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Department of Bioengineering

Important Note: This is the archived version of the 2013–2015 Undergraduate Catalog. The information on these pages was archived on August 6, 2013 and will not be updated as requirement and/or program changes are approved. Please see www.uic.edu/ucat for the most up-to-date requirements.

Accreditation
BS in Bioengineering

Minor in Bioengineering


218 Science and Engineering Offices (SEO)
(312) 996–2335
bioe@uic.edu
http://www.bioe.uic.edu

Administration:
Department Head, Thomas J. Royston
Director of Undergraduate Studies, John Hetling, jhetli1@uic.edu
Student Services: 123 SEO
Academic Advisors: Professors Jun Cheng, Michael Cho, Yang Dai, David Eddington, Hananeh Esmailbeigi, John Hetling, Dieter Klatt, Miiri Kotche, Jie Liang, Andreas Linninger, Hui Lu, Ao Ma, Ali Mansoori, William O’Neill, James Patton, Richard Magin, Thomas Royston, and Christos Takoudis.

 



Accreditation

The Department of Bioengineering offers a program of study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology http://www.abet.org/.

BS in Bioengineering

Bioengineering is a field of engineering science that develops and applies quantitative analysis and design to living systems and hybrid systems containing living components. Biological systems are interesting, efficient and successful, but also highly complex; they are dynamic, nonlinear, self-repairing, and yet programmed to terminate. The classic engineering approach of measure-and-model must be carefully recast to deal with the complex nature of living systems, requiring bioengineers to balance analytical rigor with innovation.

Bioengineers are uniquely qualified to work at the interface between living and nonliving systems, enhancing our ability to analyze, repair or replace physiological substances or processes as needed in healthcare and research applications. Potential applications include creating engineered bone replacements, developing new tools for noninvasive imaging or diagnostics, and the design of molecules as new therapeutic drugs. Training in bioengineering prepares students for graduate school or industry, and is an excellent preparation for professional programs (medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy). Exciting career opportunities exist for bioengineers at the BS level in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries, in hospitals, federal labs, and environmental agencies.

The department faculty routinely includes undergraduate students in world-class bioengineering research programs, and maintains strong interactions with faculty in the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, the Department of Biological Sciences, and other engineering disciplines. The undergraduate curriculum includes rigorous training in bioengineering fundamentals, including medical product development, complimented by significant course work in physiology, mathematics and chemistry. Each student must complete a program of required core courses and select an individualized course track in one specialized area (Neural Engineering, Cell and Tissue Engineering, or Bioinformatics) best suited to the student’s interests. The department offers several elective courses  to help prepare students for a variety of career paths, including launching start-up companies or careers in industry or consulting.

The department Mission Statement and the Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering can be found at the departmental website http://www.bioe.uic.edu.

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering degree from UIC, students need to complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Bioengineering degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Engineering section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

BS in Bioengineering Degree Requirements Hours
Nonengineering and General Education Requirements 69–70
Required Engineering Courses 41
Selective Engineering Courses 11–13
Bioengineering Concentration Area Electives 7
Total Hours—BS in Bioengineering 128


Nonengineering and General Education Requirements

Courses Hours
CHEM 112—General College Chemistry Ia 5
CHEM 114—General College Chemistry IIa 5
PHYS 141—General Physics I (Mechanics)a 4
PHYS 142—General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism)a 4
MATH 180—Calculus Ia 5
MATH 181—Calculus IIa 5
MATH 210—Calculus IIIa 3
MATH 220—Introduction to Differential Equations 3
MATH 310—Applied Linear Algebra 3
ENGL 160—Academic Writing I: Writing for Academic and Public Context 3
ENGL 161—Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
Exploring World Cultures courseb 3
Understanding the Creative Arts courseb 3
Understanding the Individual and Society courseb 3
Understanding the Past courseb 3
Understanding U.S. Society courseb 3
BIOS 100—Biology of Cells and Organismsa 5
   
Choose one from the following: 3
BIOS 220—Mendelian and Molecular Genetics (3)  
BIOS 222—Cell Biology (3)  
BIOS 240—Homeostatis: The Physiology of Plants and Animals (3)  
BIOS 286—Biology of the Brain (3)  
BIOS 352—Introductory Biochemistry (3)  
   
Choose one from the following: 3–4
BIOS 430—Evolution (4)  
BIOS 443—Animal Physiological
Systems (4)         
 
BIOS 484—Neuroscience I (3)  
BIOS 485—Neuroscience II (3)  
Total Hours—Nonengineering and General Education Requirements      69–70

a This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
b Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of courses in this category.


Required Engineering Courses

Courses Hours
BIOE 101—Introduction to Bioengineering 3
BIOE 205—Bioengineering Thermodynamics 3
BIOE 240—Modeling Physiological Data and Systems 3
BIOE 250—Clinical Problems in Bioengineering      3
CME 260—Properties of Materials 3
BIOE 325—Biotransport 3
BIOE 310—Biological Systems Analysis 3
BIOE 339—Biostatistics I 3
BIOE 396—Senior Design I 3
BIOE 397—Senior Design II 3
BIOE 410—FDA and ISO Requirements for Development and Manufacturing of Medical Devices 3
BIOE 430—Bioinstrumentation and Measurements I 3
BIOE 431—Bioinstrumentation and Measurement Laboratory 2
BIOE 460—Materials in Bioengineering 3
Total Hours—Required Engineering Courses 41


Selective Engineering Courses

Courses Hours
Choose one from the following: 0a
ENGR 100—Orientation (0)a  
ENGR 189—Minority Engineering Freshman and Transfer Student Orientation (0)a  
   
Choose one from the following: 3–4
ECE 115—Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (4)  
ECE 210—Electrical Circuit Analysis (3)  
   
Choose one from the following: 3–4
CS 107—Introduction to Programming (4)  
CS 109—C/C++ Programming for Engineers with MatLab (3)  
   
Choose one from the following: 3
BIOE 455—Introduction to Cell and Tissue Engineering (3)  
BIOE 475—Neural Engineering I (3)  
BIOE 480—Introduction to Bioinformatics (3)          
   
Choose one from the following: 2
BIOE 456—Cell and Tissue Engineering
Laboratory (2)
 
BIOE 476—Neural Engineering I Laboratory (2)  
BIOE 481—Bioinformatics Laboratory (2)  
Total Hours—Selective Engineering Courses 11–13

a ENGR 100 and 189 are one-semester-hour courses, but the hour does not count toward the total hours required for graduation.


Bioengineering Concentration Area Electives

Courses Hours
These courses are to be selected in consultation with the advisor, must relate to each other in such a way as to define an area of concentration, and are subject to the following restrictions: 7
  1. A minimum of 3 hours must be upper- division (300- or 400-level) bioengineering or other engineering courses, excluding courses in the ENGR rubric.
  2. Nonengineering courses may be used only if they can be justified and prior approval is obtained from the advisor.
  3. A maximum of 3 hours of BIOE 398 may be applied as concentration area elective hours.
  4. A maximum of 4 hours from the following courses may be applied as concentration area elective hours: BIOE 402, ENGR 400, ENGR 404, and ENGR 420.
  5. The following web-based courses may not be applied as concentration area electives: ENGR 401, ENGR 402, and ENGR 403.
 
Total Hours—Bioengineering Concentration Area Electives 7


Sample Course Schedule

Freshman Year  
First Semester Hours
MATH 180—Calculus I 5
ENGL 160—Academic Writing I: Writing for Academic and Public Content 3
BIOS 100—Biology of Cells and Organisms 5
BIOE 101—Introduction to Bioengineering 3
Total Hours 16
   
Second Semester Hours
MATH 181—Calculus II 5
PHYS 141—General Physics I (Mechanics) 4
ENGL 161—Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
CHEM 112—General College Chemistry I 5
ENGR 100—Orientation 0a
Total Hours 17
a ENGR 100 is a one-semester-hour course, but the hour does not count toward the total hours required for graduation.  
   
Sophomore Year  
First Semester Hours
MATH 210—Calculus III 3
PHYS 142—General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism)           4
BIOE 240— Modeling Physiological Data and Systems 3
CHEM 114—General College Chemistry II 5
BIOS 286—Biology of the Brain 3
Total Hours 18
   
Second Semester Hours
MATH 220—Introduction to Differential Equations 3
BIOE 250—Clinical Problems in Bioengineering 3
ECE 210—Electrical Circuit Analysis 3
CS 109—C/C++ Programming for Engineers with MatLab 3
MATH 310—Applied LInear Algebra 3
Total Hours 15
   
Junior Year  
First Semester Hours
BIOE 339—Biostatistics I 3
BIOE 325—Biotransport 3
BIOE 310—Biological Systems Analysis 3
BIOS 484—Neuroscience I 3
CME 260—Properties of Materials 3
Total Hours 15
   
Second Semester Hours
BIOE 205—Bioengineering Thermodynamics 3
BIOE 410—Medical Device Requirements 3
ECE 430—Bioinstrumentation and Measurements I 3
BIOE 431—Bioinstrumentation and Measurements Laboratory    2
Concentration Area Elective 2
General Education Core course 3
Total Hours 16
   
Senior Year  
First Semester Hours
BIOE 460—Materials in Bioengineering 3
BIOE 396—Senior Design I 3
Concentration Area Elective 3
General Education Core courses 6
Total Hours 15
   
Second Semester Hours
BIOE 397—Senior Design II 3
BIOE 475—Neural Engineering I 3
BIOE 476—Neural Engineering I Laboratory 2
Concentration Area Elective 2
General Education Core courses 6
Total Hours 16

Minor in Bioengineering

For the minor, 12 semester hours are required, excluding prerequisite courses. Students outside the Department of Bioengineering who wish to minor in Bioengineering must complete the following:

Prerequisite Courses—Bioengineering Minor Hours
BIOS 100—Biology of Cells and Organisms (or higher) 5
MATH 180—Calculus I 5
MATH 181—Calculus II 5
MATH 210—Calculus III 3
MATH 220—Introduction to Differential Equations 3
PHYS 141—General Physics I (Mechanics) 4
PHYS 142—General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) 4
Minimum Total Hours—Prerequisites for Bioengineering Minor 29

 

Required Courses—Bioengineering Minor Hours
BIOE 101—Introduction to Bioengineering 3
BIOE 240—Modeling Physiological Data and Systems 3
   
Choose one from the following (prerequisites vary): 3
BIOE 339—Biostatistics I (3)  
BIOE 415—Biomechanics (3)  
BIOE 421—Biomedical Imaging (3)  
BIOE 430—Bioinstrumentation and Measurements I (3)  
BIOE 455—Introduction to Cell and Tissue Engineering (3)  
BIOE 460—Materials in Bioengineering (3)  
BIOE 475—Neural Engineering I: Introduction to Hybrid Neural Systems (3)  
BIOE 480—Introduction to Bioinformatics (3)  
   
Three additional hours of BIOE courses, which may be chosen from the list above (additional prerequisites may apply) 3
Total Hours—Required Courses for Bioengineering Minor 12