Student
Guide
Department of Bioengineering
Bachelor of Science Degree Program
2012-2013
Student Guide
Table of Contents
I. BACHELOR of SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM in BIOENGINEERING - OVERVIEW ..................................................... 3
II. Bioengineering Undergraduate Curriculum ........................................................................................................................... 5
a. Biomedical Signals and Systems Concentration (BMSS) ............................................................................................... 5
b. Bioengineering and Pre-Health Coursework at George Mason University ........................................................... 6
c. Course Descriptions ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
d. Approved Technical Electives - Biomedical Signals and Systems Concentration (BMSS) ............................ 11
e. GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES for Bioengineering .............................................................................................. 12
III. BSBioE Degree Program and Impact on Nova Students ................................................................................................. 13
IV. General Information ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15
a. Academic Status ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15
b. Repeating a Course ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15
c. Repeating CS Courses ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
d. Important Guidelines and Recommendations................................................................................................................. 15
e. Advising ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
f. Study Groups .................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
g. Cooperative Education and Internships ............................................................................................................................. 16
h. Scholarships and Financial Aid .............................................................................................................................................. 16
i. Registration ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
k. Warning/Suspension Credit Hour Limit ............................................................................................................................ 17
l. Force Add/Course Permit/Override..................................................................................................................................... 17
m. Closed Class .................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
n. Overload .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
o. Dropping a Course....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
p. Elective Withdrawal for Undergraduates ......................................................................................................................... 17
q. Courses at other Universities ................................................................................................................................................. 17
r. Transfer Courses Equivalencies............................................................................................................................................. 18
s. English Exemption ....................................................................................................................................................................... 18
t. Honor Societies.............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
u. Annual Academic Awards ........................................................................................................................................................ 18
v. Student Organizations ............................................................................................................................................................... 18
w. Graduation..................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
x. Graduation GPA and Grades Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 19
V. Bioengineering Degree Requirements Worksheet/Checklist (BMSS) ....................................................................... 20
VII. Full - Time Bioengineering Faculty ........................................................................................................................................ 21
2
I. BACHELOR of SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM in BIOENGINEERING - OVERVIEW
All BioE students are required to see their advisor prior to course registration each semester. The advisor
list will be posted outside the BIOE office and updated twice a year. Students interested in bioengineering
who have not declared a major are also strongly urged to obtain advising at the ECE or Bioengineering
Department office.
Additional Information on the Bioengineering program, faculty, and associated research interests is
available at: http://bioengineering.gmu.edu. Inquiries concerning a Bioengineering course of study should
be directed to the Bioengineering Program Office, room 3800, Nguyen Engineering Bldg, Fairfax campus,
(703) 993-4190.
Application Materials may be requested from:
Admissions Office, Mail Stop 3A4
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
(703) 993-2400
http://admissions.gmu.edu/
Cooperative Education and Financial Aid: The requirements for the degree may be satisfied on a
part-time or co-op basis. Cooperative Education, managed by the Career Services Office
(http://careers.gmu.edu/) at GMU, provides students with the opportunity to integrate paid,
career-related work experience with classroom learning. Students interested in financial aid should
explore opportunities through the Office of Student Financial Aid (http://financialaid.gmu.edu/).
Bioengineering, or biomedical engineering, is the use of engineering techniques to solve problems in
biology and medicine. Bioengineers design instruments, processes, and systems that assist in diagnosis of
disease and aid individuals with disabilities. They also create new instruments to enable novel
measurements from biological systems, conduct basic research to acquire biomedical knowledge, and
develop quantitative models that recapitulate the dynamics of a biological system. As the need for
interaction between engineering and computation with the life sciences is increasing, so is the need for
individuals who can work and communicate effectively between disciplines.
Medical practice today has benefited significantly from technologies that diagnose through noninvasive
imaging rather than surgery, enable active life in spite of cardiac disease, and restore movement or
sensation to those who lost a limb or their hearing. "Personalized medicine", envisioned to be based on the
genomic analysis of individuals, relies on new computational approaches. Bioengineers play a major role in
developing such technologies. Major innovations by Bioengineers include the development of medical
ultrasound, renal dialysis, magnetic resonance imaging, the cardiac pacemaker, angioplasty, bioengineered
skin and cartilage, cochlear implants, and the heart-lung machine.
The future outlook for Bioengineering is excellent. Bioengineering is considered one of the fastest-growing
fields with positions projecting to double over this decade. Among the primary reasons for the projected
increase in need for Bioengineers are the need to reduce health care costs through innovation, particularly
for an aging population, and the increasing role of technology in biological discovery. Career opportunities
exist in the areas of basic research, product design, project engineering, engineering management,
engineering consultancy, technical sales, medicine and many others. Graduates of this program will be
qualified to assume entry level engineering positions that require an ability to design, apply, or test systems
for biomedical use. Potential employers include medical equipment manufacturers such as Medtronic, GE,
and Siemens; hospitals such as INOVA in Northern Virginia; and government laboratories/agencies such as
the National Institutes of Health(NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Bachelors of Science Bioengineering program focuses on biomedical measurements and
instrumentation, biomedical signal processing, computational analysis and modeling of biological systems.
The program will prepare students for employment in industry or government where career opportunities
3
include biomedical product design or evaluation, project management, or technical sales. It is expected
that many Bioengineering students will pursue advanced studies such as graduate or medical school. In
fact, Bioengineering students have higher acceptance rates for medical school admission than students
from many other disciplines.
The curriculum provides a strong background in the biological and engineering fundamentals of
bioengineering as well as upper level courses in areas of biomedical system modeling, control of
biomedical systems, and bioinformatics. Furthermore, the senior year curriculum offers a senior design
project and access to technical electives in topics such as biomedical imaging, neural engineering, and
upper level bioscience courses. The program currently offers one concentration: Biomedical Signals and
Systems.
The bioengineering department is currently going through the accreditation process by ABET, Inc.
(formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
4
II. Bioengineering Undergraduate Curriculum
a. Biomedical Signals and Systems Concentration (BMSS)
Semester 1
Semester 2
MATH 113 Analytic Geom & Calc I
4
ENGR 107 Intro to Engineering
2
CS 112 Intro to Computer Programming 4
ENGH 101 Composition
3
ECON 103 Cont. Microecon. Principles 3
16
MATH 114 Analytic Geom. & Calc. II
PHYS 160 Univ Physics I
PHYS 161 Univ Physics I Lab
BENG 101 Intro to Bioengineering
Literature Elective**
Semester 3
Semester 4
MATH 213 Analytic Geom. & Calc. III
MATH 203 Linear Algebra
PHYS 260 University Physics II
PHYS 261 University Physics II Lab
*CHEM 251 General Chem. for Engr.
Global Understanding Elective**
3
3
3
1
4
3
17
MATH 214 Elem. Differential Equations
BENG 220 Physical Bases of Biomed. Syst.
BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function
*PHYS 262 Univ Physics III
*PHYS 263 Univ Physics III Lab
3
3
4
3
1
14
Semester 5
Semester 6
BENG 320 Bioengineering Signals & Sys. 3
BENG 380 Intro to Circuits & Electronics 3
BENG 381 Circuits and Electronics Lab 1
BENG 313 Physiology for Engineers
3
CS 222 Comp. Prog. f. Engr. OR
CS 211 Obj. Oriented Programming 3
Fine Arts Elective**
3
16
STAT 344
BENG 301
BENG 302
BENG 304
Prob & Statistics for Engr
3
BE Measurements
3
BE Measurements Lab
1
Model. Control of Physiol. Sys. 3
ECE 301 Digital Electronics
COMM 100 Public Speaking
Semester 7
Semester 8
BENG 491 BE Senior Seminar I
1
BENG 425 Assist. Control Biomed. Sys. 3
BINF 401 Bioinf. & Comp. Bio. I
3
BENG 492 Senior Adv. Design Project I 2
Technical Elective
3
ENGH 302 Advanced Composition
3
15
BENG 495 BE Senior Seminar II
Technical Elective
Technical Elective
BENG 493 Senior Adv. Design Project II
HIST 100 History of Western Civilization
or HIST 125 Intro to World History
*
4
3
1
3
3
14
3
3
16
1
3
3
2
3
12
Students interested in Medical School may substitute CHEM 211 and 212 General Chemistry (8) for PHYS 262, PHYS 263,
and CHEM 251. Such students are encouraged to see the university's premedical advisor to determine any additional courses
that they should consider.
** Students select from lists of general education courses which are university approved to fulfill requirements in literature,
global education, and fine arts.
Advising: All Bioengineering students are assigned to a faculty member, who serves as an academic
advisor. Students are required to see their advisor prior to course registration each semester. GMU
students interested in Bioengineering who have not declared a major or are considering transferring
should contact the Bioengineering Program Office.
5
b. Bioengineering and Pre-Health Coursework at George Mason University
Bioengineering students who are seriously considering a career path as a health care professional in
medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, etc., should use the Health Professions
Advising Office as a primary resource for coursework requirements and other advice to craft a desirable
application. In addition to seeing their Bioengineering advisor, students need to consult the university's
pre-health advisor (Dr. Jane Rockwood; http://prehealth.gmu.edu) to develop a fully integrated
curriculum plan and timeline. The pre-health website lists general coursework requirements for entry:
Prerequisites
English/Writing
Chemistry, Introductory
Chemistry, Organic
Physics
Biology, Introductory
Biochemistry
Minimum
1 year
1 year with lab
1 year with lab
1 year with lab
1 year with lab
1 semester
GMU Course Equivalent
ENGL 101 + 302
CHEM 211 + 212
CHEM 313/315 & 314/318
PHYS 160/161 & 260/261
BIOL 213 & 303*
BIOL 483**
*BIOL 303 covers introductory physiology topics with an emphasis on structure and function of vertebrates. This class may be
substituted for another lecture/lab course of interest to the student, such as Microbiology (BIOL 305/306) or General Genetics
(BIOL 311).
**Biochemistry is a requirement at some but not all schools, but most schools are highly valuing individuals who have taken
biochemistry prior to matriculation. Furthermore, some schools are accepting a semester of biochemistry in lieu of a second
semester of organic chemistry, but GMU requires the second semester of organic chemistry anyway.
Note also that calculus is a requirement at some but not all schools (required for pharmacy).
To fulfill the requirements for both a Bioengineering Bachelor of Science degree and the prehealth
program, additional credits beyond 120 hours are required, assuming incoming students lack
Advanced Placement credit. The following curriculum meets the requirements of both programs.
Semester 1
MATH 113 Analytic Geom & Calc I
ENGR 107 Intro to Engineering
CS 112 Intro to Computer Programming
ENGH 101 Composition
ECON 103 Cont. Microecon. Principles
Semester 2
4
2
4
3
3
16
MATH 114 Analytic Geom. & Calc. II
PHYS 160 Univ Physics I
PHYS 161 Univ Physics I Lab
BENG 101 Intro to Bioengineering
Literature Elective
4
4
3
MATH 213
MATH 203
PHYS 260
PHYS 261
CHEM 313
CHEM 315
Summer 1: 11 hrs.
CHEM 211 General Chemistry I
CHEM 212 General Chemistry II
Global Understanding Elective
Semester 3:
Analytic Geom. & Calc. III
Linear Algebra
University Physics II
University Physics II Lab
Organic Chemistry I Lecture
Organic Chemistry I Lab
11
Semester 4
MATH 214 Elem. Differential Equations
BENG 220 Biomedical Systems & Signals
BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function
CHEM 314 Organic Chemistry II Lecture
CHEM 318 Organic Chemistry II Lab
4
3
1
3
3
14
3
3
3
1
3
2
15
Semester 5
3
3
4
3
2
15
BENG 320 BE Signals and Systems
3
BENG 380 Intro to Circuits & Electronics
3
BENG 381 Circuits & Electronics Laboratory1
BENG 313 Physiology for Engineers
3
*Approved Technical Foundations I
3
Fine Arts Elective
3
16
6
Semester 6
STAT 344 Prob & Statistics for Engr I
BENG 301 BE Measurements
BENG 302 BE Measurements Lab
BENG 304 Model. Control Physiol. Sys.
*Approved Technical Foundation II
COMM 100 Public Speaking
Semester 7
3
3
1
3
3
3
16
BENG 491 BE Senior Seminar I
BENG 425 Assist. Control Biomed. Sys.
BINF 401 Bioinf. & Comp. Bio. I
BENG 492 Senior Adv. Design Project I
** Technical Elective
ENGH 302 Advanced Composition
1
3
3
2
3
3
15
Semester 8
BENG 495 BE Senior Seminar II
** Technical Elective
** Technical Elective
BENG 493 Senior Adv. Design Project II
BIOL/CHEM Elective***
HIST 100 History of Western Civilization
or HIST 125 Intro to World History
1
3
3
2
3-4
3
15-16
*This sequence of two technical courses allows students to elect foundation courses in computers and/or computational
systems. Examples of approved sequences are ECE 301 Digital Electronics and CS 222 Computer Programming for Engineers,
and CS 211 Object-Oriented Programming and CS 310 Data Structures.
**Students choose from sets of approved technical electives. One of the Technical Electives should be BIOL 483 Biochemistry
for students seeking admission to medical school.
***Students seeking admission to highly selective medical schools are advised to take an additional Biology/Chemistry
Elective. This is not required by most medical schools, and it is not needed for the BS degree. Biology/Chemistry Electives
include but are not limited to:
• BIOL 303 Animal Biology (4)
• BIOL 311 General Genetics (3)
• BIOL 322 Developmental Biology (3)
• BIOL 452 Immunology (3) + BIOL 453 Lab (1)
• BIOL 484 Eukaryotic Cell Biology (3)
• BIOL 515 Neurobiology (3)
• CHEM 333 Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences I (3)
• CHEM 334 Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences II (3)
• NSCI 327 Cellular, Neuro-physiological, and Pharmacological Neuroscience (3)
• NSCI 335 Molecular, Developmental, and Systems Neuroscience (3)
• PSYC 375 Brain and Behavior I with PSYC 373 Physiological Psychology Laboratory
• PSYC 376 Brain and Behavior II (3)
To ensure that they receive up to date and accurate advice, students interested in medical school must
consult with the Pre-health Advisor:
Jane Rockwood
Health Professions Advising Office
Academic Advising Center, SUB I, 2500
4400 University Drive, MS 2E6
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Jrockwo1@gmu.edu
7
c. Course Descriptions
BENG 101 Introduction to Bioengineering (3). This course will familiarize freshmen with different
areas of Bioengineering, allowing them to decide whether they want to pursue this profession. The course
will focus on clinical applications, such as measuring ECG, EEG, blood pressure, and blood oxygenation.
Students will gain some understanding of signals derived from living systems, and how such signals can
be used to guide diagnosis and therapy. MATLAB will be introduced and used throughout the course.
BENG 220 Physical Bases of Biomedical Systems (3). Prerequisite: BENG 101, MATH 213 and
PHYS 160 Co-requisites: MATH 214. This course is similar to ECE 220 Signals and Systems I, that
introduces signals and systems in continuous time. BENG 220 will primarily use signals that arise from
biomedical systems to illustrate the basic principles of time domain and frequency domain analyses.
Students cannot receive credit for both BENG 220 and ECE 220.
BENG 301 Bioengineering Measurements (3). Prerequisites: BENG 380, BENG 320, BIOL 425 OR
BIOL 430 OR BENG 313, Co-Req: BENG 302. This course introduces the basic concepts and tools for
making biomedical measurements, describes instrumentation design and analysis considerations, and
discusses several practical applications.
BENG 302 Bioengineering Measurements Laboratory (1) Co-requisite: BENG 301. This laboratory
course will provide students hands-on with sensors and instrumentation relevant to the analysis of living
systems and related processes. Biomedical measurements include electrocardiograms, electromyograms,
spirometry, pulse oximetry, and glucose monitoring.
BENG 304 Modeling and Control of Physiological Systems (3). Prerequisites: BENG 320, MATH
214, PHYS 260, BIOL 425 OR BIOL 430 OR BENG 313. This course will introduce students to a
systems-level understanding of biomedical systems. Mathematical modeling of dynamic systems will be
emphasized, including the role of feedback. Analogies between electrical and mechanical systems will be
discussed. Examples covered will include multiple scales ranging from cells to organ systems.
BENG 313 Physiology for Engineers (3). Prerequisite: BIOL 213 and MATH 113. This course
provides a broad introduction to the subject of human physiology, focusing on learning the subject matter
from an engineering viewpoint. Organs and physiological systems where engineering has a significant
role are emphasized.
BENG 320 Bioengineering Signals and Systems (3). Prerequisite: BENG 101, MATH 214.
Measurements from living system are almost always analyzed digitally. This course will introduce
students to the conversion of analog signals to digital ones, and how to use digitally processed signals in
biomedical applications.
BENG 341 Introduction to Biomaterials (3). Prerequisite: CHEM 251 (or CHEM 211), MATH 113,
BIOL 213. This course provides an introduction to biomaterials and biological interactions with materials,
including an overview of biomaterials characterization, design and testing. The emphasis of this course
will be on emerging strategies and design considerations of biomaterials.
BENG 380 Introduction to Circuits and Electronics (3) Prerequisites: MATH 214, PHYS 260.
Co-Requisite: BENG 320. This course will give students a basic background in electronics and its use in
practical applications. The course introduces circuit analysis techniques, transient and frequency response
characteristics of first and second order circuits, operational amplifier circuits, semiconductor devices
such as diodes, field effect and bipolar transistors, and digital logic circuits. Biomedical applications will
8
be included as examples.
BENG 381 Circuits and Electronics Lab (1) Prerequisite: PHYS 261, Corequisite: BENG 380. This
course will give students laboratory experience in basic electronics emphasizing issues and considerations
that are paramount for biomedical instrumentation.
BENG 392 Engineering Design Studio (2). Prerequisite: 75 hours of completed coursework
applicable to EE, CpE, or BENG degree and Permission of Instructor. The course is incorporates an
identification and feasibility study of advance engineering problems - application of path, physics and
engineering methods to challenging projects. This course should be taken preceding ECE/BENG 492.
BENG 395 Mentored Research in Bioengineering (3) Prerequisite: At least 60 credit hours applicable
to the Bioengineering program.. This course matches undergraduate students with faculty mentors who
are actively involved in Bioengineering-related research. Students are introduced to the scientific research
process through this “hands on” experience. Students are expected to spend no less than 60 hours per
semester working with their mentors.
BENG 406 Biomechanics (3). Prerequisites: MATH 203, MATH 214, BENG 220, BENG 313, PHYS
160 (or PHYS 243). This course introduces the fundamental principles of musculoskeletal biomechanics,
computational simulation of movement, and OpenSim simulator. Topics include functions and models of
the musculoskeletal structures, mathematical description of motion, kinetics, and simulation of movement
using OpenSim.
BENG 425 Assistive Control of Biomedical Systems (3). Prerequisites: BENG 301 , BENG 320. An
important contribution of bioengineering is the development of assistive devices for individuals with
disability. This course exposes students to the engineering design process with special focus in medical
and biological applications. The semester culminates in the presentation of a group instrumentation
project.
BENG 441 Nanotechnology in Health (3). Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in BIOL 213 and PHYS
160. Grade of C or better in CHEM 251 OR CHEM 212. This course introduces fundamental principles of
a wide range of nanoscale biomaterials and their applications in medicine and engineering.
CS 444 Introduction to Computational Biology (3). This course introduces students to computational
methods in molecular biology. The course will cover a broad array of topics in bioinformatics and
computational biology and will be organized as three four-week modules. The modules are intended to
capture the current classification of bioinformatics and computational biology methods and so to provide
students with a broad view of the field.
CS 445 Computational Methods for Genomics (3). Fundamental principles and techniques for
implementing computational algorithms to solve problems in biology arising from the need to process
large volumes of genomic information. Topics include sequence analysis, alignment, and assembly, gene
prediction, and knowledge-based protein structure prediction. Projects involve designing and
programming basic alignment and prediction methods.
BINF 401 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology I (3). Prerequisites: BIOL 213, IT 108 & 109
or BENG 320 & one Technical Foundation course in computers/computational systems, STAT 344. The
course covers the following topics and related methodology: protein sequence, structure prediction, and
modeling methods; nucleic acid sequence and structure prediction; gene structure prediction in
prokaryotes and eukaryotes; elements of system biology. Students will learn programming approaches to
solve bioinformatics problems.
9
BENG 491 Bioengineering Senior Seminar I (1) and BENG 495 Bioengineering Senior Seminar II
(1). Prerequisite: senior standing. For BENG 495: 90 credit hours applicable to the Bioengineering
Program, COMM 100. This series of two seminar courses course will familiarize students with the variety
of responsibilities of bioengineers to society. Topics will include ethics, regulation, research, industry,
entrepreneurship, and cost issues. Professional approaches to job searching and effective technical
communication also will be discussed. Speakers will include faculty, invited guests from industry and
government, as well as students.
BENG 492 Senior Advanced Design Project I (2) and BENG 493 Senior Advanced Design Project
II (2). Prerequisite: senior standing and 90 credit hours applicable to the Bioengineering Program, COMM
100. This sequence engages students in hands-on design experience. The projects apply the students’
technical knowledge to design a device, process, or system to solve a biomedical problem. Teams
typically consist of four students; interdisciplinary collaboration is strongly encouraged.
BENG 499 Special Topics in Bioengineering (3). Prerequisites can vary. Topics of special interest to
undergraduates.
BENG 525 Neural Engineering (3). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor for Bioengineering seniors
in good standing. Provides an overview of topics in Neural Engineering. Topics covered range from
sensory and motor prosthetic devices, stimulation of biological tissue, bioelectrodes and characterization
techniques, brain-machine interfaces, and engineered devices to ameliorate neurodisorders.
BENG 538 Medical Imaging (3). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor for Bioengineering seniors in
good standing. Provides an introduction to the physical, mathematical and engineering foundations of
modern medical imaging systems, medical image processing and analysis methods. In addition, this
course introduces engineering students to clinical applications of medical imaging. The emphasis is on
diagnostic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging methods, although several other modalities are
covered. The course also provides an overview of recent developments and future trends in the field of
medical imaging, discusses some of the challenges and controversies, and involves hands-on experience
applying the methods learnt in class to real-world problems.
BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function (4). Corequisite: CHEM 211. For science majors and
pre-professionals in life sciences. Introduction to cell chemistry, metabolism, and genetics. (Includes both
lectures and laboratory.)
BIOL 425 Human Physiology (3). Prerequisites: BIOL 213, or permission of instructor. Organ system
approach to study homeostasis, including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive, endocrine, and
nervous system functions. (Permission has been granted for bioengineering students having taken BIOL
213.)
10
d. Approved Technical Electives - Biomedical Signals and Systems Concentration (BMSS)
The following are examples of approved elective courses in the BS in Bioengineering programBiomedical Signals and Systems Concentration.
BENG 341
Introduction to Biomaterials (3)
BENG 392
Engineering Design Studio (2)
BENG 395
Mentored Research in Bioengineering (3)
BENG 406
Biomechanics (3)
BENG 441
Nanotechnology in Health (3)
BENG 499
Special Topics in Bioengineering (3)
BENG 525
Neural Engineering (3)
BENG 538
Medical Imaging (3)
ECE 305
Electromagnetic Theory (3)
ECE 410
Principles of Discrete Time Signals Processing (3)
ECE 421
Classical Systems and Control Theory (3)
ECE 450
Introduction to Robotics (3)
And/Or one only of the following:
BIOL 305/306
Biology of Microorganisms & Lab (3&1)
CHEM 313/315
Organic Chemistry & Lab (3&2)
CS 310
Data Structures (3)
CS 444
Introduction to Computational Biology (3)
CS 445
Computational Methods for Genomics (3)
NEUR 327
Cellular, Neurophysiological, and Pharmacological Neuroscience (3)
RHBS 570
Movement Analysis of Function (3)
PSYC 372
Physiological Psychology (3)
11
e. GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES for Bioengineering
No graduate level courses are approved. The Bioengineering Department follows the University’s
General Education Electives for Global Understanding, Fine Arts and Literature. For more
information on the approved electives please go to the University’s recent catalog under University
General Education - http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=19&poid=18087.
By selecting from the list of general education electives Students are required to complete at least 3
credit hours in each of the following categories: Global Understanding, Literature, and Fine Arts.
The General Education Synthesis requirement is met by satisfactory completion of BENG 492/493.
No C- or D grades in ECE, ENGR or BIOL courses can be submitted for the BSBioE degree.
12
III. BSBioE Degree Program and Impact on Nova Students
NOVA students interested in the Bioengineering program at GMU are recommended to follow the AS in Science
with Mathematics Specialization. Other items related to the BioE program and to GMU’s policy on NOVA transfer
students, as listed on this page are intended to provide additional information to the NOVA transfer student.
Bioengineering Preparation at NOVA for Associates Degree in Mathematics (modifications to regular
plan in red)
Semester 1
Semester 2
CSC 201
3
CS 112
ENG 111
MTH 173
3
5
ENGH 101
MATH 113
SDV 100
CST 229, GEO 220, HIS
111, 135,203, 204, 231,
232, 241, 242, 243, HIS
251, 252, 253, 254, PLS
241, REL 100, REL 231 &
232, SSC 115
Credits:
1
3
UNIV 100
Global
Understanding
Elective
15
Semester 3
ENG 125, 150 or
200 level
MTH 174
Social &
Behavioral
Science – ECO
202
EGR 120
BIO 206
3
5
3
Literature
Elec
MATH 114
ECON 103*
2
4
ENGR 107
BIOL 213
Credits
17
Semester 4
MTH (NOVA) or 275
(VCCS)
4
MATH 213
Hum/FA
3
Fine Arts
MTH Elec – MTH 285
3
MATH 203
PHY 231
5
PHYS 160 &
161
Credits:
15
13
CST 110 (NOVA)
or CST 100 or
105
HIS Elective –
HIS 101 or HIS
102
MTH 291
(NOVA) or MTH
279 (VCCS)
PHY 232
3
COMM 100
3
HIS 100 or HIS
125
3
MATH 214
5
PHYS 260 &
261
Credits:
15
1. The BioE program requires BENG 380/381 Introduction to Circuits and Electronics and Lab. No
NOVA course or courses satisfy this requirement.
2. Students are encouraged to substitute CSC 110, Introduction to Computing, with CSC 201, Computer Science I,
which transfers as equivalent to the BioE required course, CS 112, Introduction to Computer Programming.
3. Students are encouraged to take EGR 120, Introduction to Engineering, which transfers as equivalent to the
BioE required course, ENGR 107, Introduction to Engineering.
4. Students are encouraged to take BIO 206, Cell Biology, which transfers as equivalent to the BioE required
course, BIOL 213, Cell Structure and Function.
5. Some students transferring to George Mason, having earned an AS degree at NOVA may be considered to have
met the General Education requirements of ENGH 101, literature course, HIST 100/125, Fine Arts course and
Global Understanding course. (See Sample Schedule semesters 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8.) These students will still
need to satisfy the BSBioE requirement for COMM 100, ECON 103 and ENGH 302 by taking the George
Mason courses or equivalent transfer courses. Students transferring to George Mason without having earned
an AS degree will need to meet all the General Education courses required at the time of admission to George
Mason.
6. A student with a Bachelor’s degree may also have satisfied the GMU General Education requirements of ENGH
101, literature course, HIST 100/125, Fine Arts course and Global Understanding course.
7. All students, regardless of any prior AS or BS degree must present at least 24 credit hours of approved
non-technical course work for any degree within the Volgenau School. See Dr. Pancrazio if you have a question.
14
IV. General Information
a. Academic Status
Academic Status is determined using the cumulative GPA and the number of credit hours (GMU attempted,
transfer, AP, credit by exam) a student has on their GMU record. Having a cumulative GPA less than a 2.000
results in an Academic Status designation ranging from Warning to Suspension, depending on the student’s Credit
Level. Credit Level includes credit hours of the “original” course as well as the “repeat” course when a student
repeats a specific course. The Cumulative GPA is determined only by the credit hours and grade of the most recent
course. Students are responsible for being aware of their Credit Hour Level and the corresponding GPAs for
Warning, Probation and Suspension. For full details go to the Registrar’s web site or link directly via:
http://registrar.gmu.edu/acadstanding/index.html.
b. Repeating a Course
George Mason allows undergraduate students to repeat (almost) any course for a new grade. Upon completion of the
repeated course the old grade will be “flagged” as “Excluded from cumulative GPA”, but will remain on the
transcript. The new grade will become part of the cumulative GPA, even if it is lower than the previous grade! This
Repeat policy can help a student increase their GPA, particularly if a low GPA was due to D or F grades. Repeating
a course by taking it away from George Mason (i.e. at Northern Virginia Community College) will not remove the
George Mason grade from the cumulative GPA.
c. Repeating CS Courses
Students can take a CS course two times without any restrictions. However to take a CS course for a third time
requires the approval of the CS Department. Before the CS Department will approve such a request, a non-CS
student must get the written approval of their own academic advisor first.
d. Important Guidelines and Recommendations
Plan on spending about three hours of time "studying" for each hour of time you spend in a “technical” class (math,
physics, computer science, engineering). To succeed in engineering courses you MUST do assigned homework (as
a minimum!). "Reading" the textbook is not "studying".
Most faculty only assign enough homework to "acquaint" you with the types of material you must know and
understand, not necessarily enough homework for you to "master" the material. Hence, you should do more
problems than are assigned. Use study groups to get support with doing extra problems.
Do course homework just as you have to do an in-class exam for that course. If the class exams are “closed book”
then, when you do your homework, you need to turn to the problems and do them. If you find you need to refer to
the text or your notes for examples or equations, then you do not know the material well enough to do the
homework. Go back and study more. If the class exam allows an “equations sheet” then, as you study, prepare the
sheet. When you do your homework you will turn to the problems and do them referring only to your “equation
sheet”. Again, if you need to refer back to the text or notes, you do not know the material well enough to be doing
the homework. Study more.
Take ECE 491, Senior Seminar, during the semester just prior to your graduation semester. Among the many topics
discussed, are Resume, Cover Letter and Interviewing preparation. By taking the course at this time you will be
prepared to participate in the Job Fairs and On Campus Interviewing during those important last two semesters of
your degree program.
The lab course associated with a lecture/lab courses pair may be taken after taking the lecture course except for.
This allowed “lab after lecture” includes Physics lecture/lab pairs.
Do not take ENGH 302 until after BENG 380. In ENGH 302 you will learn to write and critique writing “in the
technology” of your major. Completing the above course will allow you to read basic electrical or computer
engineering technical journal articles.
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Try to delay taking COMM 100 until just before BENG 492 or at the same time as BENG 492. You do not use
public speaking much in your other courses. It is good to get the public speaking tips and experience just when you
will need it: in BENG 492 and BENG 493.
e. Advising
Toward the end of September or February of your first semester at George Mason, an advisor from the
Bioengineering Department will be assigned. This assignment is shown in the listing on the bulletin board outside
the Department office (room 3800, Engineering Building). Advisors have office hours during which you may just
walk-in for advising. Office hours each semester, phone and office numbers, and email addresses are posted at the
Department office and via the Bioengineering Department web site. If your classes or work conflict with posted
office hours, phone or email your advisor and special appointment times can be arranged. Much of the time your
issue can be addressed via email. If for any reason you have a problem with your advisor, please let us know in the
Department office and we will help you. You are required to see your advisor prior to registration each semester. Be
sure to get with your advisor early. Do not wait until the last minute as your professor may not be on campus on your
registration date.
Your advisor is important in two ways. First, your advisor can keep you informed of changes to the curriculum, of
potential problems with *when* you take particular courses, and of other resources to help you in your present
academic program and in your subsequent master’s degree program. You will need either references for jobs or
recommendations for admissions to graduate school. If you work closely with your advisor you could get a very
strong, personal, recommendation, one that an instructor who you had not interacted with one-on-one over a
number of years could not provide.
f. Study Groups
Study groups are very useful for technical courses. They usually consist of three to five students who want to
support each other in one or more classes. They help a student realize that others also find material difficult. The
Group can do extra problems and compare answers. Group members learn by teaching other members or being
assisted by other group members and they can go “as a group” to instructor for course help.
g. Cooperative Education and Internships
While all degree requirements must be satisfied by academic course work, recruiters are strongly and positively
influenced by co-op or internship experiences. Students should plan on obtaining this experience. Recruiters in
Northern Virginia look very critically at a George Mason University engineering student’s resume if it does not
show technical work experience. Cooperative Education, coordinated by the Career Services Office at GMU,
provides students with the opportunity to integrate paid, career-related work experience with classroom learning.
Also check our Bioengineering website for current internships.
h. Scholarships and Financial Aid
In addition to the usual financial aid available to all students through the Office of Student Financial Planning and
Resources, we post our scholarships on our website
(http://bioengineering.gmu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=88). BioE majors
are also eligible to apply at the ECE Department for several scholarships provided by professional societies and
industrial organizations, such as the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, the Association
of Old Crows and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Application forms are available in the ECE
Department Office in April each year.
i. Registration
You will be required to register before each semester. Be on the lookout for when the schedule of classes is posted
on PatriotWeb in October and February, and see your advisor as soon as possible. Do not wait until the week before
you register, you may not be able to contact your advisor in time. This will delay your registration and you may not
get into the courses/sections you want. Take advantage of registering as soon as possible after your assigned
registration time in order to get maximum advantage from your "priority" which is based on completed and
in-process courses. It is your responsibility to check (i.e. a day or two after your “request”) to make sure you are
enrolled in all the courses you want and no courses that you do not want.
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k. Warning/Suspension Credit Hour Limit
All students in a Warning Status (from having designated Credit (hours) Levels and designated cumulative GPA
ranges) and all students returning from Suspension are limited to no more than 13 credit hours. Be careful, any IN
grade counts like an "F" for this calculation!
This GMU policy will be implemented by the Registrar 2 weeks before the first day of classes of each semester by
automatically dropping the last course a student enrolled in to try to drop the total hours down to 13. If necessary,
additional "last course enrolled in" courses will be dropped. The automatic process does not look for 1 credit
courses, it just looks at the date/time a class was enrolled in. Thus it is possible that the automatic drop could drop a
student below 12 hours and trigger a potential financial aid, visa, insurance, etc, problem. I.e. if such a student is
enrolled for 14 hours and the last course they enrolled in was BENG 101, the automatic drop would drop BENG
101[3], bringing the student down to 11 hours. Once a course is dropped the student loses all "rights" to the course.
Other students can add and cause the course to close and the student who was dropped will not get back in.
l. Force Add/Course Permit/Override
When a class is full/closed you may ask if it is possible to be added above the limit by using a "force add" (Course
Permit or “Capacity” Override) option. Under certain exceptional circumstances the instructor can allow additional
students into the class by force adding them. This can be done prior to, or at, the first meeting of the class. The
instructor may allow you in at that time if it is possible. The instructor will have (or can get) the needed "Course
Permit" form or a “Capacity” Override may be placed in your PatriotWeb registration site. The action may require
the Chair's approval also.
m. Closed Class
Class sizes are determined primarily by academic considerations, and also by the room size limit. Whenever a class
(section) has been enrolled to the maximum, it becomes a closed class (section). Some departments maintain "wait
lists" for selected closed classes. If you find a section is closed, be sure to check for the existence of a Waitlist or use
appropriate course/section search options to see if other "unpublished", open, sections might exist, or check with the
department offering the course for possible actions. See
http://registrar.gmu.edu/registration/waitlist.html for details on working with Waitlists. In some cases it may be
possible to add a student above the limit by using the "force add" option, but this is an exceptional action.
n. Overload
If you wish to take more than 18 hours, it is considered an OVERLOAD. You will have to obtain permission from
the Dean's office. Pick up the forms and instructions at room 2501, Engineering Building, the office of the Associate
Dean for Undergraduate Studies.
o. Dropping a Course
If you want to drop a course you can only do so within the first 5 weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters. If you do
so, it will not appear on your transcript. It is your responsibility to check (i.e. next day) and make sure any
“dropped” course is actually “dropped” by the GMU computer system. After the 5th week, you can’t "drop" a
course, you may petition through the Volgenau School Associate Dean's office to "withdraw" from courses. Pick up
the forms and instructions at room 2501, Engineering Building, the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate
Studies. See also “Elective Withdrawal for Undergraduates”.
p. Elective Withdrawal for Undergraduates
Undergraduates enrolled in degree programs are eligible to withdraw from a limited number of classes without
dean’s approval and at the student’s own discretion. Students may process a maximum of three such elective
withdrawals during their entire undergraduate career at Mason. The Withdrawal period for Fall or Spring is from the
last day to drop a class through the ninth week - proportionally shorter for shorter Summer sessions.
q. Courses at other Universities
If you need to take a course away from George Mason (i.e. summers if you live elsewhere; if your work or other
commitments conflict with a needed course) you need special permission from the Dean’s office before registering
at the other school or the course will not be allowed as a transfer course. Pick up the forms and instructions at room
2501, Engineering Building, the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.
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r. Transfer Courses Equivalencies
If you feel your transfer evaluation sheet does not indicate that you have received transfer credit for courses that
would be applicable to the your degree program, or if only "elective" credit is shown for a course you feel meets a
specific degree requirement, then you should contact your advisor. This must be done no later than the end of your
first semester at George Mason.
s. English Exemption
It is possible to "test out" of ENGH 101 or ENGH 302. For ENGH 101 there is a free three-hour Proficiency Exam
given in the summer and in January. A passing score earns a Waiver (no credit and no grade) for ENGH 101.
Consequently you may need to take an approved course to make up for the “missing” 3 credits due to the Waiver.
See your advisor. For ENGH 302 there is a two part process. The first part (permitted after you have completed 45
hours of academic course work) is submission of a portfolio of long and short written works. This is evaluated and
if approved, the second part, a two hour written exam, is scheduled. Satisfactory completion of both parts of the
process earns a Waiver (no credit and no grade) for ENGH 302. Consequently you may need to take an approved
course to make up for the “missing” 3 credits due to the Waiver. See the English Department (Robinson A487) if
you wish to pursue either of these opportunities.
t. Honor Societies
Students should strive for academic excellence which can lead to selection for membership in Alpha Eta Mu Beta
(AEMB), the National Honor Society for Bioengineering (www.alphaetamubeta.org). Tau Beta Epsilon (TBE),
the Engineering Honor Society of the School of Engineering. (TBE is the GMU “colony” chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the
National Engineering Honor Society). TBE requires that a student is in an Engineering degree program and is in the
top 1/5th of the Senior Engineering class or the top 1/8th of the Junior Engineering class. Honor society members
participate in activities and are recognized by unique stoles worn at graduation and mention in the School of
Information Technology and Engineering Convocation program.
u. Annual Academic Awards
Outstanding academic performance is recognized at graduation via the highest award, the Volgenau School
Outstanding Undergraduate Award, as well as the Bioengineering Department Outstanding Academic
Performance Award, and several Chairman’s Awards. Service to the ECE Department, student organizations or
The Volgenau School by a student with a notable academic record is recognized by the Joseph I. Gurfein Service
Award.
v. Student Organizations
Participation in student organizations can yield valuable results in three areas. One very important capability
recruiters look for, but is difficult to develop in regular academic classes is teamwork and leadership. Student
organizations provide a means to develop and demonstrate the ability to work in teams/groups, to develop
leadership ability and to develop communication (oral presentation and written) skills. A second important skill for
engineers is the ability to communicate, including speaking to large groups. Again, this is not often a part of regular
classes. Participating in student organization activities gives you the opportunity to learn and practice speaking
skills. A final advantage to student organization participation is “networking”. Networking is “interacting with
others in your discipline”. In student organizations you will connect to students from freshman level to “about to
graduate”. You can take advantage of these students’ knowledge to assist in your academic program - good electives
to take, when to take them. But even more important you can connect with students as they graduate from George
Mason. As graduates, in industry, they know where good jobs are. You can get email addresses from them just
before they graduate and then easily keep in touch with them. Connections with just three to four graduates per year
for three years means you know a dozen people in many companies by the time you are looking for your first job.
These are people who know you, who know the George Mason engineering curricula, who know your capabilities
and most likely want to help you.
Technically related student organizations open to students include student chapters of: the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Armed Forces Communications-Electronics Association (AFCEA), the National
Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the Society of
Women Engineers (SWE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers (SHPE). All these organizations are open to any and all students who want to join.
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w. Graduation
During your next to last semester you will receive notice from the GMU Registrar - Graduation Section to initiate
your graduation process by filling out a web-based, on-line, form. Following this you need to come to the
Bioengineering Department office to pick up the rest of your graduation application material and a Graduation
Checklist.
In order to obtain proper graduation application material you must go to Student Records (Student Union Building
1) and file for a change of Catalog year ASAP but no later than the semester before your graduation semester if you
intend to use any Catalog requirements other than the ones that existed at the time you entered GMU. You are
allowed to use any set of requirements that are published in any one Catalog that comes into existence during your
first semester at GMU or later. You can see a “Degree Evaluation” by accessing your records from the GMU
homepage through Patriot Web using your Web browser. Check early and often.
Transfer courses marked with an “L” can be submitted as meeting some of the graduation requirements, but can’t be
counted toward the “45 hours of 300 level or above” courses which must be submitted for graduation.
x. Graduation GPA and Grades Requirements
Just as your Academic Status (Good Status, Warning, Suspension, Dismissal) depends on your cumulative GPA,
your graduation does also. You must present a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or above in order to be awarded the BS
degree.
No C- or D grades in BENG, BIOL or ENGR courses may be submitted for the BS BioE.
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V. Bioengineering Degree Requirements Worksheet/Checklist (BMSS)
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VII. Full - Time Bioengineering Faculty
AGRAWAL, N., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Texas A & M University, 2006. Microfluidics and
biosensors.
BURKE, C., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Virginia, 2011. Ultrasound mediated targeted
drug delivery.
IKONOMIDOU, V.N., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,
2002. Development and diagnostic applications of MRI; signal processing; experiment
optimization.
JOINER, W., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, 2007. Sensorimotor integration
and computational neuroscience.
PANCRAZIO, J.J., Chair, Bioengineering and Professor, Ph.D. University of Virginia, 1990.
Neuro-engineering, microscale neuronal assays, and neural interface technology.
SALVADOR MORALES, C., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Oxford, 2007. Nanoscience
and nanotechnology.
SIKDAR, S., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Washington, 2005. Biomedical signal and
image processing; ultrasound; biomedical devices and instrumentation.
WEI, Q., Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Rutgers University, 2010. Biomechanical modeling and
simulation, eye movement, and biomedical imaging.
PART-TIME PROFESSOR:
KATONA, P., Professor, Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965. Biomedical
engineering with emphasis on control of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
AFFILIATE PROFESSORS:
PEIXOTO, N., Assistant Professor ECE Department, Ph.D. University of Sao Paulo, 2001.
Neuro-engineering; biomedical engineering.
RANGWALA, H., Assistant Professor CS Department, Ph.D. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities,
2008. Structural bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, genomics, data mining, high performance
computing.
SHEHU, A., Assistant Professor CS Department, Ph.D. Rice University, 2008. Computational
biology, bioinformatics and biophysics, macromolecular structure, dynamics and function;
simulation; stochastic optimization; sampling-based robot motion planning; discrete and
continuous search.
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