Bioengineering Interdepartmental Graduate Program
Catalog pages 149-151
Xiaoping Hu, Ph.D., Chair Department Office, 203 MSE
- (951) 827-2925; xiaoping.hu@ucr.edu
https://www.bioeng.ucr.edu/
Distinguished Professors
Mark Alber, Ph.D. (Mathematics) Bir Bhanu, Ph.D. (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Sarjeet Gill, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neuroscience/Entomology) David Lo, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Ashok Mulchandani, Pd.D. (Chemical & Environmental Engineering) Michael Pirrung, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Kambiz Vafai, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Charles Wyman, Ph.D. (Chemical & Environmental Engineering)
Professors
Michael E. Adams, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neuroscience/Entomology) G. John Andersen, Ph.D. (Psychology) Christopher J. Bardeen, Ph.D. (Chemistry) David Bocian, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Richard Cardullo, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neuroscience/Entomology) Quan Cheng, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Sean Cutler, Ph.D. (Botany & Plant Sciences) Iryna Ethell, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Byron Ford, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Thomas Girke, Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) Tao Jiang, Ph.D. (Computer Science) Cynthia K. Larive, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Stefano Lonardi, Ph.D. (Computer Science) Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neuroscience) Umar Mohideen, Ph.D. (Physics & Astronomy) Thomas H. Morton, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Eugene Nothnagel, Ph.D. (Botany & Plant Sciences) Cengiz S. Ozkan, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Mihri Ozkan, Ph.D. (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Maurizio Pellecchia, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Aaron Seitz, Ph.D. (Psychology) Thomas F. Stahovich, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Prudence Talbot, Ph.D. (Cell Biology and Neuroscience) Harry W. K. Tom, Ph.D. (Physics & Astronomy) Jianzhong Wu, Ph.D. (Chemical & Environmental Engineering)
Associate Professors
Devin K. Binder, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Anupama Dahanukar, Ph.D. (Entomology) Martín I. García-Castro, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Elaine Haberer, Ph.D. (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Michael Marsella, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Masaru P. Rao, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Khaleel A. Razak, Ph.D. (Psychology) Seema Tiwari-Woodruff, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Nicole I. zur Nieden, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell
and Systems Biology) Assistant Professors Nicholas DiPatrizio, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Elisa Franco, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Xin Ge, Ph.D. (Chemical & Environmental Engineering) Hideaki Tsutsui, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering)
Program Overview
The Bioengineering Interdepartmental Graduate program (BIG) is the umbrella for graduate level research effort associated with the faculty in the Department of Bioengineering as well as other faculty at UCR who have an interest in training graduate students in bioengineering. The program offers graduate instruction leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Bioengineering.
Our interdisciplinary program combines a solid fundamental foundation in biological science and engineering, and aims to equip the students with diverse communication skills and training in the most advanced quantitative bioengineering research so that they can become leaders in their respective fields.
The result is a rigorous, but exceptionally interactive and welcoming educational training for Bioengineering graduate students.
The interdepartmental aspect of the program allows students to develop skills related to bioengineering with faculty in a broad range of disciplines. The research vision is to build strength from experts in biochemistry, biophysics, biology and engineering to focus on critical themes that impact bioengineering.
Contributing departments include: Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Botany & Plant Sciences, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Chemistry, Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Entomology, Mechanical Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, and Psychology.
The five research focus areas in the department are : (I) biomaterials and regenerative medicine, (II) biomedical imaging, (III) computational bioengineering, (IV) molecular and cellular engineering, and (V) neuroengineering.
Other research areas include: high-throughput screening systems, structural bioinformatics, microfluidics, charge transfer in biological and biomimetic systems, immunophysics, auditory bioengineering, molecular mechanisms of platelets activation, fatty acid contributions to obesity and diabetes, brain imaging, and bioseparations.
Please visit the UCR website to determine the research emphasis of the various participating faculty. The research efforts of faculty in the Department of Bioengineering can be found at https://www.bioeng.ucr.edu/.
Combined B.S. + M.S. Five-Year Program The college offers a combined B.S. + M.S. program in Bioengineering designed to lead to a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Science degree in five years. Applicants for this program must have a high school GPA above 3.6, complete the Entry Level Writing Requirement before matriculation, and have sufficient mathematics preparation to enroll in calculus in their first quarter as freshmen. Interested students who are entering their junior year should check with their academic advisor for information on eligibility and other details.
Students in the B.S. + M.S. program may use units from their last two technical electives from their undergraduate course work towards their M.S. degree in addition to their B.S. degree. Students may not choose which technical elective units they will use. Only the last two courses will count. To transfer the units to the M.S. degree, students must see the department to submit the proper paperwork.
Admission In addition to the following requirements, all applicants must meet the general requirements as set forth in this catalog under the Graduate Studies section.
Application to the BIG program is limited to the fall quarter.
Applicants will need to have completed coursework in chemistry, physics, math, biochemistry and biology, and engineering. Students without an undergraduate engineering degree should have excellent training in mathematics and the physical sciences.
Specific requirements for students are:
• Two years of mathematics (equivalent UCR
course = MATH 009A, MATH 009B, MATH 009C, MATH 010A, MATH 031, MATH 046).
• One year of physics (equivalent UCR
course = PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C with lab).
• One year of inorganic chemistry including
lab (equivalent UCR course = CHEM 001A, CHEM 001B, CHEM 001C).
• One year of organic chemistry including
lab (equivalent UCR course = CHEM 112A, CHEM 112B, CHEM 112C).
• One course in biochemistry (equivalent
UCR course = BCH 100 or BCH 110A or BCH 110B or BCH 110C).
• One course in molecular biology (equiva
lent UCR course = BCH 110C or BIOL 107).
Students with strong academic records may be admitted with limited coursework deficiencies, provided that these are satisfied by appropriate coursework taken during the first two years of graduate study.
Students may be admitted to either the Master’s or the Ph.D. program. Students in the Master’s program may petition for admission into the Ph.D. program.
Master’s Program
The M.S. program is ideal for professionals seeking greater depth in several areas of bioengineering. The degree requires a minimum of 36 quarter credits and may be completed in three to four academic quarters of full-time study. Both thesis and non-thesis options are offered for the degree program (Plan I, Thesis and Plan II, Comprehensive Examination).
Student must request permission to pursue an M.S. in Bioengineering while simultaneously pursing a Ph.D. in a program other than Bioengineering. Normative Time to Degree Two years.
Plan I (Thesis) In addition to the following requirements, all applicants must meet the requirements for Plan I as set forth in this catalog under the Graduate Studies section Master’s Degree Plan I (Thesis).
Course Requirements Students must satisfy the core course requirements (see Core Courses). Students must enroll in BIEN 286, Colloquium in Bioengineering, each quarter it is offered.
Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) This plan is designed primarily for students who do not intend to pursue a Ph.D. in Bioengineering.
In addition to the following requirements, all applicants must meet the requirements for Plan I as set forth in this catalog under the Graduate Studies section Master’s Degree Plan II (Comprehensive Examination).
Course Requirements Students must satisfy the core course requirements (see Core Courses). Students must enroll in BIEN 286, Colloquium in Bioengineering, each quarter it is offered.
The comprehensive examination is prepared and administered by the Graduate Examination Committee. The student is allowed to choose between an oral and a written examination. The examination covers a broad range of topics chosen from upper division undergraduate courses and graduate courses taken by M.S. students.
Subsequent to the examination, the Graduate Examination Committee issues a passing or failing grade. Students who fail in the first attempt may retake the examination at the next scheduled comprehensive examination period. No more than two attempts to pass the exam are allowed.
The M.S. Comprehensive Examination may be held at the end of any quarters throughout the year. The committee to administer the M.S. Comprehensive Examination is selected by the Graduate Advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Committee.
Doctoral Program
The Ph.D. program is heavily integrated with research activities and is intended for well-qualified individuals who wish to pursue leadership careers in academic or industrial research. The Ph.D. program requires approximately three years of full-time study beyond the master’s degree. In consultation with a faculty advisor, Ph.D. students plan their program of study.
The doctoral dissertation is based on original research in the field of specialization. An M.S. degree is not a prerequisite for entering the Ph.D. program.
The doctoral program includes a teaching requirement, an oral and written qualifying examination, and a dissertation.
Normative Time to Degree Five years. Written Qualifying Examination Students in the Ph.D. program must pass a written qualifying examination that covers the fields of engineering and biology that relate to the student’s dissertation project.
Oral Qualifying Examination Following successful completion of the written examination, candidates for the doctoral degree must pass an oral examination, normally within three quarters of the date of their written exam. The oral examination is scheduled only after the candidate has written a proposal detailing the rationale, specific aims and approaches to be undertaken for her/his dissertation research.
Dissertation A written dissertation is completed by each student.
Candidates for the degree of Ph.D. may be required to defend the dissertation in a public, oral presentation at a time announced to members of the University community.
Course requirements To ensure that graduate students in the Bioengineering program have advanced knowledge in mathematical, engineering, and biological principles that form the foundation for bioengineering, all M.S. and Ph.D. students are required to complete the following course program. Students who have completed these (or equivalent) courses elsewhere may petition to have partial waiver of course requirements or some of their units transferred (see the Graduate Division policy for transferring course units). Competency in these areas will be tested as part of the comprehensive exam for M.S. students and in the written preliminary examination for Ph.D. students.
The overall course curriculum includes courses in core bioengineering topics (3), mathematical and statistical methods (2), bioscience (1), general engineering (1), and professional development.
Bioengineering Core Every student must complete a program of study that includes:
A. 2 courses from one of 5 bioengineering
research focus areas (listed in Program Overview) in order to increase the depth of knowledge in a bioengineering research specialty
B. 1 course from one of the other bioengineering
research focus areas to increase the student’s breadth of knowledge.
The courses in each of the research focus areas are as follows:
I. Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine:
II. Biomedical Imaging: BIEN 227, BIEN 242,
III. Computational Bioengineering: BIEN 223,
IV. Neuroengineering: BIEN 275, BIEN 276
V. Molecular and Cellular Engineering:
A single course can be used to satisfy either requirement A or B, but not both. Mathematical and statistical methods All graduate students must complete the following two courses in order to reach graduate-level mastery of mathematical and statistical methods used in bioengineering: BIEN 201, BIEN 211.
Bioscience coursework All graduate students must complete one graduate-level bioscience class chosen from: BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212, BIOL/CMDB 200, BIOL/CMDB 201, BIOL 203, BIOL 221/MCBL 221/ PLPA 226, NRSC 200A, CMDB 207.
Engineering coursework All graduate students must complete one graduate-level course in a more traditional engineering topic from the following list: BIEN 264, BIEN 270, CEE 238A, CEE 210, CEE 212, EE 206, EE 217, EE 233, EE 237, EE 240, EE 241, EE 243, EE 244, ME 220, ME 240A, ME 241A, ME 261, ME 266, ME 267, ME 270, ME 271, ME 272, MSE 208A, MSE 208B, MSE 227A, MSE 238.
The course used to fulfill this requirement should be closely connected to the courses chosen for the student’s chosen primary bioengineering research focus area.
Professional development training All graduate students must complete professional development through the following mechanisms:
A. BIEN 286. This course is required every
quarter in which it is offered.
B. BIEN 401. Ph.D. students must enroll in
this course during their first year.
C. BIEN 402. M.S. students must enroll in
this course during their first year; Ph.D. students must enroll in the course before attempting their Oral Qualifying Examination.
Substitutions or other alterations to the overall course requirements require approval from the Bioengineering Graduate Advisor.
Other courses may be substituted but must be approved by the Bioengineering Graduate Advisor.
Additional courses may be required by the Advisory Committee depending on the student’s background and fields of interest.
With the exception of BIEN 402 for Ph.D. students, M.S. and Ph.D. students are expected to complete course requirements for the programs within their first year of residence. Exceptions to this timeline require approval from the Bioengineering Graduate Advisor.
Course Descriptions All Bioengineering courses are listed and described under Bioengineering.