PhD Degree Program Descriptions

Biomedical Engineering

Fifty-four (54) semester hours are required for the PhD degree in BME as follows:

  1. Twelve (12) semester hours of BME core courses
  2. Eighteen (18) semester hours of approved electives
  3. Twenty-four (24) semester hours of BME 6980r, Dissertation
  4. Successful completion of BME 8965r, Doctoral Qualifying Exam (0) (P/F grade only)
  5. Successful defense of an oral and written dissertation - BME 8985, Dissertation Defense (0) (P/F grade only)
  6. Registration and attendance at all departmental seminars - BME 5935, ChE Seminar (0)

No courses with a grade below "C" will be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements. No more than one course with a grade of "C" will be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements.

Required Biomedical Engineering Core Graduate Courses (twelve [12] semester hours):

  • ECH 5261 - Advanced Transport Phenomena I (3)
  • ECH 5052 - Research Methods in Chemical Engineering (3)
  • ECH 5840 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Mathematics I (3)
  • XXX XXXX - Approved Course in Physiology or Cell Biology (3)
An approved course in Physiology or Cell Biology is required for completion of the graduate BME degree. Approved courses include: PCB 5746 - Mammalian Physiology I; PCB 5747 - Mammalian Physiology II; PCB 5796 - Sensory Physiology; PCB 5835 - Neurophysiology; PCB 5137 - Advanced Cell Biology; PCB 5525 - Molecular Biology; PCB 5845 - Cell and Molecular Neuroscience; and BCH 5405 - Molecular Biology. Additional courses may satisfy the physiology/biology requirement but require petition to the Graduate committee for approval as a core substitute.
  • BME 8965r - Doctoral Qualifying Exam (0) (P/F grade only)
  • BME 8985 - Dissertation Defense (0) (P/F grade only)

Biomedical Engineering Electives (eighteen [18] semester hours):

Students should consulate major professor to determine the elective courses offered by the department. Additional elective courses may be found in the University Graduate Bulletin.

Dissertation Hours (twenty-four [24] semester hours):

  • BME 6980r - Dissertation (1-9) (S/U grade only)

Degree Requirements

The following requirements for the PhD degree in biomedical engineering must be met:

  1. Passage of the BME PhD qualifying examination (BME 8965) within two (2) consecutive exam attempts (see PhD Qualifying Examination Requirements below for more details); successful completion will result in formal admission to PhD candidacy;
  2. Selection of a research topic and major professor;
  3. Formation of a supervisory committee in consultation with the major professor(s);
  4. Submission and defense of a prospectus on the dissertation topic to the supervisory committee;
  5. Completion of a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of advanced coursework in biomedical engineering and related disciplines;
  6. Completion of at least twenty-four (24) semester hours of dissertation research;
  7. Assistance in the teaching of at least one undergraduate laboratory course;
  8. Presentation of a research topic at a local, regional, national or international professional meeting;
  9. Submission or publication of scholarly articles based on original dissertation research in peer-reviewed journals;
  10. Satisfaction of University residency requirements; and
  11. Presentation and defense of an original dissertation (ECH 8985, Dissertation Defense).

All paperwork associated with the above requirements (see forms) must be submitted in a timely fashion to the Departmental office with appropriate signatures for review by the Graduate Committee and its Chair.

Students with a master's degree in BME or ChE from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering may, with approval of the graduate committee and major professor, take nine (9) additional approved semester hours beyond the thesis-type master's course requirements to satisfy the thirty (30) semester hour requirement for the PhD. All other requirements must be fulfilled as stated above.

Students with master's degrees in BME or ChE from other institutions will be given a specific course plan by the departmental graduate committee. A maximum of thirty (30) semester hours may be assigned to remedy any deficiencies in the student's background. Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six (6) semester hours towards the PhD degree and only with departmental approval.