BMEBT Program Overview

Objectives

The Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester Campuses of the University of Massachusetts offer a joint PhD degree program in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The program’s purpose is to offer a nationally recognized PhD that:

  • is at the intersection of biology and engineering
  • will be readily accessible to individuals with a wide range of science or engineering undergraduate degrees
  • will address contemporary biomedical and health research problems
  • will contribute significantly to meeting the need of industry, government and education for biomedical and biotechnology researchers

The program aims to provide its doctoral recipients with the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • ability to formulate and test multiple, original scientific hypotheses related to their dissertation research based on careful observations and a comprehensive review of past and current literature in their field
  • ability to design and carry out detailed experiments, to develop theoretical models and carry out numerical simulations
  • competency in cutting-edge skills related to a wide range of instrumentation and procedures
  • ability to apply their research in solving current biomedical/health problems especially in relationship to new discoveries in nanoscience and technology
  • ability to function as independent researchers using critical thinking and inquiry-based analytical skills
  • ability to work on complex problems in multidisciplinary research teams
  • written and oral presentation skills resulting in publication of their findings and presentation of results at professional research conferences
  • appreciation of contemporary biomedical ethical issues relating to conducting and publishing research
  • ability to develop strong grant proposals that will allow them to obtain pre-doctoral and post-doctoral extramural private/federal research funding
  • knowledge of intellectual property, patent and regulatory issues
  • knowledge of how applied research is conducted in an industrial setting
  • knowledge of how industry applies experimental research to equipment design, product development and manufacturing

Students may also elect to take MS degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology at the end of 2 years. This option is available to those passing on to the PhD or for students who find themselves less comfortable in research or who decide on a career path outside research or academia.