Minor Program in Biomedical Engineering

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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Submit the completed application form, signed by your department’s BME advisor, to either Prof. Jongyoon Han or Prof. Ellen Roche, for final approval.
  4. 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.

When should I apply?

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.

How do I complete the minor?

  1. Pick up a minor completion form from the BE Academic Office (16-267), the Student Services Center (11-120), or visit the Registrar website.
  2. 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.
  3. Bring the completion form to the BE Academic Office, Rm. 16-267. You will be emailed a copy.

When do I complete my minor?

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.

What are the requirements?

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.

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 3 subjects from the list below (parentheses indicate graduate equivalents for undergraduate classes). Note - some classes are listed under multiple courses and can only be counted once. # not offered regularly **not offered 2023/2024

Course 1 (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

  • 1.063(1.631)/2.250/HST.537 Fluids and Diseases
  • 1.088 (1.881)/HST.538 Genomics and Evolution of Infectious Disease

Course 2 (Mechanical Engineering)

  • 2.180(2.18)/6.027 Biomolecular Feedback Systems
  • 2.184(2.183)/9.34 Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement
  • 2.673/20.309 (20.409) Instrumentation and Measurement for Biological Systems
  • 2.715/20.487 Optical Microscopy and Spectroscopy for Biology and Medicine#
  • 2.74(2.740) Bio-inspired robotics
  • 2.750(2.75)/6.4860(6.4681)/HST.552 Medical Device Design
  • 2.772/20.110 Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems
  • 2.78/6.4530(6.811)/HST.420 Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology
  • 2.785 /HST.523 Cell-Matrix Mechanics
  • 2.787/HST.535 Tissue Engineering and Organ Regeneration
  • 2.788 Mechanical Engineering and Design of Living Systems
  • 2.791(2.794)/6.4810(6.4812)/9.21(9.021)/20.370(20.470)/HST.541 Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing
  • 2.793(2.795)/10.539/6.4830(6.4832)/20.330(20.430) Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems
  • 2.797(2.798)/3.053(3.971)/6.4840(6.4842)/20.310(20.410)/10.537 Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • 2.799 The Cell as a Machine#
  • 2.C27(2.C67)/3.C27(3.C67)/6.C27(6.C67) Computational Imaging: Physics and Algorithms

Course 3 (Materials Science and Engineering)

  • 3.052 Nanomechanics of Materials and Biomaterials
  • 3.053(3.971)/2.797(2.798)/6.4840(6.4842/20.310(20.410)/10.537 Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • 3.054(3.36)# Cellular Solids: Structure, Properties, Applications
  • 3.055(3.963)/20.363(20/463) Biomaterials Science and Engineering
  • 3.056(3.64)/9.67(9.670) Materials Physics of Neural Interfaces**
  • 3.C27(3.C67)/2.C27(2.C67)/6.C27(6.C67) Computational Imaging: Physics and Algorithms

Course 6 (Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences)

  • 6.027/2.180 (2.18)  Biomolecular Feedback Systems
  • 6.4710/7.33 Evolutionary Biology: Concepts, Models and Computation
  • 6.4800 Biomedical Systems: Modeling and Inference
  • 6.4810(6.4812)/2.791(2.794)/9.21(9.021)/20.370(20.470)/HST.541 Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing
  • 6.4830(6.4832)/2.793(2.795)/10.539/20.330(20.430) Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems
  • 6.4840(6.4842/2.797(2.798)/3.053(3.971)/20.310(20.410)/10.537 Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • 6.4861(6.4680)/2.750(2.75)/HST.552 Medical Device Design
  • 6.4530(6.811)/2.78/HST.420 Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology
  • 6.4860(6.4681)/2.750(2.75)/HST.552 Medical Device Design
  • 6.8701(6.8700)/HST.507 Advanced Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution
  • 6.8711(6.8710)/HST.506/20.390 Computational Systems Biology: Deep Learning in the Life Sciences
  • 6.8721(6.8720)/20305(20.405) Principles of Synthetic Biology
  • 6.8800(6.8801)/16.456/HST.582 Biomedical Signal and Image Processing
  • 6.8810/HST.580 Data Acquisition and Image Reconstruction in MRI
  • 6.8830 Signal Processing by the Auditory System: Perception#
  • 6.C27(6.C67)/2.C27(2.C67)/3.C27(3.C67) Computational Imaging: Physics and Algorithms

Course 7 (Biology)

  • 7.37/10.441/20.361 Molecular and Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology
  • 7.61 Eukaryotic Cell Biology with Medical Applications

Course 9 (Brain and Cognitive Sciences)

  • 9.123(20.203) Neurotechnology in Action
  • 9.17 Systems Neuroscience Laboratory
  • 9.24 Disorders and Diseases of the Nervous System
  • 9.26(20.205) Principles and Applications of Genetic Engineering for Biotechnology and Neuroscience
  • 9.271 Pioneering Technologies for Interrogating Complex Biological Systems
  • 9.272/HST.576 Topics in Neural Signal Processing
  • 9.34/2.184(2.183) Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement
  • 9.35 Perception
  • 9.40 Introduction to Neural Computation
  • 9.422/20.452(20.352)/MAS.881 Principles of Neural Computation
  • 9.67(9.670)/3.056(3.64) Materials Physics of Neural Interfaces**

Course 10 (Chemical Engineering)

  • 10.28 Chemical-Biological Engineering Laboratory
  • 10.380/5.002/HST.438 Viruses, Pandemics, Immunity#
  • 10.424(10.524) Pharmaceutical Engineering
  • 10.441/7.37/20.361 Molecular and Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology
  • 10.443(10.643) Future Medicine: Drug Delivery, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics
  • 10.495 Molecular Design and Bioprocess Development of Immunotherapies
  • 10.539/20.330(20.430)/6.4830(6.4832)/2.793 (2.795) Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems

Course 16 (Aeronautics and Astronautics)

  • 16.400(16.453)/HST.518 Human Systems Engineering
  • 16.423/HST.515/IDS.337 Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering
  • 16.456/6.8800(6.8801)/HST.582 Biomedical Signal and Image Processing

Course 20 (Biological Engineering)

  • 20.203(9.123) Neurotechnology in Action
  • 20.205(9.26) Principles and Applications of Genetic Engineering for Biotechnology and Neuroscience
  • 20.309(20.409)/2.673 Instrumentation and Measurement for Biological Systems
  • 20.310(20.410)/2.797(2.798)/3.053(3.971)/6.4840(6.4842/10.537 Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • 20.330(20.430)/6.4830(6.4832)/2.793 (2.795)/10.539 Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems
  • 20.334 Biological Systems Modeling (6 units)
  • 20.452(20.352)/9.422/MAS.881 Principles of Neural Computation
  • 20.361/7.37/10.441 Molecular and Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology**
  • 20.363(20/463)/3.055(3.963) Biomaterials Science and Engineering
  • 20.BME Pre-approved* Undergraduate research in junior or senior year (12 units)
  • 20.230 Immunology (Spranger/Birnbaum)
  • 20.260 Computational Analysis of Biological Data (Lauffenburger/White)
  • 20.365 Engineering the Immune System in Cancer and Beyond (Irvine)
  • 20.373 Foundations of Cell Therapy Manufacturing (Van Vliet)#.

NOTES on BME courses:

  1. 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.
  2. 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. See list of BME advisors below
  3. 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.
  4. Any new or existing courses at MIT that are regularly offered could be considered as one of the BME courses. In order to start the evaluation process, the faculty in charge of the candidate course should contact BME directors (Profs. Han and Roche) by email. The criterion for eligibility is that the subject should make a significant and explicit connection between the science/engineering content and modern medicine / human health problems.

Examples/FAQs:

  1. Pre-reqs can be counted unless in your major

Example 1: 7.06, even though it is not on this list of BME subjects, may be counted as it is a pre-requisite for 7.37/20.361, which is on the list. However, 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 prerequisites. 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.

  1. Double counting - you need 3 classes for your BME minor that don’t count towards your major

Example 1: 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. The student can use these 4 subjects to fulfill the 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 additional Course 6 subjects without using them to fulfill their EECS major requirement.

 

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. Lydia Bourouiba
Course 2: Prof. Ellen Roche, Prof. Alex Slocum, Prof. Nevan Hanumura, Prof. Marty Culpepper
Course 3: Prof Craig Carter
Course 5: Prof. Moungie Bawendi, Prof. Tim Swager
Course 6: Prof. Sixian You
Course 7: Prof. Michael Yaffe
Course 8: TBD (contact BME Co-Director)
Course 9: TBD (contact BME Co-Director)
Course 10: TBD (contact BME Co-Director)
Course 16: Prof. Lonnie Petersen
Course 20: Prof. Angela Koehler, Prof. Alan Jasanoff, Dr. Justin Buck, Dr. Steve Wasserman, Dr. Maxine Jonas

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