Biomedical Engineering

Academic Director: Gene R. DiResta

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the MS in Biomedical Engineering program is to give students an in-depth, advanced education that provides them with the analytical tools to perform fundamental and applied research in biomedical engineering. Alternatively, students gain the requisite technical knowledge to apply to management, marketing, sales and other entrepreneurial activities related to biomedical engineering. Specific objectives include the following:

• Enrolling students who come from many disciplines and bring different skill sets to solve a broad range of biomedical-engineering problems. The program accommodates students with a BS or a more advanced degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, premedical, bioengineering and biotechnology.
• Providing students with a cutting-edge program that integrates quantitative-engineering skills with biological and medical sciences. Students acquire the skills to engage in technological innovations that give people longer, healthier and more productive lives.
• Merging the leadership and talents found at NYU Tandon in chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, mathematics, management and humanities with the expertise in medical sciences at the NYU School of Medicine, NYU School of Dentistry, NYU Courant Institute and SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
• Giving students an opportunity to focus on a wide range of contemporary topics critical to biomedical engineering. Students choose courses in topics that include biomedical instrumentation, biomaterials, drug delivery, orthopedic biomechanics and devices, protein engineering, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, immunology, bioinformatics, systems analysis and mathematics, medical imaging and material science.
• Giving students the option of doing research in laboratories at NYU Tandon, NYU Medical and Dental Schools, NYU-affiliated hospitals or SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Students may also substitute research credits with course electives.

In the years ahead, health and human productivity can be improved vastly through major advances in medicine. The successful, seamless integration of biology and modern engineering will drive those advances. Scientists anticipate future breakthroughs ranging from the design of drugs customized to an individual’s genome to the perfection of artificial implantable organs. Aggressive and intelligent integration of engineering with the biological and medical sciences will hasten the realization of these and other innovations, leading to longer, healthier and more productive lives. Scientists now can visualize internal structures with a level of clarity thought impossible only a decade ago. With the improved diagnosis that comes from these advances and those that follow, science will discover further treatments.

Today, miniature devices can be manipulated through endoscopes, making it possible to perform minimally invasive surgery that reduces patient trauma. In the future, the micro-fabrication of biomedical devices at Polytechnic and elsewhere will enhance surgical technology and increase the functionality and quality of life of the physically-impaired in applications ranging from congenital defects to improving major organ function (heart, kidneys and liver). Other areas show similar promise. Breakthroughs in human tissue research point to the possibilities of replacing damaged or diseased bone, cartilage and other tissues with newly engineered materials. Bioresorbable materials will substitute for permanent implants to allow tissue recovery followed by clearance of the degraded implant material. New imaging modalities are emerging that provide advanced information and monitoring capabilities. Wireless technology will integrate medical devices and home-care systems with primary healthcare providers, and facilitate the storage and retrieval of patient data. Over the coming decades, these and other extraordinary developments will dramatically affect lives.

By merging NYU Tandon’s leadership and talents in its programs in engineering, chemistry, biology, computer science, management and humanities programs with NYU’s and SUNY Downstate’s expertise in medical sciences, the NYU Tandon Biomedical Engineering Program provides students with a broad range of research opportunities. The partnership between NYU Tandon, NYU and SUNY Downstate is dedicated to this new model of biomedical education and to developing students with practical and fundamental knowledge. Students move freely among the institutions, taking advantage of faculty and associated research programs. NYU Tandon’s goal is to provide the best in-classroom and laboratory education to develop the skills to succeed in a wide range of opportunities after graduation.

A Perfect Formula for a Successful Biomedical Engineering Program

NYU Tandon’s Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering program originated in a strategic alliance between the School and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The two institutions developed extensive research interests with complementary technological expertise. Common areas of scientific investigation include Biosensors, Telemetry, Neurorobotics, Optical Imaging, Bioresorbable Biomedical Materials, Drug Delivery, Protein and Glycolipid Therapeutics, Tissue Engineering and Microchip Sensors. These collaborations remain a vital program component.

Full- and Part-time Students

Students entering this master’s program may wish to complete their degree rapidly by taking a full course load, or proceed at a slower pace if they are working professionals who have other full- or part-time commitments. The curriculum structure and class schedule accommodates part-time and full-time students. Thus, most 3-credit courses are given as two-and-a-half hour lectures one evening a week during a 15-week semester. Evening research opportunities are available.

Admission and Degree Requirements

The Master of Science degree is for students from various backgrounds seeking the in-depth knowledge and quantitative skills required for biomedical engineering. Students may apply to the master’s program if they have one or more of the following: (1) BS or a more advanced degree in any engineering discipline, (2) BS or more advanced degree in mathematics or (3) BS or more advanced degree in any of the natural sciences. Entering students should have a minimum of two semesters of college-level calculus (see Polytechnic course descriptions for mathematics courses MA 1024  and MA 1124 ), two semesters of college-level physics (see NYU Tandon course descriptions for physics,

Programs

• Biomedical Engineering, Bioinstrumentation Track, M.S.
• Biomedical Engineering, Biomaterials Track, M.S.
• Biomedical Engineering, Medical Imaging Track, M.S.

• Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.