Biomedical Engineering BSBE / Health Administration MHA
Major: Biomedical Engineering (BSBE) and Health Administration (MHA)
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BSBE) and Master of Science in Health Administration (MHA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 228.5
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Five years)
About the Program
This is an accelerated 4+1 program that allows students to complete a BS in Biomedical Engineering and a Master of Health Administration in five years. The two degrees complement each other, with the BS providing technical and analytical skills for solving human health problems and the MHA providing training in the business and policy of the healthcare industry. Eligible students will begin taking MHA courses in Year 3 and complete the MHA in the Summer of Year 5.
Additional Information
More information about the School’s undergraduate program can be found at the Academic Program webpage of the School of Biomedical Engineering and Science.
Admission Requirements
BS students meet the eligibility requirements for the MHA program prior to submitting their application. The MHA requires a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
Degree Requirements
| Math | ||
| BMES 310 | Biomedical Statistics | 4.0 |
| Introduction to Calculus - Complete one of the following options based on placement exam results: * | 4.0-10.0 | |
| Calculus I | ||
OR | ||
| Calculus and Functions I and Calculus and Functions II ** | ||
OR | ||
| Algebra, Functions, and Trigonometry and Calculus I | ||
| MATH 122 | Calculus II | 4.0 |
| MATH 200 | Multivariate Calculus | 4.0 |
| MATH 201 | Linear Algebra | 4.0 |
| MATH 210 | Differential Equations | 4.0 |
| Biology | ||
| BIO 122 | Cells and Genetics | 4.5 |
| BIO 201 | Human Physiology I | 4.0 |
| BIO 218 | Principles of Molecular Biology | 4.0 |
| Bioscience Electives (2): Choose two 200-level or higher BIO courses | 6.0 | |
| General Studies | ||
| BMES 124 | Biomedical Engineering Freshman Seminar I | 2.0 |
| BMES 338 | Biomedical Ethics and Law | 3.0 |
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development *** | 1.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| UNIV R101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| General Studies Electives (Choose 3; HSAD 505 and HSAD 501 will count as 2 additional courses for 7 credits) † | 8.0 | |
| Biomedical Engineering - Principles | ||
| Design | ||
| BMES 101 | Introduction to BMES Design I: Defining Medical Problems | 2.0 |
| BMES 102 | Introduction to BMES Design II: Evaluating Design Solutions | 2.0 |
| BMES 241 | Modeling in Biomedical Design I | 2.0 |
| BMES 315 | Experimental Design in Biomedical Research | 4.0 |
| BMES 341 | Modeling in Biomedical Design II | 2.0 |
| BMES 381 | Junior Design I | 2.0 |
| BMES 382 | Junior Design II | 2.0 |
| BMES 491 | Senior Design Project I | 3.0 |
| BMES 492 | Senior Design Project II | 2.0 |
| BMES 493 | Senior Design Project III | 3.0 |
| Biocomputation | ||
| BMES 201 | Programming and Modeling for Biomedical Engineers I | 3.0 |
| BMES 202 | Programming and Modeling for Biomedical Engineers ll | 3.0 |
| BMES 337 | Introduction to Physiological Control Systems | 3.0 |
| BMES 375 | Computational Bioengineering | 4.0 |
| Biomaterials | ||
| BMES 451 | Transport Phenomena in Living Systems | 4.0 |
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I ‡ | 0.0-7.5 |
| or CHEM 111 & CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 0.0,4.5 |
| CHEM 253 | Thermodynamics and Kinetics | 4.0 |
| MATE 220 | Fundamentals of Materials | 4.0 |
| Biomechanics | ||
| BMES 345 | Mechanics of Biological Systems | 3.0 |
| BMES 444 | Biofluid Mechanics | 3.0 |
| MEM 202 | Statics | 0.0,3.0 |
| MEM 238 | Dynamics | 4.0 |
| PHYS 101 | Fundamentals of Physics I * | 0.0-8.0 |
| or PHYS 100 & PHYS 101 | Preparation for Engineering Studies and Fundamentals of Physics I | |
| Biosignals | ||
| BMES 302 | Laboratory II: Biomeasurements | 2.0 |
| BMES 303 | Laboratory III: Biomedical Electronics | 2.0 |
| BMES 432 | Biomedical Systems and Signals | 3.0 |
| ECE 201 | Foundations of Electric Circuits I | 0.0,4.0 |
| PHYS 102 | Fundamentals of Physics II | 0.0,4.0 |
| Biomedical Engineering - Electives | ||
| Laboratories (Choose 2) | 4.0 | |
| Human Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Techniques in Cell Biology | ||
| Techniques in Molecular Biology | ||
| Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory I: Experimental Biomechanics | ||
| Laboratory IV: Ultrasound Images | ||
| Laboratory V: Musculoskeletal Anatomy for Biomedical Engineers | ||
| Brain Computer Interface Laboratory | ||
| Research in Biomedical Engineering | ||
| Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| Concentration Requirements and STEM Electives | 21.0 | |
Concentration Requirements (3 required courses/concentration. See list below.) | ||
STEM Electives (See list below for possible courses that, combined with concentration courses, total 21.0 credits.) ^ | ||
| Graduate Core Courses | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| HSAD 500 | Historical Influences on the US Healthcare System | 4.0 |
| HSAD 501 | Managerial Epidemiology | 3.0 |
| HSAD 505 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare Management and Policy | 4.0 |
| HSAD 515 | Practice issues in Healthcare Management | 4.0 |
| HSAD 522 | Applied Management Project | 4.0 |
| HSAD 525 | National Health Expenditures | 4.0 |
| HSAD 530 | Politics and Policy of Healthcare Resources | 4.0 |
| HSAD 540 | Resources, Recruitment and Retention in Healthcare | 4.0 |
| HSAD 550 | Strategic Planning for Healthcare Administration | 4.0 |
| IPS 564 | The Business of Healthcare | 3.0 |
| Elective Courses (Choose 2) | 7.0-8.0 | |
| Intro to Long Term Care & Post Acute Care Admin | ||
| Aging & Disability Policy in the US | ||
| Advanced Healthcare Marketing | ||
| Risk Management | ||
| Group Dynamics & Leadership in Health Care Management | ||
| Global Health and Management Issues | ||
| Evaluation and Assessment of Healthcare Systems | ||
| Comparative Health Systems | ||
| Total Credits | 203.5-241.5 | |
- *
MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.
- **
Some students may need a one-credit concurrent practicum course depending on their calculus exam score and summer preparatory review participation.
- ***
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- †
General studies electives include all liberal arts electives plus additional subjects, such as business, which do not fall under the subject areas of science, math or engineering. See the Biomedical Engineering General Studies List for a detailed list of approved courses. An abbreviated list is shown here: DANC, MUSC, TVPR, VSST, GER, FREN, GST, PHIL, PPE, PSCI, BLAW, HRMT, INTB, MGMT, OPM, ORGB; CULA, ENTP, CRTV, EDLT, EHRD.
- ‡
CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.
- ^
STEM electives include courses offered by the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, as well as select science, technology, and math courses from other academic units. An abbreviated list of 200-level and higher courses is shown here: ENVS, PHYS, INFO (including INFO 101, INFO 110), CS (including CS 171, CS 172, CS 175), HSCI (excluding HSCI 205). Please see the Biomedical Engineering STEM Elective List for a detailed list of approved courses.
Undergraduate Concentration Course Requirements
Students must select one concentration as part of the BS in Biomedical Engineering and complete the listed required courses. The student also needs to take additional STEM electives, as described above. The credit total of the concentration required courses and the STEM electives must be at least 21.0 credits.
| Biomaterials Concentration | ||
| CHEM 241 | Organic Chemistry I * | 4.0 |
| BMES 460 | Biomaterials I | 4.0 |
| BMES 461 | Biomaterials II | 4.0 |
| Total Credits | 12.0 | |
| Biomechanics Concentration | ||
| BMES 441 | Biomechanics I: Introduction to Biomechanics | 4.0 |
| BMES 442 | Biomechanics II: Musculoskeletal Modeling and Human Performance | 4.0 |
| MEM 201 | Foundations of Computer Aided Design | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 11.0 | |
| Biomedical Imaging Concentration | ||
| BMES 421 | Biomedical Imaging Systems I: Images | 4.0 |
| BMES 422 | Biomedical Imaging Systems II: Ultrasound | 4.0 |
| PHYS 201 | Fundamentals of Physics III * | 4.0 |
| Total Credits | 12.0 | |
| Biomedical Informatics Concentration | ||
| BIO 219 | Techniques in Molecular Biology | 3.0 |
| BMES 483 | Quantitative Systems Biology | 4.0 |
| BMES 484 | Genome Information Engineering | 4.0 |
| Total Credits | 11.0 | |
| Neuroengineering Concentration | ||
| BIO 462 | Biology of Neuron Function * | 3.0 |
| BMES 477 | Neuroengineering I: Neural Signals | 3.0 |
| BMES 478 | Neuroengineering II: Principles of Neuroengineering | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 9.0 | |
| Tissue Engineering Concentration | ||
| BIO 219 | Techniques in Molecular Biology * | 3.0 |
| BMES 471 | Cellular and Molecular Foundations of Tissue Engineering | 4.0 |
| BMES 472 | Developmental and Evolutionary Foundations of Tissue Engineering | 4.0 |
| Total Credits | 11.0 | |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4 year, 1 co-op
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BMES 101 | Introduction to BMES Design I: Defining Medical Problems | 0.0,2.0 |
| BMES 124 | Biomedical Engineering Freshman Seminar I | 2.0 |
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I | 0.0,3.5 |
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| ENGL 101 or ENGL 111 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research or English Composition I | 3.0 |
| MATH 121 | Calculus I | 0.0,4.0 |
| UNIV R101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| Credits | 7-16.5 | |
| Winter | ||
| BMES 102 | Introduction to BMES Design II: Evaluating Design Solutions | 0.0,2.0 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 0.0,4.5 |
| ENGL 102 or ENGL 112 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing or English Composition II | 3.0 |
| MATH 122 | Calculus II | 4.0 |
| PHYS 101 | Fundamentals of Physics I | 0.0,4.0 |
| Credits | 7-17.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 122 | Cells and Genetics | 0.0,4.5 |
| BMES 201 | Programming and Modeling for Biomedical Engineers I | 3.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
| ENGL 103 or ENGL 113 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres or English Composition III | 3.0 |
| MATH 200 | Multivariate Calculus | 0.0,4.0 |
| PHYS 102 | Fundamentals of Physics II | 0.0,4.0 |
| Credits | 7-19.5 | |
| Summer | ||
| VACATION | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BMES 202 | Programming and Modeling for Biomedical Engineers ll | 3.0 |
| ECE 201 | Foundations of Electric Circuits I | 0.0,4.0 |
| MATE 220 | Fundamentals of Materials | 4.0 |
| MATH 201 | Linear Algebra | 4.0 |
| MEM 202 | Statics | 0.0,3.0 |
| Credits | 11-18 | |
| Winter | ||
| BIO 218 | Principles of Molecular Biology | 0.0,4.0 |
| BMES 241 | Modeling in Biomedical Design I | 0.0,2.0 |
| BMES 338 | Biomedical Ethics and Law | 3.0 |
| MATH 210 | Differential Equations | 4.0 |
| MEM 238 | Dynamics | 0.0,4.0 |
| Credits | 7-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 201 | Human Physiology I | 0.0,4.0 |
| BMES 345 | Mechanics of Biological Systems | 3.0 |
| BMES 375 | Computational Bioengineering | 0.0,4.0 |
| BMES 432 | Biomedical Systems and Signals | 3.0 |
| CHEM 253 | Thermodynamics and Kinetics | 4.0 |
| Credits | 10-18 | |
| Summer | ||
| BMES 303 | Laboratory III: Biomedical Electronics | 0.0,2.0 |
| BMES 310 | Biomedical Statistics | 4.0 |
| BMES 341 | Modeling in Biomedical Design II | 2.0 |
| BMES 451 | Transport Phenomena in Living Systems | 4.0 |
| (UG) Bioscience elective | 3.0 | |
| Credits | 13-15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BMES 315 | Experimental Design in Biomedical Research | 4.0 |
| BMES 381 | Junior Design I | 0.0,2.0 |
| (UG) General Studies electives | 3.0 | |
| (UG) Bioscience elective | 3.0 | |
| HSAD 505 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare Management and Policy ((also counts as an UG General Studies elective)) | 4.0 |
| Credits | 14-16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BMES 302 | Laboratory II: Biomeasurements | 0.0,2.0 |
| BMES 337 | Introduction to Physiological Control Systems | 3.0 |
| BMES 382 | Junior Design II | 0.0,2.0 |
| BMES 444 | Biofluid Mechanics | 3.0 |
| (UG) Concentration required course | 3.0 | |
| HSAD 500 | Historical Influences on the US Healthcare System | 4.0 |
| Credits | 13-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Summer | ||
| COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BMES 491 | Senior Design Project I | 0.0,3.0 |
| (UG) Concentration required course | 3.0 | |
| (UG) Lab elective | 2.0 | |
| (UG) STEM elective | 3.0 | |
| HSAD 501 | Managerial Epidemiology ((also counts as an UG General Studies elective)) | 3.0 |
| Credits | 11-14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BMES 492 | Senior Design Project II | 0.0,2.0 |
| (UG) Concentration required course | 3.0 | |
| (UG) General Studies elective | 3.0 | |
| (UG) Lab elective | 2.0 | |
| (UG) STEM elective | 3.0 | |
| Credits | 11-13 | |
| Spring | ||
| BMES 493 | Senior Design Project III | 0.0,3.0 |
| (UG) General Studies elective | 3.0 | |
| (UG) STEM electives | 6.0 | |
| HSAD 550 | Strategic Planning for Healthcare Administration | 4.0 |
| Credits | 13-16 | |
| Summer | ||
| STUDENT CONVERTS TO GRADUATE STATUS | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HSAD 525 | National Health Expenditures | 4.0 |
| HSAD 530 | Politics and Policy of Healthcare Resources | 4.0 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Winter | ||
| IPS 564 | The Business of Healthcare | 3.0 |
| (GR) MHA elective | 4.0 | |
| Credits | 7 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSAD 515 | Practice issues in Healthcare Management | 4.0 |
| HSAD 540 | Resources, Recruitment and Retention in Healthcare | 4.0 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Summer | ||
| HSAD 522 | Applied Management Project | 4.0 |
| (GR) MHA elective | 4.0 | |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 155-228.5 | |
- *
Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
