Program Overview

Bioengineering, MSE

The Bioengineering master's program provides an interdisciplinary education in scientific and engineering fundamentals, with an emphasis on new developments in the field of Bioengineering. The primary goal of the Penn Bioengineering master's program is to provide students with a customized curriculum designed to prepare them to function creatively and independently in industry, research and development, government or academia.

The master's degree program provides rigorous and advanced training in engineering with a focus on biological and medical sciences. The flexible curriculum allows students to select their own graduate coursework in math, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and other science and engineering disciplines. The University of Pennsylvania has a "one university" philosophy, and students may register for courses from any School in the University. Our students typically take courses in the Schools of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Medicine.

Bioengineering master's degree candidates select either the thesis or non-thesis degree track during their first year, in consultation with the Director of Master's Advising. Students typically complete their degree program in twelve to eighteen months.

The MSE in Bioengineering is a "terminal degree," meaning that students interested in pursuing a PhD must apply to the program through the PhD graduate admissions process.

Curriculum

A total of 10 course units are required for the MSE degree.

• Required Courses:
  • Select 1 Math course: 1 course unit
  • Select 1 Biological Science course: 1 course unit
  • Select 2 Bioengineering graduate courses: 2 course units
  • Select 3 SEAS and or Biomedical Science electives: 3 course units
  • Select 1 general elective: 1 course unit
• Thesis/Non-Thesis Requirements:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis (or 2 science and engineering electives): 2 course units
• Total Course Units: 10

Thesis Option Requirements

If you choose to write a thesis, you will enroll in 2 units of thesis research, BE 9990 Master's Thesis. Your thesis advisor may provide additional guidance on course selection and will supervise your thesis research. The director of the bioengineering MSE program will help you find a mentor, traditionally selected from the Bioengineering Graduate Group.

Non-Thesis Option Requirements

If you choose not to write a thesis, you will enroll in an additional 2 course units (2 CU) of science and engineering electives (of which 1 may be BE 5990 Master's Independent Study)

Concentrations

The Bioengineering master's program offers several concentrations, including:

• Biomedical Data Science and Computational Medicine
• Biomedical Devices
• Cellular/Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials
• Biomedical Imaging and Radiation Physics
• Systems and Synthetic Biology
• Neuroengineering
• Multiscale Biomechanics
• Therapeutics, Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine

Biomedical Data Science and Computational Medicine

Employs concepts and infrastructure from computer science and broad-based principles from engineering, applied mathematics, physics, and chemistry, to navigate large data sets of biological information and model biomolecules to gain insight into complex biological systems.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5040: Biological Data Science II: Data Mining Principles for Epigenomics
  • BE 5060: Introduction to Neuroengineering
  • BE 5210: Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • BE 5300: Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
  • BE 5370: Biomedical Image Analysis
  • BE 5400: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
  • BE 5570: Quantitative Principles of Drug Design
  • BE 5590: Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems
  • BE 5660: Networked Neuroscience
  • BE 5740: Special Topics in Bioengineering
  • BBCB 6340: Cryo-Em
  • BIOL 5262: Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies
  • BIOL 5510: Statistics for Biologists
  • BIOL 5860: Mathematical Modeling in Biology
  • BMIN 5010: Introduction to Biomedical and Health Informatics
  • BMIN 5030: Data Science for Biomedical Informatics
  • BMIN 5220: Natural Language Processing for Health
  • CBE 5250: Molecular Modeling and Simulations
  • CIS 5190: Applied Machine Learning
  • CIS 5200: Machine Learning
  • CIS 5210: Artificial Intelligence
  • CIS 5350: Introduction to Bioinformatics
  • CIS 5450: Big Data Analytics
  • CIT 5900: Programming Languages and Techniques
  • GCB 5330: Statistics for Genomics and Biomedical Informatics
  • GCB 5360: Fundamentals of Computational Biology
  • GCB 5370: Advanced Computational Biology
• Total Course Units: 4

Biomedical Devices

Design of instruments, implants or other biotechnologies that are used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease. They require design, fabrication, manufacturing and interfacing with biological systems.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5020: From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace
  • BE 5060: Introduction to Neuroengineering
  • BE 5130: Human Centered Design for Clinical Emergency Medicine
  • BE 5140: Rehab Engineering and Design
  • BE 5180: Optical Microscopy
  • BE 5210: Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • BE 5280: Applied Medical Innovation I
  • BE 5290: Applied Medical Innovation II
  • BE 5510: Biomicrofluidics
  • BE 5560: Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine
  • BE 5700: Biomechatronics
  • BE 5850: Materials for Bioelectronics
  • ESE 5050: Feedback Control Design and Analysis
  • ESE 5290: Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies
  • ESE 5360: Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization
  • HCMG 8530: Management and Strategy in Medical Devices and Technology
  • IPD 5150: Product Design
  • IPD 5190: Smart Devices
  • MEAM 5100: Design of Mechatronic Systems
  • MEAM 5140: Design for Manufacturability
  • MEAM 5200: Introduction to Robotics
  • MEAM 5750: Micro and Nano Fluidics
  • MSE 5050: Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials
• Total Course Units: 4

Cellular/Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials

Engineering of synthetic and/or biological materials to support or manipulate cellular or tissue growth. Constructs are used to understand cell behavior, as tissue implants or as platforms for therapeutic applications.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5120: Bioengineering III: Biomaterials
  • BE 5400: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
  • BE 5530: Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering
  • BE 5580: Principles of Biological Fabrication
  • BE 5590: Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems
  • BE 5650: Developmental Engineering of Tissues
  • BE 5690: Systems Biology of Cell Signaling Behavior
  • BE 5780: Principles of Controlled Release Systems
  • BE 5850: Materials for Bioelectronics
  • CBE 5570: Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals
  • MEAM 5140: Design for Manufacturability
  • MEAM 5180: Biomedical Microsystems
• Total Course Units: 4

Biomedical Imaging and Radiation Physics

Physics of medical and biological imaging modalities, the use and effects of radiation in imaging and therapy, methodologies for image acquisition and processing, development of computer-based imaging theory and analysis methods, and the development and use of contrast media and molecular imaging agents.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5180: Optical Microscopy
  • BE 5370: Biomedical Image Analysis
  • BE 5470: Fundamental Techniques of Imaging
  • BE 5810: Techniques of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • BE 5830: Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging
  • BE 5840: The Mathematics of Medical Imaging and Measurement
  • BE 6500: Advanced Biomedical Imaging Applications
  • BBCB 6010: Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance
  • MPHY 6030: Image-Based Anatomy
  • MPHY 6070: Radiation Biology
  • PHYS 5529: Modern Optics
• Total Course Units: 4

Systems and Synthetic Biology

Understanding the nature of molecular and cellular processes and how individual biological entities interact to produce function at the cellular and organism level. It also includes the development of new devices, biomolecules, or biomimetics to control or manipulate these interactions to introduce new functionality, improve function and/or impair function.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5400: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
  • BE 5580: Principles of Biological Fabrication
  • BE 5590: Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems
  • BE 5650: Developmental Engineering of Tissues
  • BE 5690: Systems Biology of Cell Signaling Behavior
  • BIOL 5262: Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies
  • CBE 5270: Advancements and Applications in Genome Editing and Engineering
  • CBE 5540: Engineering Biotechnology
  • CBE 5570: Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals
  • MEAM 6630: Mechanics of Macromolecules
• Total Course Units: 4

Neuroengineering

Neuroengineering involves the confluence of neuroscience, device development, computation, and mathematics in an effort to better understand, track, and modulate neural function in health, disease, and degeneration.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5210: Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • BE 5060: Introduction to Neuroengineering
  • BE 5300: Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
  • BE 5660: Networked Neuroscience
  • BE 6100: Special Topics - NeuroAI - A Principled Understanding of the Human Brain
  • NGG 5720: Electrical Language of Cells
  • NGG 5730: Systems Neuroscience
  • PSYC 5470: Foundations of Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience
  • PSYC 5490: A Neuroscience Perspective of Artificial Intelligence
• Total Course Units: 4

Multiscale Biomechanics

Understand how biomolecules, cells, tissues, or living subjects interact mechanically with their environment and to use this knowledge to understand disease and repair processes and/or to guide the design of technological solutions to rehabilitate subjects with injuries or disabilities.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5100: Biomechanics and Biotransport
  • BE 5140: Rehab Engineering and Design
  • BE 5500: Continuum Tissue Mechanics
  • BE 5610: Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering
  • BE 5700: Biomechatronics
  • MSE 6500: Mechanics of Soft and Biomaterials
• Total Course Units: 4

Therapeutics, Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine

Encompasses drug discovery, drug design, manufacturing, preparation of micro- and nanodelivery platforms, gene and cell therapy, innovations in targeting, controllable drug release, biodegradation and the mathematical modeling of these systems.

• Choose 4 course units from the following:
  • BE 9990: Master's Thesis
  • BE 5990: Master's Independent Study
  • BE 5020: From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace
  • BE 5260: Immunology for Bioengineers
  • BE 5270: Immune Engineering
  • BE/CBE 5550: Nanoscale Systems Biology
  • BE 5620: Drug Discovery and Development
  • BE 5780: Principles of Controlled Release Systems
  • BE 6080: Medical Entrepreneurship: Commercializing Translational Science
  • CAMB 6090: Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics
  • CBE 5540: Engineering Biotechnology
  • CBE 5570: Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals
  • CBE 5640: Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine
• Total Course Units: 4