M.S. in Biomedical Engineering

The M.S. program is a research-based degree with flexible coursework that is tailored to match your interests and career goals. The M.S. program is targeted to students who are interested in original research and may want to pursue a doctoral degree in the future. In the fall of your first year, students will join a research group and begin conducting original research. The M.S. degree typically takes two years to complete.

The requirements for successful degree completion are flexible. Students have the freedom to adjust their coursework and research to match their interests. Students will be required to take graduate-level chemical engineering courses (in consultation with their advisor and special committee), work on original research, and complete a thesis project before graduation.

To promote an individualized program optimized for each student’s needs and interest, the specific requirements for the M.S. degree are minimal. The fundamental requirement is to form a thesis committee of at least two Cornell faculty members. The chair of the committee is your thesis advisor. The additional  required member represent your minor program. The content of your program is determined jointly with your committee, with a small number of required core courses complemented by graduate level classes in chosen areas of specialization.

To earn the Biomedical Engineering M.S. degree, a student must fulfill the following requirements:

• Successfully complete the course work required by their Special Committee and the Biomedical Engineering M.S. program
• Conduct original research that will have lasting value, and write a dissertation recording that work
• Pass the final examination (“M exam”) defending the dissertation with the Special Committee
• Have a minimum of four academic terms of full-time study

A student is recommended for the M.S. degree when their Special Committee members agree that the appropriate level of scholarly achievement has been reached and that the Graduate School’s requirements for assessment have been satisfied.

Each student’s progress towards the M.S. degree is supervised by a Special Committee composed of Cornell graduate field faculty members chosen by the student. The supervision of a student’s M.S. program by the Special Committee allows for individualized programs tailored to each student’s specific interests that can seamlessly merge traditional disciplines.

For M.S. degree candidates, the Special Committee is composed of at least two faculty members: The M.S. thesis advisor and one member who represent the one minor selected by the student. The M.S. thesis advisor, who must be a Biomedical Engineering graduate field member, serves as the chair of the Special Committee.

M.S. students select one minor in the life sciences (i.e., biology, biophysics, biomedical science, etc.) or one minor in a traditional engineering discipline (outside Biomedical Engineering), often the area of undergraduate specialization. Study in the engineering minor is expected to be equivalent to the core course sequence of M.S. students majoring in that field. This combination provides breadth in general approach and depth in at least one specific engineering discipline.

The goals of the coursework are to provide students with both breadth across a wide range of Biomedical Engineering and depth in a particular specialization within Biomedical Engineering. The extent of required coursework depends on each student’s previous preparation and goals.

Course selection beyond the required courses is up to each student in consultation with the Special Committee. The Special Committee is responsible for approving classes chosen by the student to fulfill the minor requirements. Students are encouraged to select additional courses of interest.

The Biomedical Engineering M.S. program offers research opportunities in the following areas:

1. Biomechanics & Mechanobiology
2. Biomedical Imaging & Instrumentation
3. Clinical Biomedical Imaging
4. Drug Delivery & Nanomedicine
5. Engineering Education Research
6. Molecular & Cellular Engineering
7. Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials
8. Systems & Synthetic Biology

Cornell’s commitment to interdisciplinary research allows for a broad range of research opportunities to Biomedical Engineering students. Mentored by and collaborating with outstanding faculty, the goal for every M.S. student is to make an important and long-lasting research contribution in their chosen area of expertise.

By far the largest amount of effort will be devoted to research. At the same time, continued learning, in the form of taking advanced graduate classes in areas selected by the student in consultation with their Special Committee, will ensure substantial depth of knowledge and academic expertise in the chosen research area. In addition, the Biomedical Engineering M.S. program encourages students to participate in the multitude of outreach opportunities offered, including service to local middle and high schools, teaching, and public engagement to serve the broader community.