Biomedical Engineering
Description
Biomedical Engineering is an interdisciplinary concentration designed for students interested in applying the methods and tools of engineering to the subject matter of biology and the life sciences. It is administered jointly by the School of Engineering and the Division of Biology and Medicine. The educational objectives of Biomedical Engineering are to prepare students for careers of useful service to society, to engage committed scholars in the productive application of the tools of engineering to the subject matter of biology across the spectrum of research and teaching, to provide opportunities for teamwork, open ended problem-solving and critical thinking. The objectives prepare students 1) well versed in the basic sciences of mathematics, physics, and chemistry; 2) fluent in contemporary biology, comfortable with its reductionist traditions and its movement toward a molecular understanding, and familiar with its experimental assays; 3) educated in the tools and skill-sets of engineers, particularly the ability to quantify, synthesize, and integrate, and able to apply these tools both theoretically and experimentally to living systems and other subject matter in biology; 4) well prepared to complete their education and training in further study at the graduate or professional level, and conditioned to recognize the need for such further work; and 5) endowed with the attributes of an education in a leading liberal arts institution: the ability to think clearly, decide fairly, and communicate effectively.
Student Goals
Students in this concentration will:
- Gain fluency in contemporary biology
- Be able to apply the tools of an engineer (the ability to quantify, synthesize, and integrate) to living systems and other subject matter in biology
- Apply problem solving skills and critical thinking to a broad spectrum of biomedical engineering problems
- Work collaboratively
- Communicate effectively
- Engage in a capstone experience focusing on biomedical engineering, design, research and modeling
Requirements
Click here for a list of the Biomedical Engineering concentration requirements. For more information about this concentration, please visit the department's website.
Honors and Capstones
View Honors websiteEvery student pursuing an Sc.B. in Biomedical Engineering must complete at least one semester of independent research. Students aspiring to receive Honors in Biomedical Engineering must complete a thesis project representing the culmination of two or more semesters of research. An oral presentation is also required. Students must have a research advisor, typically a Brown faculty member from the Division of Biology and Medicine. Upon completion of the research, the faculty advisor and a second reader provide an evaluation in which the student’s work must be assessed as satisfactory or better in order for Honors to be awarded. Quality grades (A, B, and/or S with distinction) within the concentration are also required for Honors. Please see the department's website for a complete description of program requirements.
Liberal Learning
This concentration allows you to address the following Liberal Learning goals:
- Collaborate fully
- Engage with your community
- Develop a facility with symbolic languages
- Experience scientific inquiry
Affiliated Departments
Advisors
Graduating Class
| Year | Total | Capstone | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 20 | 20 | 13 |
| 2011 | 15 | 15 | 11 |
| 2012 | 16 | 16 | 7 |
Alumni Pathways
Alumni have gone on to careers in biomedical engineering as well as medicine, law, business, and health care delivery.
If you are an advisor and would like to make changes to the information on this page, contact focal_point@brown.edu, or email Dean Besenia Rodriguez.