Concentrations
Concentrations are areas of study that are represent an aggregate of courses, upon completion of which the student will have acquired specialized knowledge in a specific field. The name of the concentration will appear on the student’s diploma and transcripts. Currently, there is one concentration area, Biomedical Devices.
Biomedical Devices (BMD)
Biomedical devices represent a wide variety of implements that are beneficial for human health and welfare. Some well-known examples are contact lenses, hip implants, pace makers, artificial heart valves, stents, catheters, and breast implants. A wide variety of exciting new devices are continuously being developed, including neurostimulators, applications of nanotechnology and nanoparticles for therapeutic effects, new generation coatings for improved biocompatibility of implants, artificial skin and tissues, and many others. The field is constantly evolving as new concepts and technologies are integrated.
The Biomedical Device concentration is an interdisciplinary field of study aimed at providing the student with the knowledge necessary to function effectively and be successful in the biomedical device industry. The design, development, and ultimate market release of a product will involve a team that includes scientists, engineers, technologists, manufacturing specialists, legal professionals, business and financial professionals, regulatory affairs professionals, and physicians, all of whom are able to communicate effectively with each other.
The program has been designed to (a) educate students with a background in engineering and the physical sciences and prepare them to enter the biomedical devices industry, and (b) provide engineers in the biomedical devices industry with continued education and professional development.
Specializations
Specializations are areas of study similar to Concentrations. However, the name of the specialization will not appear on a General Engineering degree diploma until it becomes a concentration. Currently, there are five areas of specialization.
Bioinformatics/Bioengineering (BI/BE)
Bioinformatics and computational biology involve the use of techniques including applied mathematics, informatics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and biochemistry to solve biological problems usually on the molecular level. Research in computational biology often overlaps with systems biology. Major research efforts in the fiield include sequence alignment, gene function, genome assembly, protein structure alignment, protein structure prediction, prediction of gene expression, protein-protein interactions, and the modeling of evolution. [1]
Electronic Materials & Devices (EMD)
The Electronic Materials and Devices option prepares students for VLSI design or Materials and Processes Engineering. VLSI includes computer-aided design, modeling, simulation, and testing. Materials and Processes includes characterization and processing of electronic materials. Additional topics include failure reliability and yield, assembly, and electronic packaging. Emphases within this option include Electronic Materials, Digital VLSI, and Analog VLSI.
Engineering Management (EM)
The Engineering Management option prepares engineers for technical management or senior-level technical career paths. Courses include integration of engineering functions, customer value and company profitability, goal setting and achievement, innovation and organizational development, technology transfer, information management, communications, employee development, motivation, and team building. Emphases within this concentration include Management of Technical Organizations, Management of Processes and Projects, and Management of Information.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
The Environmental Systems Health and Safety specialization prepares students for a systems approach to environmental engineering. Courses focus on engineering management and systems control. The program features business training in the environmental management of high technology organizations, including manufacturing processes. Students learn about environmental audits, monitoring, and management of practical solutions.
Manufacturing Systems (MS)
The Manufacturing Systems prepares students for technical careers in information systems, advanced production planning and control, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), introduction to software engineering and applications, real-time control systems, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and engineering trends in manufacturing.
References
[1] Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformatics.
