Degree Requirements
Master's Degree
A minimum of 33 graduate credits is required to earn the Master of Science in BME (project option) or 39 credits for the Master of Science in BME (thesis option). The program study can be chosen from any of the following approved concentrations: Biomedical Principles, Biomedical Design or Biomedical Entrepreneurship; each with their own specific requirements as outlined below. The program of study can be tailored in consultation with your faculty advisor/mentor to accommodate almost any BME area of interest through the use of a technical elective system. The following courses must be taken by all BME graduate students: BME 501 and BME 502. Additionally, all students (except those pursuing the Medical Physics Accredited Certificate Program) must also fulfill a business/management course requirement, which can be met by taking BME 509 or the following MBA class (MBA 502, MBA 503, MBA 504, MBA 505, MBA 506, MBA 507, MBA 511, or MBA 589) from the School of Business. All students are required to register for BME 590 (at least zero credits per semester), during every semester of full-time enrollment. The following courses are only required for students in the Biomedical Principles concentration: BME 505, BME 520, BME 521 and BME 698. The following courses are only required for students in the Biomedical Design concentration: BME 505, BME 581 and BME 520 or BME 521. The following courses are only required for students in the Biomedical Entrepreneurship concentration: EMP 521 and JRN 565 (or 3 of the following JRN 501, JRN 502, JRN 503, JRN 504, JRN 508, JRN 509, JRN 511 or JRN 512). Each concentration requires that the student completes 6 technical electives that can be tailored to the specific plan of study. Students in the Biomedical Principles and Biomedical Design concentration are required to take a minimum of six technical elective courses (4 of which have to be BME). Students in the Biomedical Entrepreneurship concentration are required to take a minimum of six technical elective courses (3 of which have to be BME and 3 of which are focused on entrepreneurship). Please consult with the graduate program director for an approved list of technical electives for all concentrations.
A grade point average of B or better must be attained for the core BME courses taken and an overall grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0 must be maintained overall.
Project or Thesis Options. The student has the option of earning the Master of Science Degree in BME on either a project or thesis option. If the project option is elected, the student undertakes elective graduate coursework to complete the 33 credits. The culmination of the degree is earned through an appropriate project that is submitted for approval to a faculty committee and/or the graduate program director. If the thesis option is elected, the student must additionally complete six credits of BME 599 and submit and defend a written thesis.
For the project option, most students can complete this program within three academic semesters, and most students can complete the thesis option in four academic semesters. The project option is recommended for students who wish to pursue a career in industry that does not involve Research & Development (R&D). Students pursing the project option cannot use BME 599 to fulfill any requirements (i.e., it is not a technical elective nor core course, but they can enroll in BME 595 to document completion of the project). The thesis option is recommended for students who will be continuing on for their doctoral degree and for students who wish to pursue an industrial career with an R&D focus. Students in the thesis option cannot enroll in BME 595 and use it to satisfy degree requirements.
Suggested courses for the different specializations/tracks can be modified based on your specific research avenue in consultation with the Graduate Programs Director and your major advisor.
Please see the following Graduation Checklists for Particular BME MS Tracks:
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MS Checkist for |
Biomedical Engineering |
Biomedical Engineering |
Biomedical Engineering |
Doctoral Degree
Student matriculating in to the doctoral (Ph.D.) degree program must complete all the requirements for the M.S. degree in BME at Stony Brook or enter the program with a relevant M.S. degree. This latter option is termed admission with “Advanced Standing”. After completion of the M.S. degree or admission with Advanced Standing, there are no course requirements per se, though certain courses may be required to fill any gaps in the student's knowledge. Following completion of a qualifying exam, an independent basic research program will be undertaken. Subsequently, the student will present and defend their dissertation proposal defense. Successful completion of this stage will enable the student to “Advance to Candidacy”. One semester of teaching practicum must be satisfactorily performed. Completion of the research program will culminate in the submission and oral defense of a doctoral dissertation. The University requires at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years after completing 24 credits of graduate study.