Program Description
Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and methods to a wide array of problems associated with human health. The discipline includes the design of biocompatible materials, prostheses, surgical implants, artificial organs, controlled drug-delivery systems, and wound closure devices. Diagnosing diseases and determining their biological origins depend upon increasingly sophisticated instrumentation and the use of mathematical models. This minor allows students to gain exposure to the breadth and depth of biomedical engineering offerings at Cornell, to prepare for advanced studies in biomedical engineering, and to obtain transcript recognition for their interest and capability in this rapidly growing area.
All undergraduates are eligible to participate in this minor, but they may participate in only one of the Biological Engineering (BEE) and the Biomedical Engineering (BME) minors.
Students interested in the minor should contact the BME undergraduate coordinator.
Academic Standards
At least C– in each course in the minor. A cumulative GPA ≥ 2.0 for all courses in the minor.
Minor Requirements
At least six courses (≥ 18 credits) from the five categories listed below; two course groups need to be in categories:
- Introductory biology and/or
- Advanced biology with no more than one course from category 1. Four courses must come from the following categories:
- Molecular and cellular biological engineering,
- Biomedical engineering analysis of physiological systems, and
- Biomedical engineering applications with courses from at least two of these categories represented.
Up to two of the six courses are allowed to be required major degree courses or cross-listings. A course chosen from a list of major electives is acceptable. Additional courses may be approved by petition.
Introductory Biology
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| 4 |
| |
| Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | |
| Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology | |
| Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology | |
| Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction |
| |
| Biomolecular Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications | |
| Physiology of Human Health and Disease | |
Advanced Biology
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| BIOAP 3160 | Cellular Physiology | 3 |
| BIOMG 3300 | Principles of Biochemistry, Individualized Instruction | 4 |
BIOMG 3310
& BIOMG 3320 | Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins and Metabolism
and Principles of Biochemistry: Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOMG 3350 | Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins, Metabolism, and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIONB 2220 | Neurobiology and Behavior II: Introduction to Neuroscience | 3-4 |
| BIOMI 2900 | General Microbiology Lectures | 3-4 |
| NS 3410 | Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| BIOMG 2800 | Lectures in Genetics and Genomics | 3 |
Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Engineering
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| BEE 3600 | Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | 3 |
| BME 3010 | Cellular Principles of Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BME 3020 | Molecular Principles of Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BME 5830 | Cell-Biomaterials Interactions | 3 |
| BME 5850 | Current Practice in Tissue Engineering | 3 |
BME Analysis of Physiological Systems
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| BME 3300 | Introduction to Computational Neuroscience | 3-4 |
| BME 3410 | Systems Mechanobiology | 3 |
| BIONB 4140 | Principles of Pharmacology | 3 |
| BME 4910 | Principles of Neurophysiology | 4 |
| BME 4010 | Biomedical Engineering Analysis of Metabolic and Structural Systems | 3 |
| BME 4020 | Electrical and Chemical Physiology 1 | 3 |
| BME 4640 | Orthopaedic Tissue Mechanics | 3 |
Biomedical Engineering Applications
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| AEP 4700 | Biophysical Methods | 3 |
| or BME 5700 | |
| BEE 4500 | Bioinstrumentation | 3-4 |
| BEE 4530 | Computer-Aided Engineering: Applications to Biological Processes | 3 |
| CHEME 5430 | Bioprocess Engineering | 3 |
| BME 5810 | Soft Tissue Biomechanics | 3 |
| BME 5780 | Computer Analysis of Biomed Images | 3 |
| MSE 4610 | Biomedical Materials and Their Applications | 3 |
| BME 5620 | Biomineralization: The Formation and Properties of Inorganic Biomaterials | 3 |
| BME 6350 | Introduction to Neurotechnology | 3 |
| BME 6210 | Engineering Principles for Drug Delivery | 3 |
| BME 3210 | Multiscale Biomaterial Analysis | 3 |
| BME 3310 | Medical and Preclinical Imaging | 3 |
Graduation Requirements for Engineering Minor Degree Programs
Requirements
Students may pursue minors in any department in any college that offers them, subject to limitations placed by the department offering the minor or by the students' major. Completed minors will appear on the student's transcript. Not all departments offer minors. Additional information on specific minors can be found above, in the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook, in the undergraduate major office of the department or school offering the minor, and in Engineering Advising.
An engineering minor recognizes formal study of a particular subject area in engineering normally outside the major. Students undertaking a minor are expected to complete the requirements during the time of their continuous undergraduate enrollment at Cornell. Completing the requirements for an engineering minor (along with a major) may require more than the traditional eight semesters at Cornell. However, courses that fulfill minor requirements may also satisfy other degree requirements (e.g., distribution courses, advisor-approved, or major-approved electives), and completion within eight semesters is possible.
An engineering minor requires:
- successful completion of all requirements for an undergraduate degree.
- enrollment in a major that approves participation in the minor.
- satisfactory completion of six courses (at least 18 credits) in a college-approved minor.
Students may apply for certification of a minor at any time after the required course work has been completed in accordance with published standards. An official notation of certification of a minor appears on the Cornell transcript following graduation.
