Transcript Document

School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Graduate Programs in Biomedical Engineering,
Biomedical Science, & the Crossover Program
The following are answers to some of the questions most frequently asked by applicants about Drexel's
Graduate Programs in Biomedical Engineering and Biomedical Science.
Q. What distinguishes Drexel's School of Biomedical Engineering graduate program from those of
other universities?
A. Most other universities have their biomedical engineering program either in their respective engineering
or medical colleges. The School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems is a universitylevel interdisciplinary unit, which enjoys close working partnerships with Drexel's College of Engineering
and the College of Medicine. This school framework facilitates appointment of faculty with diverse
backgrounds in the school and creates a true multidisciplinary environment. It also facilitates interaction
and collaboration between different professionals (biologists, physicians, chemists, mathematicians, etc.).
In other universities, such interactions rely on inter-departmental collaboration, which may be influenced by
non-professional considerations and different departmental goals.
Q. What distinguishes Drexel's Biomedical Science program from those of other universities?
A. A typical graduate program in the biomedical sciences focuses on providing depth within a subdiscipline
of biology. For example, such programs may provide advanced work in microbiology or pharmacology.
Drexel's program has a very different goal: to cross-train life science students in quantitative analysis,
systems, modeling, and computational sciences. It is a value-added approach designed to enhance the
ability of the individual to understand, interact with, and model living systems at the whole organism level
by providing students with knowledge and skills normally found in the engineering disciplines. Students
with master's or Ph.D. degrees in biomedical science have gone on to establish new companies, or lead
new laboratory efforts in such areas as human performance; man-machine interface design; neural
network modeling, or pharmaceutical sciences.
Q. What is the background needed to qualify for admission into the graduate Biomedical
Engineering program?
A. You have to be a graduate of an accredited program in one of the engineering disciplines. Students
wishing to earn a biomedical engineering degree that have background in life sciences, physical sciences,
and mathematics, but not an engineering degree, may be admitted through our crossover program.
Q. What is the crossover program?
A. The crossover program is intended for students who want to earn a master's degree in biomedical
engineering but have no prior engineering qualifications. If you applied for admission into the master's
program in biomedical engineering and your bachelor's degree is not in engineering, you may be admitted
to the Biomedical Science (BMS) program and transfer to Biomedical Engineering (BME) via the crossover
program. The graduate committee will review your qualifications and will outline a plan of pre-required
undergraduate engineering courses that you will need to take before you can be officially transferred to the
Biomedical Engineering program. Please be aware that any undergraduate courses taken to fulfill the
crossover requirements will not be counted toward master's degree credits.
Q. Who should take the crossover program?
A. Crossing over from science to engineering requires the acquisition of basic engineering skills. Consult
the graduate advisor (or your BMS thesis advisor, if you have one) to review your requirements. You will
have to spend one to two years taking undergraduate classes before you start to take the required
graduate courses.
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School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems
Q. What is the background needed to qualify for admission into the graduate Biomedical Science
program?
A. You must have a degree in one of the sciences, such as biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics. If
you are uncertain, please contact the School's Graduate Advisor.
Q. After I have been admitted to the graduate biomedical engineering program, what topics should I
study in order to prepare for my graduate studies?
A. You can relax and save your energy for the school year. However, if you have not decided in what area
to specialize, you can read and talk to professors about the different specializations and choose the area
that best suits your interests.
Q. What is the difference between the non-thesis master's and the regular master's program?
A. The traditional master's degree involves acquisition of knowledge in curricular material and some
structured research experience that constitutes the basis of a written thesis. Since science and technology
have been progressing and expanding at a high rate, engineers often need to catch up with the knowledge
gap created. The non-thesis option is designed to primarily address the needs of individuals who are
working in industry or hospitals and who need to supplement their knowledge with advanced curricular
material.
Q. I was informed that the school appointed an advisor for me. Do I have to do my thesis research in
the appointed advisor's research area?
A. The Office of Graduate Admissions automatically assigns all newly admitted students to the person
responsible for the graduate studies in the particular school or department. This person is the administrative
"graduate advisor" of that unit. This person is involved in your admission process and administrative
advising, as well as in helping you get oriented to Drexel. The advisor assigned is a temporary
administrative advisor, and once you enroll, you will have the opportunity to meet with faculty members to
identify a "thesis advisor" whose research coincides with your own area of interest.
Q. Will graduating with a biomedical engineering or biomedical science degree be an advantage in
pursuing medical studies?
A. The biomedical engineering and biomedical science programs prepare the student for medical school by
enhancing his or her knowledge of mathematics, physics, and medical science courses. Biomedical
engineering is a natural course of study leading to successful enrollment in medical, dental, or veterinary
schools. It prepares students for rewarding and productive careers in modern medicine, which is technology
driven and research based. Recent statistics indicate that biomedical engineering majors outpace majors in
all other disciplines in admission to medical schools. The goal of the Biomedical Science graduate program
is to cross train life science students in quantitative analysis, systems, modeling, and programming. It is a
value-added approach designed to enhance the ability of the individual to understand, interact with, and
model living systems at the whole organism level by providing students with knowledge and skills normally
found in the engineering disciplines. Students educated in this way are better prepared for the technological
aspects of modern medicine and are able to apply a more holistic approach to diagnosis and patient care.
The program functions in collaboration with the Interdepartmental Medical Science program in the Drexel
College of Medicine to provide further preparation for applying to medical school.
Q. I was notified by Drexel's Admissions Office that I was accepted to the program and that I should
contact the department regarding financial aid. Does that mean I will be receiving a teaching or
research assistantship?
A. No. There are four types of financial assistance for which you will be automatically considered:
• Dean's Fellowship – This fellowship is awarded only to master's students whose bachelor's level GPA is
3.5 or higher and whose GRE scores total at least 2,050 in the old system, or above 1,300 in the new
system, with a writing score of at least 3.5.
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• Calhoun Fellowship – This is a competitive fellowship that is only awarded to the best candidates of the
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems. The fellowship covers full tuition and an
additional stipend. The stipend may vary between individuals, as determined by the Calhoun Fellowship
committee. Preference in awarding the Calhoun Fellowship is given to students who explicitly express an
intention to pursue doctoral studies. The school awards an average of five such fellowships per year to
new incoming students. To compete for a Calhoun Fellowship, you must have at least a 3.5 (out of a
possible 4.0) GPA and very high GRE scores. Students who are awarded Calhoun Fellowships are
expected to spend about one month in each of the relevant school research laboratories prior to selecting
a research topic and advisor. While support from the Calhoun endowment is guaranteed for the first year,
the school expects that the students will pursue their research in the faculty laboratory that is willing to
sponsor them.
• Teaching Assistantships (TAs) – These are awarded based on the same criteria as the Calhoun
fellowships. The recipient of a teaching assistantship will be expected to work 20 hours per week.
• Research Assistantships (RAs) – These are based on a contractual agreement between the student and
a faculty member who is facilitating the assistantship from his or her own research grant. The full-time load
for TAs and RAs is based on 20 hours of work per week.
Q. If my GPA drops below 3.5, will I lose my Dean's Fellowship?
A. Yes, you may loose your eligibility to receive your Dean's fellowship. However, you may be able to
recover such eligibility if your GPA returns to be 3.5 or higher.
Q. What's the Philadelphia region like?
A. The Philadelphia region is ideal for studying biomedical engineering, since our region boasts one of the
highest concentrations of medical universities and hospitals, biomedical device and systems companies,
bio-pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and health systems industries in the United States. Our School takes
advantage of this richness by forming academic alliances with regional academic and research institutions
and by partnering with a large number of corporations. Our urban setting and our proximity to a vast array
of cultural centers in and around Philadelphia are a bonus for those students who wish to grow not only
academically, but also intellectually and socially during their graduate studies.
For more in-depth answers to your questions, please e-mail:
Caryn Glaser
[email protected]
To learn more, please visit our web site:
WWW.BIOMED.DREXEL.EDU
Drexel University General Admissions web site:
www.drexel.edu/ecm
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