Biomedical Engineering (BS)

College of Engineering

Program Website

Program Description

This major is accredited by: NY State Department of Education. Cornell's vision for Biomedical Engineering centers around a quantitative approach to understanding biology across length and time scales, with a focus on issues related to human health. The quantitative nature of this program distinguishes the major from traditional programs in biology, while the focus on human health is distinct from other programs in engineering that include the study of biological systems (e.g. Biological and Environmental Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering). Additionally, its focus on multiscale analysis of biological systems is a unique signature of Cornell Biomedical Engineering relative to programs at peer institutions.

Academic Standing

Majors in Biomedical Engineering are expected to meet the following standards:

  1. Semester GPA > 2.3
  2. Cumulative GPA > 2.1
  3. No grade below C- in any Core or Concentration Course Required for Graduation (note1)
  4. No failing grade
  5. Minimum of 12 credits per semester completed with passing grades (note2)

Notes:

  • Only one course below a C- within major required courses is allowed for graduation.
  • No course with a grade lower than C- may be used to satisfy a prerequisite for a subsequent BME course.

Honors Program

To participate in this honors program, students must meet the Majors Honors Programs criteria as delineated above and must have at least 9 credits beyond the minimum required for graduation in BME (therefore the minimum number of credits to graduate with honors is 138). These 9 credits shall include:

  • A significant research experience or honors project under the supervision of a BME faculty member using BME 4900 - Independent Undergraduate Project in Biomedical Engineering and BME 4901 - Honors Thesis, to be completed in their fourth year. A written senior honors thesis must be submitted as part of the second component. A minimum grade of A- in both courses is required for successful completion of this honors requirement. The two research courses will be taken in consecutive semesters. (6+ credits)

  • A significant teaching experience under the supervision of a BME faculty member or as part of a regularly recognized course in the department under BME 4970: Undergraduate Teaching. (3+ credits)

Please note: BTRY 3020: Biological Statistics II, or ILRST 2110: Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences (4 credits) —with a grade of at least B+ is also required for the Honors Program and may be counted as an Advisor-approved Elective in the BME major (not included in the 9 credit minimum above).

Additional criteria:

1. The student must present a poster or oral presentation in a public research forum such as a national or regional professional society meeting, Bio Expo, or other public university event by the end of the student’s project.

2. Project teams are not acceptable for Honors Thesis research unless there is a clearly defined project outside of the team effort attested by the project faculty advisor.

3. No research, independent study, or teaching experience for which the student is paid may be counted towards the credits required for the honors program.

Application Timing:

All interested students must complete a written application (available 121B Weill Hall) no later than the end of the third week of their 7th semester, but students are encouraged to make arrangements with a faculty member during their junior year.