credit Hours: 3
BME 6931 Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering taken as Advanced Math for Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 3

Elective Course Requirements (15 Credit Hours)

Students are required to take fifteen (15) credit hours of any combination of courses from the list below or non-BME courses approved by the advisor and graduate program coordinator.

BME 5313 Molecular and Cellular Engineering Credit Hours: 3
BME 5320 Theory and Design of Bioprocesses Credit Hours: 3
BME 6000 Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 3
BME 6055 Modern Biomedical Technologies Credit Hours: 3
BME 6107 Biomaterials I: Material Properties Credit Hours: 3
BME 6410 Engineering Physiology Credit Hours: 3
BME 6510 Biomedical Signals and Systems Analysis Credit Hours: 3
BME 6573 Nano-medicine Credit Hours: 3
BME 6634 Biotransport Phenomena Credit Hours: 3
BME 6905 Directed Independent Study Credit Hours: 1-6
BME 6931 Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 1-3
Selected Topics Course Options:
- Advanced Math for Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 3
- Connectomics Credit Hours: 3
- Intro to Medical Imaging Credit Hours: 3
- Bioelectricity Credit Hours: 3
- Bioelectronics Credit Hours: 3
- Biomedical Optical Spectroscopy Credit Hours: 3
BME 6944 Biomedical Engineering Industrial Internship Credit Hours: 1-6
BME 6971 Research for Master’s Thesis Credit Hours: 2-6
BME 7915 Directed Research in Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 1-9 (previously 1-6)

Additional Elective Courses (30 Credit Hours)

After completing the M.S. degree coursework and passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, students are required to complete an additional twenty-eight (28) credit hours of Elective courses from list above or approved by the advisor and Graduate Director. Students must also take the department seminar course below twice, for a total of two (2) credit hours, prior to their dissertation defense.

BME 6920 Seminar in Biomedical Engineering Credit Hours: 1

Comprehensive Exam (master’s)

Ph.D. students may apply for a master’s degree after completing required coursework for the non-thesis master’s degree. Awarding of a master’s “along the way” is contingent on coursework completion and passing the Comprehensive Exam. Refer to the Biomedical Engineering, M.S.B.E. catalog section for information.

Qualifying Exam

Students must pass a Qualifying Examination to matriculate into Ph.D. candidacy. The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is preferably completed by the end of the second year of study. The dissertation committee will evaluate a written dissertation proposal and an oral defense. Poor performance based on the judgment of the Committee will result in failure of the qualifying exam. If a student does not pass on the first attempt, he/she may request in writing to repeat the exam. Students who fail the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination the second time will be dismissed from the Major.

Dissertation (30 Credit Hours)

Thirty (30) credits of dissertation research are required. Six (6) hours of Directed Research may be substituted for six (6) Ph.D. Dissertation hours. As with other engineering Ph.D. degrees, evidence of the significance of the conducted research is provided by publication in appropriate refereed journals; with a minimum of one (1) publication in a peer-reviewed journal, with the student as primary author. The required journal publication must be based on the dissertation research of the student. The expectation is that Ph.D. students will have three (3) or more publications for a thesis defense. Presentations at a conference or publication in a proceeding (even if refereed) are not sufficient.

BME 7980 Ph.D. Dissertation Credit Hours: 2-19 (30 hours required for this program)

Dissertation Defense Exam

Students must have published or paper accepted in order to schedule the Dissertation Defense.

Awarding of a Ph.D. requires students to pass a Dissertation Defense Examination in their final semester of study, which is normally and preferably in their fourth or fifth year in the program. The Dissertation Committee will evaluate the written thesis dissertation and its oral defense. Poor performance based on the judgment of the committee will result in failure of the exam. If a student does not pass on the first attempt, he/she may request in writing to repeat the exam. Students who fail the Dissertation Defense Examination the second time will be dismissed from the Major without awarding of a Ph.D. Students who fail may receive a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering if performance on the written thesis dissertation and oral defense exceeds the pass level of the M.S. Comprehensive Examination based on the judgment of the Committee.

Other Information

Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

Financially competitive teaching and research graduate assistantships and fellowships will be offered to incoming students. Of special importance are the research opportunities and support available through affiliated institutions including the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, the James Haley VA Hospital. In addition, particularly outstanding applicants will be nominated for university fellowships including Presidential Fellowships that provide competitive stipends plus tuition, fees and Health Insurance renewable for five years.

Results

Doctoral graduates of this major have been prepared for and are successfully engaged in research careers in Government, Corporate, and University Laboratories. Since biomedical engineering research often translates into biomedical devices, drugs, and instrumentation, graduates have also been directly involved in technology transfer, including the establishment of new Biomedical Engineering related businesses.

Concurrent Degree

Also available as a Concurrent Degree