Program Overview

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Master of Bioengineering (MBE) Degree and a Major Concentration in Applied Bioengineering

The Master of Bioengineering (MBE) degree is a professional non-thesis master's degree that offers a major concentration in Applied Bioengineering. This program is designed for students who will pursue careers in research, medicine, or related fields.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the MBE degree and a major concentration in Applied Bioengineering, students will be able to:

1. Apply and integrate advanced knowledge of Bioengineering topics in at least one of the following areas: Biomaterials, Biofabrication and Mechanobiology; Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation; Cellular, Molecular, and Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology; Computational and Theoretical Engineering and Biophysics.
2. Apply knowledge from engineering and other disciplines to identify, formulate, and solve novel and complex problems that require advanced knowledge in bioengineering.
3. Select and apply quantitative analytic techniques to analyze bioengineering data.

Additionally, upon completing the MBE degree and a major concentration in Applied Bioengineering, students pursuing that major concentration's optional experience will be able to:

1. Develop practical experience of designing and performing laboratory research, including the ability to summarize and assess research results in a written format, and present research results.

Requirements for the MBE Degree

The MBE degree is a non-thesis master's degree. Students pursuing the MBE degree must complete:

• A minimum of 30-31 credit hours, depending on major concentration and course selection, to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
• A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit.
• A minimum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) must be taken in departmental (BIOE) courses at Rice with a course type of lecture or lecture/laboratory.
• The requirements for one major concentration.

Major Concentrations

When students apply to the MBE degree program, they must identify and be admitted into one of two major concentrations:

• Applied Bioengineering: designed as a flexible program for students who will pursue careers in research, medicine, or related fields.
• Global Medical Innovation: designed specifically for students who will pursue a career in the global medical technology industry.

Degree Requirements

The following courses satisfy the requirements for this degree program:

• Core Requirements:
  • BIOE 627: MEDICAL INNOVATION INDUSTRY SEMINAR (1.5 credit hours)
  • BIOE 628: MEDICAL INNOVATION INDUSTRY SEMINAR (1.5 credit hours)
• Major Concentration:
  • Select 1 from the following Major Concentrations (see below for Major Concentration): 27-28 credit hours

Major Concentration: Applied Bioengineering (class-only)

Students pursuing the MBE degree with an Applied Bioengineering (class-only) major concentration must complete:

• Major Concentration Requirements: Applied Bioengineering (class-only)
• Elective Requirements:
  • Elective Category: BIOE Departmental Electives 1, 2: Select 6 courses from approved departmental (BIOE) course offerings at the 500-level or above (18 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: Quantitative Requirement: Select a minimum of 3 credit hours from the following (3 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: Professional Development: Select a minimum of 3 credit hours from the following (3 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: BIOE General Elective: Select 1 additional course from approved departmental (BIOE) course offerings (or another department) at the 500-level or above (3 credit hours)

Major Concentration: Applied Bioengineering (optional experience)

Students pursuing the MBE degree with an Applied Bioengineering major concentration (optional experience) must complete:

• Major Concentration Requirements: Applied Bioengineering (optional research experience)
• Elective Requirements:
  • Elective Category: BIOE Departmental Electives 1: Select 4 courses from approved departmental (BIOE) course offerings at the 500-level or above (12 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: Quantitative Requirement: Select 1 course from the following (3 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: Technical Writing: Select 1 course from the following (3 credit hours)
  • Elective Category: Ethics: UNIV 594: RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (1 credit hour)
  • Research Requirement:
    • BIOE 507: GRADUATE RESEARCH COMPONENTS I (2 credit hours)
    • BIOE 607: RESEARCH CONCENTRATION – COMPONENT II (5 credit hours)
    • BIOE 698: BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA (1 credit hour)
    • BIOE 699: BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA (1 credit hour)

Policies for the MBE Degree

Department of Bioengineering Graduate Program Handbook

The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the department of Bioengineering publishes a graduate program handbook.

Enrollment Status Requirements

Students may enroll for the MBE Degree with a Major Concentration in Applied Bioengineering (or optional experience) on a full-time or part-time basis. For the MBE Degree with a Major Concentration in Global Medical Innovation, students may only enroll on a full-time basis.

Transfer Credit

For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the MBE degree should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:

• No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the degree.

Opportunities for the MBE Degree

Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students

In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master's degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies. Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master's degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master's degree program director.