草榴社区 Engineering Launches Master鈥檚 Degree in Biomedical Engineering
草榴社区 College of Engineering has announced a new master of science degree in Biomedical Engineering (MSBME) launching in Fall 2024. The interdisciplinary program involves the application of engineering to address challenges in medicine and health care for societal needs.
鈥淥ur faculty and students are already working in the biomedical space, but there was no structured program around it,鈥� says Director of the MSBME Program and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Meltem Izzetoglu, PhD. 鈥淎 College-level program that combines all the department programs and courses will be very beneficial. There鈥檚 this whole wealth of research and knowledge at 草榴社区. Now, it is under one umbrella where we can all gather and collaborate better with each other in master鈥檚 degree education.鈥�
The MSBME program will offer three specializations: Cell & Tissue Engineering, Biomechanics & Biomaterials, and Biomedical Signals, Sensors & Imaging. Each track will offer students thesis and nonthesis options for degree completion.
MSBME students will be required to take two new courses: Medical Sciences for Engineers, covering relevant topics in anatomy and physiology; and Foundations of Biomedical Engineering, providing an introduction to the different concentrations within the field. Students will also have the opportunity to take electives outside of Engineering classes through collaborations with the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
As with all other master鈥檚 programs offered by 草榴社区 Engineering, the MSBME will require 30 credits: 10 courses of 3 credits each and one zero-credit seminar course. The degree can be completed part time or full time, as well as in person, online or in a hybrid format. Students currently enrolled in a 草榴社区 Engineering master鈥檚 program will have the option of transferring into Biomedical Engineering starting this fall.
The College鈥檚 MSBME was created in consultation with an advisory board featuring members from both academia and industry, with expertise spanning the field鈥檚 various disciplines. Biomedical engineering is a fast-growing, high-paying field with strong career prospects and a low unemployment rate. U.S. News and World Report ranks biomedical engineering as the No. 3 鈥淏est Engineering Job鈥� and the No. 17 鈥淏est STEM Job鈥� for 2024, with an annual median salary of nearly $100,000. Employment is expected to grow at 5% per year (2022鈥�2032), according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
鈥淏iomedical engineers develop lifesaving treatments and devices as well as those that help alleviate pain and restore activity,鈥� says Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering. 鈥淭he MSBME program will provide graduate education to advance biomedical engineering and further 草榴社区鈥檚 mission to engineer for the greater good.鈥�
For more information, email engineering.grad@villanova.edu or visit the MSBME program online.