The goal of the BME Minor program is to educate students in how to apply fundamental engineering principles to solve challenging problems in biology and medicine. The BME Minor program aims to guide students to gain an appreciation of diverse biomedical engineering sub-disciplines via coursework, which relates math, physiology, and engineering electives drawn from many different disciplines, reflecting interdepartmental nature of modern biomedical engineering.
Below are frequently asked questions about the BME Minor:
- How do I declare a minor?
- When should I apply?
- What if I want to change classes that would impact my minor?
- How do I complete the minor?
- When do I complete my minor?
- What are the requirements?
- More questions?
- Fill out the top portion of the BME minor application (use this form only for the BME minor). Application forms are also available in the BE Academic Office, Rm. 16-267.
- Meet with your department’s BME advisor (list provided below) in order to plan your program of study. Make sure that your program of study satisfies all the rules, both for major and BME minor degree, especially the rules related to allowed overlap between major and minor.
- Submit the completed application form, signed by your department’s BME advisor, to either Prof. Jongyoon Han or Prof. Ellen Roche, for final approval.
- Bring the completed application to the BE Academic Office, Rm. 16-267. You will be emailed a copy of your application and it will appear on your student record.
You should apply by the end of your sophomore year, and must apply no later than "Add Date" of spring term junior year.
What if I want to change classes that would impact my minor?
To change any part of your approved program, you must revise your plan and submit a revised application to Profs. Han or van Vliet.
- Pick up a minor completion form from the BE Academic Office (16-267), the Student Services Center (11-120), or visit the Registrar website.
- When you have completed all of the course requirements for the minor, take a copy of your most recent grade report and a minor completion form to a BME minor co-director. He/she will then sign the completion form to verify that you have satisfied all of the course requirements.
- Bring the completion form to the BE Academic Office, Rm. 16-267. You will be emailed a copy.
You must complete the minor by the minor completion date, typically the third week of the term you expect to receive the SB degree. Any completion forms filed after this date will be subject to a late fee, billed to your account.
The BME minor is an interdepartmental minor program, with its core requirements drawn from many different departmental subjects. In order to ensure students’ exposure to materials outside of their major program, the BME minor requires students to take at least 3 subjects (30-36 units) that are not used for fulfilling their major curriculum requirements, to fulfill the BME minor requirement.
Example: A student from Course 6 takes 6.100A1/6.100B, 18.03, 6.3700 (6.041), and 6.4810 (6.021) as part of their BME minor requirements. At the same time, the student can use these 4 subjects to fulfill EECS undergraduate major requirements. However, he/she cannot take any more Course 6 subjects and ‘double-count’ those subjects for both the BME minor and EECS major. Either he/she should take 3 additional subjects required for the BME minor outside of Course 6, or take Course 6 subjects without using them to fulfill their EECS major requirement.
CORE SUBJECTS: 3.5~4 subjects (42~48 units)
- Programming & Computational Modeling – 12 units
- 6.100A & 6.100B or equivalent
PLUS
- Mathematics – 18-24 units
- A minimum of 6 units each of any two of the following three subject areas:
- Differential Equations (18.03 or 3.016 or other 6-12 unit subjects)
- Or
- Linear Algebra (18.06 or other 6-12 unit subject)
- Or
- Applied Probability and Statistics (18.600, 1.010, 6.3700 (6.041), 9.07 or other 6 or 12 unit subjects)
PLUS
- Human Physiology - 12 units
- 7.20 or 6.4820 (6.022) or 9.01 or permission for alternate human physiology class.
Biomedical Engineering Subjects: 3 subjects (30-39 units)
At least 2 subjects from this list below. At least one of the subjects MUST be from outside the student’s major. Subjects not on this list can be counted if they are not in the student’s major and are a required pre-requisite for a subject on this list.
Example 1: 7.06, even though it is not on this list of BME subjects, may be counted as a pre-requisite for 7.37/20.361, which is on the list. But, this option is not available for students majoring in Course 7.
Example 2: 2.750 is a popular design course in Course 2. A course 6 student can take this subject to fulfill the BME minor requirement, and also count 2.72 as another course for the BME minor, because it is the prerequisite to 2.750. However, 6.2040 cannot be counted (even though it is a prerequisite to 2.750) since it is a Course 6 offering.
Example 3: 6.4810J (6.021) is on the list of eligible subjects, but has the prerequisites to fulfill. A course 2 major can take 6.100A/B as the prerequisite for 6.4810J, in which case both 6.100AB and 6.4810J can be counted toward the BME minor. For course 6 students, they can count 6.4810 toward the BME minor (within the allowed 3 subjects limit), but not its prerequisites such as 6.100A/B. However, if they choose to take 2.005 (as the prerequisite for 6.4810J), then it can be counted toward the BME minor.
Students should consult with their departmental BME minor advisor, preferably in sophomore year and no later than the end of the fall term of junior year, to choose a course of study, which must be approved in advance. A BME minor advisor from outside of the student’s major will be assigned, to oversee and approve the course of study. A list of the BME minor advisors is provided below.
Approved biomedical engineering UROPs carried out by students with junior or senior standing may also fulfill the requirement for one subject. In order to use junior/senior UROPs to satisfy BME requirements, they must be approved in advance in the term before the UROP is to be conducted, with the requirement of sufficient medical focus demonstrated.
Course 1
1.083 A&B Environmental Health Engineering and Biology I&II (each 6 units)
Course 2
2.184 / 9.34 Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement,
2.715 / 20.487 (G) Optical Microscopy and Spectroscopy for Biology and Medicine
2.750 / 6.4860 (6.025 ) Medical Device Design
2.785 / HST.523 (G) Cell-Matrix Mechanics
2.782 / HST.524 (G) Design of Medical Devices and Implants
Course 3
2.79 / HST.522 (G) Biomaterials: Tissue Interactions
3.055 / 20.363 Biomaterials Science and Engineering
3.052 Nanomechanics of Materials and Biomaterials
3.054 Cellular solids: Structure, Properties, and Applications
Course 6
6.8800 (6.555) / 16.456 / HST.582 (G) Biomedical signal and image processing
6.4810 (6.021) / 2.791 / 9.21 / 20.370 Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing
6.4530 (6.811) / 2.78/ HST.420 Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology
Course 7
7.37 / 10.441/ 20.361 Molecular and Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology
Course 9
9.422 Principles of Neuroengineering
9.123 Neurotechnology in Action
9.40 Introduction to Neural Computation
9.17 Systems Neuroscience Laboratory
9.26 Principles and Applications of Genetic Engineering for Biotechnology and Neuroscience
9.35 Perceptual Systems
9.24 Disorders and Diseases of the Nervous System
Course 10
10.443 Future Medicine: Drug Delivery, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics
10.424 Pharmaceutical Engineering
10.495 Molecular Design and Bioprocess Development of Immunotherapies
Course 20
20.310 / 2.797 / 3.053 / 6.4840 (6.024) Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics
20.345 / 6.4870 (6.123) Bioinstrumentation Project Lab
20.BME Pre-approved* undergraduate research in junior or senior year (12 units)
Graduate courses (marked with “G”) in the list are currently enjoying significant (20% or more) undergraduate enrollments. Separate UG-specific course numbers will be established in the near future.
*A 20.BME application form must be submitted to the BE Academic Office by ADD date the term in which you plan to enroll. The form must be signed and approved by your faculty UROP supervisor and a BME minor program director. The guidelines for submitting the final project can be found here.
Biomedical Engineering Minor Degree Advisors
Please consult with an advisor as early as possible, especially if you will be seeking approval for a UROP or course substitution.
Course 1: Prof. Martin Polz
Course 2: Prof. Peter So
Course 3: TBD (please contact BME Co-Director)
Course 6: Prof. Jongyoon (Jay) Han (EE)
Course 7: Prof. Graham Walker
Course 9: Prof. Michale S. Fee
Course 10: Prof. Patrick Doyle
Course 20: Prof. Linda Griffith
I have more questions, whom do I ask?
Questions about course requirements, approving electives, etc:
Professor Jongyoon Han
Co-Director, BME Minor Program
Room 36-841
jyhan@mit.edu
Professor Ellen Roche
Co-Director, BME Minor Program
Room E25-334
etr@mit.edu
Questions about program deadlines, forms, and other administrative requests:
Cathy Greene
UG Program Coordinator, Course 20
Room 16-267
clgreene@mit.edu
