Biomedical Engineering and Physiology (BMEP) – Professional Master's
- Kristin Zhao, Ph.D., Program Director
- Matthew W. Urban, Ph.D., Associate Program Director
Professional Master’s Degree
The Professional Master’s Degree track in Biomedical Engineering and Physiology is open only to permanent employees of Mayo Clinic. Admission to the program requires an interview with the program director.
Application
Candidates must complete an Professional Master’s Degree Application form. This form is available on the MCGSBS Master’s Programs intranet site. Supporting documents include a program fee agreement form, transcripts from previous colleges and two letters of recommendation - one preferred from your direct supervisor/manager.
Eligibility
Enrollment is restricted to current Mayo employees/appointees and is available at all three sites: Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, as well as the Mayo Clinic Health System. Visiting clinicians, research trainees, and research collaborators are not eligible.
Applicants must have received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, must have taken appropriate undergraduate science courses to adequately prepare for the Master’s program, must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average that demonstrates a record of academic excellence.
Time Requirement
Time to completion can vary by student (three to five years), but all requirements for the Master’s degree must be completed within five years. The five-year period begins on the start date of the term the student is appointed to. If the student's Mayo employment ends prior to completion of the program, the MCGSBS appointment will also end.
Registration Requirement
At least 75% of the coursework for the Master’s degree must be completed in MCGSBS.
Minimum Credit Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits, including MGS 6000 Responsible Conduct of Research. Didactic credits may vary by track - refer to specific program requirements for details.
Transfer Credits
A total of 9 didactic credits may be transferred into the Professional Master’s Program. For more details, see the Credit Conversion, Transfer, Waiver and Substitution Policy on the MCGSBS intranet site.
Course Requirements
A total of 45 credits with maintenance of at least a 3.0 GPA are required for graduation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MGS Courses | ||
| MGS 6000 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| MGS 5050 | Critical Thinking and Scientific Writing | 2 |
| MGS 5051 | Critical Thinking and Scientific Writing, Part II | 1 |
| MGS 6400 | Master's Scholarly Review Article (Final Project) | 6 |
| Track Requirements | ||
| BME 5010 | Integrative Physiology of Health and Disease | 6 |
| BME 5020 | Quantitative Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing | 6 |
| BME 5030 | Biomedical Applications of Engineering Principles | 6 |
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 6650 | Biomedical Engineering & Physiology Journal Club | 1 |
| Advanced Coursework | ||
| 15 credits Advanced Coursework 1 | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
Fifteen elective credits should be selected after consultation between the student and the program director.
Program milestones are included in the Academic Progress and Graduation Requirements for Masters Programs Policy. See below for BMEP-specific program highlights and instruction.
Written Qualifying Exam
The written qualifying examination (WQE) for the Employee Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering and Physiology is comprised of a significance section (as in an F-award application) covering the topics of clinical need, normal physiology and disease pathophysiology, current clinical deficiencies, prior research successes and failures and future directions. The topic of the proposed WQE is due on November 1st for review and approval by the BMEP Track Education Committee. Final submission of the full WQE is due by March 1st the following year. A form signed by the Track Program Director will be submitted to MCGSBS upon successful completion of the written qualifying exam.
Employee Master’s Advisory Committee
In consultation with the Program Director, the student will select a Master’s degree mentor within the first year of the program. The mentor must have graduate school privileges and must not be the employee’s direct supervisor. In consultation with the Program Director and the Master’s degree mentor, the student will select an Employee Master’s Advisory Committee comprised of four faculty members. This committee must include, at a minimum, either the Program Director or the Associate Program Director. This Committee should meet at least every six months to assess the student’s progress and provide guidance regarding the project. A form indicating the composition of the committee must be submitted to MCGSBS.
Master's Project Review
The Master’s scholarly review article (final project) forms the central element of the Master’s degree. The student should enroll in MGS 6400 Master's Scholarly Review Article (Final Project) during the final quarter of tenure in the program in order to finalize the project. In general, the project will take the form of a substantial and scholarly review of the current field related to a specific topic of interest to the student. The final form of the scholarly review article (final project) must be approved in advance by the Biomedical Engineering and Physiology Education Committee. This document must be written in close consultation with the Master’s degree mentor and the Employee Master’s Advisory Committee, and must be submitted to the Employee Master’s Advisory Committee for review at least one month prior to the final review date.
Master’s Scholarly Review Article (Final Project)
The final evaluation of the scholarly review article (final project) is the final committee meeting. Prior to this meeting the committee will carefully review, edit, and critique the scholarly review article (final project) and will provide any changes to the student during the meeting. Committee members may orally examine the student’s general and specific knowledge. Three of four committee members must vote to pass the student and a form signed by all committee members must be submitted to MCGSBS immediately upon completion of the review.
Final Project Corrections
Significant deficits in the scholarly review article (final project) will require the student to revise and resubmit the document to the committee within 30 days of the presentation date.
This is a suggested sequence based on a summer term start. Individual course plans may vary depending on true start date, program, employment/personal commitments, and research interests. Be sure to confirm you have met your requirements using your degree planning tool. Course offerings may vary slightly. Current course offerings are posted in the course catalog.
The BMEP Employee Master’s Program is laid out for 5 years maximally. If students are able to manage their employment with a more rigorous schedule it is possible to finish in less than 5 years.
* BMEP 5010, 5020, and 5030 are interchangeable for first second or third year, and dependent on the student’s preferred sequencing.
**BMEP 6600 begins first year Summer Quarter. Registration for BMEP Seminar should be during the quarter you intend to present, and you will be held accountable for attendance during this full term. Outside of your registered quarter you will be asked to attend as often as allowable by your employment supervisor.
***BMEP 6650 may be taken in the Fall or Winter Quarter of the second year, not both.
****MGS 6400 is the final review article and should be registered for in the quarter in which it will be presented to the committee.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year - Summer Term | ||
| MGS 6000 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year - Fall Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5010 | Integrative Physiology of Health and Disease | 6 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year - Winter Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5011 | Integrative Physiology of Health and Disease II | 2 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year - Spring Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5012 | Integrated Physiology of Health and Disease III | 2 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Second Year - Summer Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| MGS 5050 | Critical Thinking and Scientific Writing | 2 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Second Year - Fall Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5020 | Quantitative Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing | 6 |
| BME 6650 | Biomedical Engineering & Physiology Journal Club | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Second Year - Winter Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5021 | Quantitative Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing II | 2 |
| BME 6650 | Biomedical Engineering & Physiology Journal Club | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Second Year - Spring Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5022 | Quantitative Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing III | 2 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Third Year - Summer Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5030 | Biomedical Applications of Engineering Principles | 6 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Third Year - Fall Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5031 | Biomedical Applications of Engineering Principles II | 2 |
| MGS 5051 | Critical Thinking and Scientific Writing, Part II | 1 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Third Year - Spring Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| BME 5032 | Biomedical Applications of Engineering Principles III | 2 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Year - Summer Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Year - Fall Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Year - Winter Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Year - Spring Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Electives | 1-3 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Year - Summer Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Year - Fall Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Year - Winter Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Year - Spring Term | ||
| BME 6600 | Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Seminars | 1 |
| MGS 6400 | Master's Scholarly Review Article (Final Project) | 6 |