MS in Biomedical Engineering Florida Institute of Technology

From advances in chemotherapy to innovative prosthetics, medical technology continues to advance, giving patients new options for living healthier, longer lives. Thousands of technological breakthroughs are the result of biomedical engineers rising to meet the needs of medical professionals and the communities they serve. Students interested in this exciting career can find advanced knowledge and experience through one of Florida Tech’s biomedical engineering graduate programs. Whether you want a career in medicine or in the rapidly growing biotechnology industry, an advanced degree from Florida Tech ensures academic choices, entrepreneurship options, and practice partnerships.

A Focus on Field Study

Providing new opportunities to blend science and engineering to solve complex medical challenges, Florida Tech’s biomedical engineering graduate programs keep students on the leading edge of what is happening in the medical community. The university is located in a rapidly growing healthcare region that includes hospitals, health centers, research laboratories, and institutes, providing countless opportunities for advanced laboratory research and mentorship with medical professionals. Students work hands-on with physicians and technicians at several locations, including:

• Health First Hospitals
• Cancer Care Center of Brevard
• The Eye Institute
• The Back Center
• Medical City—Orlando (UCF College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, MD Anderson Cancer Research Institute, and more)

Why Pursue a Master's In Biomedical Engineering at Florida Tech?

As one of the top biomedical engineering schools, Florida Tech’s individualized academic choices allows students to customize their learning in a way that best suits their career goals. Graduate students experience one-on-one guidance from professors and industry experts from interdisciplinary backgrounds to create a comprehensive and engaging learning environment.

Experienced, World-Class Faculty

The biomedical engineering graduate programs at Florida Tech are comprised of professors who teach and conduct research with students and other faculty, both from the university and around the world. Many faculty members are involved in research related to biomedical engineering and are experts in mechanical and aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science.

Joining these professors are medical doctors who guide students during their research while completing research of their own. Medical doctors give students valuable industry experience and combine the benefits of both traditional academic faculty and industry professionals. This mix of traditional academic faculty and industry professionals ensures that students receive the most up-to-date industry research and developments.

Build Professional Relationships

Beyond the classroom, students participate in academic organizations like Tau Beta Pi (the engineering honor society), the Premed Club (campus chapter of the American Medical Student Association), athletics, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.

An Ideal Location for a Biomedical Engineering School

Florida Tech is located in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast, which puts the 130-acre campus in the middle of the nation’s fifth-largest high-tech workforce and over 5,000 high-tech companies, providing valuable internships and employment opportunities. The area boasts year-round beautiful weather, 72 miles of Atlantic Coast beaches, the Indian River Lagoon (the most diverse estuary in North America), and close proximity to NASA Kennedy Space Center and Orlando attractions.

What Biomedical Engineering Research or other Opportunities Can I Expect?

Biomedical engineering internships with Florida Tech take place at medical centers and hospitals around Brevard County. Coupled with advanced engineering principles, students work side-by-side with doctors and medical professionals to stay on the leading edge of industry advancements. While completing biomedical engineering internships, graduate and Ph.D. students discover potential career paths and develop professional relationships that could lead to employment.

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Advanced Research Topics

In addition to biomedical engineering internships, students earning a graduate degree from Florida Tech also experience a wide range of research studies. Students tailor their research hours to a variety of advanced laboratory experiences ranging from cardiovascular research facilities to patient-specific diagnosis and therapy analysis, human cell-based screening for toxicology, pharmaceutical and biomaterials screening, and cancer detection and therapeutics. Through lab work and interactions with medical professionals, students apply their understanding of biomedical engineering outside the classroom and develop actionable solutions for medical professionals and their clients.

Florida Tech’s faculty research opportunities include topics such as techniques and devices for the detection and therapy of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and tumor tissues; developing bioactive materials for load-bearing orthopedic devices; and implanting micro-stimulators in nerves for restoring function.

Curriculum

The program offers three areas of specialization (biomechanics; biomedical instrumentation, imaging and computation, and biomaterials and tissue engineering). All areas require nine semester credit hours of required courses, a zero-credit seminar (taken each semester), and three additional biomedical engineering courses (BME) for a total of 18 credits. The remaining credits consist of six credit hours of thesis and six credit hours of elective courses (thesis) or 12 credit hours of approved electives (nonthesis) as detailed in the curriculum below.

Required Courses (9 credit hours)

• BME 5702 Biomedical Applications in Physiology
• BME 5780 Biomedical Engineering Analysis 1
• BME 5900 Biomedical Engineering Seminar (0-credit; must be taken every semester)
• BIO 5210 Applied Physiology

Specialization (choose one 9-credit specialization)

Biomechanics

• BME 5401 Advanced Biomechanics
• BME 5710 Orthopedic Biomechanics

Select one course:

• BME 5103 Transport Processes in Bioengineering
• BME 5259 Medical Imaging
• BME 5300 Biomaterials
• BME 5500 Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
• BME 5720 Biomedical Instrumentation
• BME 5781 Biomedical Engineering Analysis 2

Biomedical Instrumentation, Imaging and Computation

• BME 5259 Medical Imaging
• BME 5720 Biomedical Instrumentation

Select one course:

• BME 5103 Transport Processes in Bioengineering
• BME 5300 Biomaterials
• BME 5401 Advanced Biomechanics
• BME 5500 Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
• BME 5710 Orthopedic Biomechanics
• BME 5781 Biomedical Engineering Analysis 2

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

• BME 5300 Biomaterials
• BME 5500 Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

Select one course:

• BME 5103 Transport Processes in Bioengineering
• BME 5259 Medical Imaging
• BME 5401 Advanced Biomechanics
• BME 5710 Orthopedic Biomechanics
• BME 5720 Biomedical Instrumentation
• BME 5781 Biomedical Engineering Analysis 2

Select One (12 Credit Hours)

Thesis Option

• BME 5999 Thesis Credit Hours: 6
• Approved Electives Credit Hours: 6

Non-thesis Option

• Approved Electives Credit Hours: 12

Total Credits Required: 30

Biomedical Engineering Careers

Because the field continues to grow and change, biomedical engineering careers are very diverse:

• Biomedical engineer
• Design engineer
• Product engineer (prostheses, devices)
• Plant engineer
• Medical scientist
• Physician and surgeon
• Clinical engineer
• Medical imaging specialist
• Medical researcher
• Systems physiologist
• Biomechanical engineer
• Medical equipment designer
• Pharmaceutical and medicine researcher