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BME GRADUATE STUDENT HANBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1. Introduction ________________________________________________________________________________ 2
1.1. Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program ____________________________________________________ 2
1.2. Graduate Program Handbook _______________________________________________________________ 2
1.3. Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program Faculty and Staff ______________________________________ 2
1.4. Biomedical Engineering Department Faculty ___________________________________________________ 3
1.5. Graduate Student Advisory Committee _______________________________________________________ 3
2. Department Chair Philosophy ___________________________________________________________________ 4
3. Department Mission Statement _________________________________________________________________ 5
4. Graduate Programs ___________________________________________________________________________ 6
4.1. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D. Program ___________________________________ 6
4.2. Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, M.S. Program ______________________________________ 12
5. Dual-Degree Programs _______________________________________________________________________ 15
5.1. M.D. / Ph.D. Program ____________________________________________________________________ 15
5.2. M.S. / M.B.A. Program ___________________________________________________________________ 16
5.3. B.S. / M.S. Program ______________________________________________________________________ 17
6. Specialized Graduate Tracks ___________________________________________________________________ 20
7. Department Course Requirements ______________________________________________________________ 33
8. Graduate School Registration Requirements ______________________________________________________ 36
9. Graduate Program Transfer Credits _____________________________________________________________ 38
10. Timeline for Program Completion _____________________________________________________________ 40
11. Academic Performance, Standards and Standing _________________________________________________ 42
12. Laboratory Performance and Expectations ______________________________________________________ 45
13. Financial Support and Tuition _________________________________________________________________ 46
14. Fellowships and Assistantships ________________________________________________________________ 47
15. Outside Employment _______________________________________________________________________ 48
16. Tuition Benefit Program _____________________________________________________________________ 49
17. Student Health Insurance ____________________________________________________________________ 51
18. Parental Leave Policy _______________________________________________________________________ 52
19. Safety and Wellness ________________________________________________________________________ 53
20. Disclaimer ________________________________________________________________________________ 53
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah, is an internationally renowned center of basic
and applied interdisciplinary research. The Department offers a Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) programs, as well as multiple dual-degree programs through the Graduate School at the University of Utah.
These programs seek to prepare graduate students to function independently, competently and technically in a variety
of settings including academic, research, technical, administrative, business management, legal, regulatory and
investment career tracks. These goals are accomplished through formal didactic courses, seminars and journal clubs,
laboratory research rotations, technical projects and dissertation research. Faculty and staff together seek to assist
graduate students to complete these programs in a timely fashion.
1.2 Graduate Program Handbook
This handbook should serve as a guide to help graduate students, graduate advisors, supervisory committee members
and other faculty and staff to understand the overall goals and requirements of the Department’s graduate program.
The Handbook is an important reference and provides information and resources to help students navigate the
necessary steps in order to receive the training and experience integral to the degree programs. It also lists the
administrative steps required to satisfy student requirements and move smoothly through these programs.
1.3 Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program Faculty and Staff
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building (SMBB)
36 South Wasatch Drive, Suite 3100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Phone: 801.581.8528
Website: bioen.utah.edu
Dr. David Grainger, Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Office: 3227 SMBB, Email: david.grainger@utah.edu, Phone: 801.587.9263
The Department Chair oversees all research, academic, service and administrative functions of the department. The
chair is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the department and ensuring that resources are provided for
its different department functions in serving the university mission.
Dr. Chuck Dorval, Director of Graduate Studies
Office: 4535 SMBB, Email: chuck.dor[email protected], Phone: 801.587.7631
The Director of Graduate Studies oversees policies and procedures for all graduate degrees offered through the
Department of Biomedical Engineering. The DGS is available to answer general questions about the graduate program
and to provide recommendations regarding coursework. They also serve as the default research advisor for new
students who have not yet established a research advisor.
Laura Olsen, Graduate Academic Advisor
Office: 3223 SMBB, Email: l[email protected], Phone: 801.581.8559
The Graduate Academic Advisor assists students in all aspects relating to Biomedical Engineering graduate degrees,
including applications, admissions, policies and procedures, graduation, tuition benefit and student health insurance.
Students are expected to meet with the Graduate Academic Advisor regularly as they progress towards their degree
to ensure that procedures and forms are properly completed and submitted.
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TBD, B.S./M.S. Program Advisor
Office: TBD, Email: TBD, Phone: TBD
The B.S./M.S. Program Advisor assists undergraduate students in determining progress in the B.S. degree and necessary
steps that must be completed in order for students to matriculate into the M.S. program.
Alexis Ulrich, Academic Programs Coordinator
Office: 3225 SMBB, Email: alexis.ulrich@utah.edu,
The Academic Program Coordinator assists the Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Advisors and serves as the
Department liaison for the Graduate Student Advisory Committee. They also coordinate events, recruitment,
community outreach and social media for the department.
Sheila Olson, Administrative Manager
Office: 3226 SMBB, Email: s[email protected], Phone: 801.581.8953
The Administrative Manager works with faculty advisors to manage Graduate Student Research Assistant salaries,
scholarships, and/or fellowships. All students should correspond regularly with the Administrative Manager and
Graduate Academic Advisor concerning compensation, tuition benefits and eligibility.
1.4 Department of Biomedical Engineering Faculty
The University of Utah Department of Biomedical Engineering faculty are dispersed across the University campus in
multiple facilities. Faculty have offices and laboratories throughout campus. Primary faculty offices are in SMBB, WEB,
MEB and BPRB, while Career and Adjunct faculty may be located across main “lower” campus as well as the Health
Sciences “upper” campus and Research Park, including the University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Primary
Children’s Hospital, Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, UCAIR, the School of Medicine and the College of Pharmacy. For
current faculty and staff contact information, please see the faculty directories on our website.
1.5 Graduate Student Advisory Committee
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Activities Committee (GSAC) is run by Biomedical Engineering graduate
students to work as a liaison between students and the Department and to organize events to build the Biomedical
Engineering community and support our students. The GSAC help to support our Department and the graduate student
community by:
•
Organizing the annual Utah Biomedical Engineering Conference (UBEC)
•
Planning the prospective Biomedical Engineering graduate student weekend
•
Planning student social events
•
Volunteering for local science and engineering outreach activities
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2. DEPARTMENT CHAIR PHILOSOPHY
The Department’s M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs are designed and intended to be transient but intensive
professional technical training experiences, best pursued and completed as directly and expediently as possible.
Efficient student progression through various requirements and diverse opportunities offered by our graduate
programs 1) ensures best use of student time and faculty resources, and 2) minimizes the “opportunity cost” of time
away from the workplace. As such, our training program is neither a vocation nor a job. Each advanced degree from
our department must be earned. Award of our graduate degree comes with new entitlements and privileges resulting
from our formal recognition of new technical and workplace skills and Biomedical Engineering capabilities endowed to
each of our graduates by virtue of their program accomplishments. Our Department’s Graduate Handbook provides
the road map to our graduate program requirements, expectations, best practices, and deadlines for student
performance and progress. The Chair expects adherence to the prescriptive requirements of the graduate programs
as described in the Handbook, and a direct, disciplined and motivated path to the student’s future workplace as
enabled by the program checkpoints, milestones and expectations.
The Utah graduate school experience is expected to be enriching, enabling and rigorous; our graduate students are
expected to be productive, professional, focused and efficient. Financial support provided to our graduate students
during graduate training is awarded as a stipend at the discretion of our faculty advisors, with specific technical
objectives, deliverables and intellectual products anticipated and expected. Such support is a privilege for study;
hence, student research productivity is an expected deliverable in return. It is not a wage since program participation
is not formal employment; it is support for completion of the program requirements, a training experience and a
productive student-mentor relationship that produces research results and progress: progress both in student
capabilities relevant to a career, and in applications of biomedical principles to compelling world problems. This
student-advisor relationship is best augmented by fulfilling the formal M.S. or Ph.D. didactic training components, the
essential research requirements, and by regular critical review and input of the student’s doctoral supervisory
committee. Effective communication and technical dissemination are expected learnings. Teaching and mentoring
are also a formal expectation of all students: capabilities to assist others in team-based approaches is a real-world
asset. Professional service is also an important opportunity: outreach, service learning, and efforts beyond the campus
program are essential to our discipline.
As the Department can only improve its performance and impact through the collective work and dedicated group
efforts involving our students and faculty, consistent student participation in the wide variety of required and elective
department activities is encouraged and expected of all students. Student leadership, initiative and visible
contributions to Department progress and growth can take numerous forms. In addition to student research
productivity, additional student-based efforts in teaching/curriculum improvement, inter-student and peer networking
and morale-building exercises, seminar attendance, research support and grant writing, interfacing with various
graduate and student groups, faculty committees and College leaders, and outreach services to our off-campus lay-
person and on-campus undergraduate communities are some possible opportunities to assist the Department’s
continual quest for improved impact, visibility and international recognition.
We hope that this Biomedical Engineering Graduate Handbook provides all resources necessary to efficiently and
effectively guide and expedite graduate student progression through our various graduate degree opportunities and
expectations. We also hope that program training and milestones produce graduates highly qualified, confident and
capable to improve the world around us in their diverse future careers.
David W. Grainger, Ph.D., Department Chair
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3. DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Department of Biomedical Engineering is to advance human understanding, health, and quality of
life through:
1) Internationally recognized research, discovery, and invention in the area of biomedical engineering
2) Education of world-class Ph.D. scientists and engineers for accomplishment in research, academics, medicine,
and industry
3) Education of nationally recognized graduates for success and leadership in industry, and in preparation for
future study in medicine, science and engineering
4) Transfer of scientific discoveries and biomedical technology to the private sector nationwide
5) Training of students throughout the College of Engineering in bio-based solutions to traditional engineering
problems and in the application of their specialty to biological and biomedical science.
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4. GRADAUTE PROGRAMS
4.1 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Ph.D. students must meet all requirements specified by the University of Utah Graduate School. In addition, students
must complete the following requirements to be eligible for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biomedical Engineering.
Ph.D. Supervisory Committee
Supervisory committees are responsible for approving a graduate student’s academic programs, preparing and judging
student’s qualifying examinations, approving student’s dissertation subjects, reading and approving student’s
dissertations, and administering and judging student’s final oral examination and dissertation defense. In addition,
supervisory committees are responsible for arbitrating disputes, resolving conflicts, or difficult strategic programming
decisions between the student and the advisor, determining student pace or progress in research and graduate
programming, and directing the research and writing of student’s dissertation, including its quality for submission to
the Department Chair and the Graduate School.
Ph.D. supervisory committees are required to be formed within one year after entering the graduate program. In
consultation with their research advisor, all students are responsible for contacting prospective committee members
about their willingness and availability to serve as a member of their supervisory committee. Best practices include
writing a short synopsis of the intended research project and motivation, and rationale for why the contributions of a
specific faculty are deemed important to guide the student in such a project. Committee consensus should guide
student coursework selection and resulting program of study approvals.
Ph.D. supervisory committees must consist of five faculty members (minimum). The majority of the supervisory
committee, including the committee chair, must be tenure-line faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
One member of the supervisory committee must be from another department, normally from another University of
Utah department. The process of forming a supervisory committee is completed by student’s filing the Request for
Supervisory Committee form with the Department for approval by the Director of Graduate Studies.
All students are required to meet with their supervisory committee annually to evaluate and discuss their research
progress, strategies, success, coursework advancement, and any issues, technical or otherwise. These meetings are to
be documented by the student in the form of meeting minutes distributed to the committee members subsequent to
the committee meeting. Additional Ph.D. Supervisory Committee information is available on The Graduate School’s
webpage.
Ph.D. Research
Ph.D. students must complete independent research and advance the state of knowledge in the field. Completion of
the research requirement is demonstrated by writing and defending a PhD dissertation as described in the Dissertation
section below.
TA Mentorship Requirement
Starting with the graduate students who entered the PhD program in 2011/12 academic year, every PhD student must
fulfill the teaching mentorship requirement by completing 4 credit hours of BME 7880 TA Mentorship course by the
end of their fourth year and prior to the expiration of their tuition benefits. The teaching interests and current TA
needs in the department are highly variable and TA assignments and opportunities are therefore also highly variable.
Mentorship assignments will be determined based on the department needs first, and student track specialization
second. Should students not voluntarily select TA duties expediently, they can be assigned based on department need.
To earn TA Mentorship credit a student may do one of the following:
•
Complete 2 semesters as Half TA (2 credits each semester) of BME 7880: TA Mentorship with an approved course
average time commitment of 10 hours per week for the duration of each semester.
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•
Complete 1 semester as Full TA (4 credits) of BME 7880: TA Mentorship with approved course average time
commitment of 20 hours each week for the duration of the semester.
•
In rare cases, courses may require a ¼ TA, which would require registration for 1 credit of TA with an approved
average time commitment of 5 hours per week for the semester.
•
The TA requirement of 4 credits must be completed by the end of student’s 4
th
year of Ph.D. graduate study or
prior to the expiration of tuition benefit, whichever comes first. However, it may be completed prior to this time if
a student volunteers or is requested to fill a TA course assignment.
Teaching Assistantship requirements also include:
•
TAs are required to strictly abide by the regulations set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or
FERPA. This federal law protects the privacy of educational records of students. Information regarding FERPA is
available at www.registrar.utah.edu/privacy.php
.
•
TAs are required to attend a mandatory training provided by the College of Engineering within the first 2 weeks of
Fall Semester. The Department will notify prospective TAs of the date, time and location.
•
TAs are required to meet with their assigned course instructor(s) prior to the beginning of the semester to initiate
organization and to identify the expectations of the TAs role and duties.
•
TAs are required to attend all lectures of their assigned course(s) and be sufficiently familiar with the materials
covered in both the class and the homework to tutor the content effectively to enrolled students.
•
TAs are expected to contribute in a substantive professional way to the pedagogical needs of their assigned
course(s). The instructor and the nature of the course determines these needs. For example, TAs should expect to
undertake one or more of the following activities: 1) deliver one or more course didactic lectures (with the course
instructor present), 2) lead problem-solving or discussion sessions prior to exams, 3) grade exams.
•
The Teaching Assistantship requirement is for credit and is not eligible for consideration as a paid TA position until
all four 7880 course credit hours have been completed. However, financial support will continue from the
student’s research advisor during 7880 assignment. Thereafter, additional TA financial support will be determined
by the Department.
•
TAs are required to be proficient in the English language in order to effectively interact with students in a leadership
and pedagogical manner. To be eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program for teaching assistantships, the Graduate
School requires all non-native English-speaking graduate students to be cleared by the International Teaching
Assistant (ITA) Program prior to any teaching exposure. Therefore, clearance from the ITA Program is a compulsory
requirement for all international students. This and additional information is available at
www.gradschool.utah.edu/ita/
.
•
Unsatisfactory student TA performance, either paid or through the 7880 requirement will be subject to review and
possible punitive responses including repeating the TA requirement.
TA workshops, as well as online teaching resources are available through the Center for Teaching and Learning
Excellence or CTLE at the University of Utah.
Credit Hour Requirements
A Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study typically includes 90-120 total credit hours beyond the baccalaureate
level. Coursework should include at least 6 credit hours of advanced (7000 level) courses as determined by the
student’s supervisory committee. Student completion of significant, independent, peer-reviewed, original research is
the primary requirement of the Ph.D. program and requires at least 60 credit hours of dedicated research (BME 7970).
Students must also complete the graduate Biomedical Engineering core curriculum (17 credit hours of core courses or
approved substitutes) and at least 13 credit hours of graduate level science and engineering courses for a minimum of
30 course credit hours beyond the baccalaureate level. These courses are to be selected in consultation with the
student’s Supervisory Committee, with electives concentrated around the student’s anticipated research area.
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The student’s research advisor and/or supervisory committee may require students to take additional courses
depending on the student’s performance on the qualifying exam, academic background, knowledge in their area of
research, and/or other factors. The minimum allowable grade for any course counted toward the requirements for a
student’s graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering is a B-. For additional information regarding the use of credit
hours previously earned toward a current degree program, please see the “Graduate Program Transfer Credit” section
to follow.
Programs of Study
Ph.D. students are required to submit both a Preliminary Program of Study and a Final Program of Study to the
department when approved by their Supervisory Committees. The Preliminary Program of Study, used for planning
purposes and in preparation for the PhD comprehensive exam, is due by the end of the student’s second year and
should be developed in consultation with the student’s research advisor and supervisory committee as early as
possible. The Final Program of Study lists all courses taken during the student's PhD training and is due to the
department no later than one semester prior to the semester in which they defend their dissertation.
Ph.D. Preliminary Program of Study
The Ph.D. preliminary Program of Study lists courses that the student plans to complete as part of their Ph.D. program
requirements. The research advisor and supervisory committee should be consulted before selecting specific courses
to ensure compliance with required curriculum and relevance to the student’s area of research. Students are required
to submit their completed and approved Preliminary Program of Study form to the Department one semester prior to
taking the written comprehensive exam. The preliminary program of study ensures the both the student and the
supervisory committee agree on the student’s program completion courses. If a student’s preliminary coursework is
deficient, their supervisory committee may require the completion of additional courses.
Ph.D. Final Program of Study
The Ph.D. final program of study is a list of all courses students have taken beyond the baccalaureate degree, and must
also list all research credits (7970) that will be or are projected to be applied toward the Ph.D. degree. A Ph.D. final
program of study typically includes 90-120 total credit hours beyond the baccalaureate level and must contain the
following minimum requirements:
• 30 credit hours of coursework including:
- At least 6 credits of advanced 7000 level courses. This requirement may be reduced at the discretion of
the Supervisory Committee
- At least 17 credits of Core Curriculum (or approved substitutes)
- At least 13 credit hours of graduate level science and engineering elective courses; typically from the
Specialized Graduate Track courses
• 60 credit hours of dedicated research: BME 7970 “Ph.D. Thesis Research”
• 4 credit hours of graded BME 7880 “TA Mentorship”
BME 7990: Continuous Registration does not count toward the fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree requirements and should
not be listed on the program of study.
Up to 30 credit hours previously applied toward an M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering can be included as part of
the Ph.D. program of study and listed on the Program of Study Form as “0” credits applied to the Ph.D. itself. These
prior courses may be considered by the Supervisory Committee to justify waiver of all or part of the course credit hour
requirements described above, subject to specific approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and the student’s
Supervisory Committee.
Students are required to submit their final Ph.D. Program of Study form to the Department no later than one semester
prior to the semester in which they will defend. After the program of study has received all necessary approvals, it is
then entered into the student’s CIS record and reviewed by the Graduate School.
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Specialized Graduate Tracks
Biomedical Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that uses research tools and techniques from virtually all of the
physical, life and biomedical sciences. The curriculum within the Department’s areas of specialization, or tracks, is
designed to accommodate a wide range of approaches. Our goal is to provide an educational framework that will
encourage our BME graduate students to excel in their chosen area of specialization. These include:
• bioInnovate
• Biomaterials and Therapeutics
• Biomechanics
• Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biophysics
• Computational Systems and Synthetic Biomedical Engineering
• Imaging
• Neuroengineering
See the "Specialized Graduate Tracks" section of this handbook for more details.
Qualifying Exams
The Ph.D. qualifying exam in Biomedical Engineering consists of two different exams at two different times: 1) a written
comprehensive exam in the student’s area of specialization, and 2) a two-part original research proposal describing
the student’s specific Ph.D. research. The written comprehensive exam should be taken no later than the Fall of their
third year; the research proposal no later than the end of the third year. Additional information of the Ph.D. qualifying
exams can be found in the "Examinations" section of this handbook.
Ph.D. Written Comprehensive Qualifying Exam
The Ph.D. written comprehensive exam is administered by the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering each year within the
first two weeks of the fall semester. Students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies of their intent to take the
exam and submit a proposed Preliminary Program of Study at least one semester prior to the exam date. The
preliminary program of study is a list of all courses that the student plans to complete as part of the requirements for
the Ph.D. as approved by their supervisory committee.
The preliminary program of study must be approved by the graduate advisor and the supervisory committee. Students
can choose to take the exam in any of the PhD program tracks. Please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies
or research supervisory committee to select the most appropriate exam. Exams are prepared and graded by a
committee of Biomedical Engineering faculty members with expertise in the exam area.
Students may contact the chairperson of their exam committee to discuss the format of the exam. The format of the
exams may vary somewhat from committee to committee, but will generally consist of a set of in-depth questions from
the field of specialization and will include comprehensive questions from the Biomedical Engineering core.
The written comprehensive exam will take 8 hours. Books and notes will not be allowed in the exam. The Director of
Graduate Studies will inform the students of their exam outcomes. Students who fail will be given a second opportunity
to pass the exam. The strengths and weaknesses of students that pass the exam will be noted by their exam committee
in a written report that will be placed in the student’s file. The student’s supervisory committee will review this report
before the oral qualifying exam and may direct their questions accordingly.
Ph.D. Research Proposal / Oral Qualifying Exam
The student’s oral qualifying exam consists of a formal written and oral presentation of their proposed Ph.D. research.
The written portion of the qualifying exam research proposal should follow the NIH R01 format, including all page
limits, margins, formatting and with all technical sections as required for the specific research. These technical sections
include the Project Summary / Abstract, Specific Aims, Research Plan, Protection of Human Subjects (if required), and
Vertebrate Animal Section (if required). Adherence to the PhD time-lines expected: a failure to deliver Oral Qualifying
Exam by the end of year 3 may result in a tuition benefit eligibility.
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The complete written portion of the exam’s research proposal must be provided to the supervisory committee at least
two weeks prior to the student’s scheduled oral presentation. An announcement and title/abstract of the proposal
presentation must be publicly posted at least one week prior to the presentation. The public oral presentation is
followed by questions from the audience. The supervisory committee then meets in a closed-door session to examine
the student in the absence of their graduate research advisor.
The written proposal and oral proposal presentation are evaluated and voted upon separately. Based on the results of
the votes, the committee will choose to a) pass the candidate, b) pass the candidate contingent upon the candidate
successfully responding to issues with their proposal (either written, or oral, or both), or c) fail the candidate. Ph.D.
candidates have two opportunities to pass the oral qualifying exam in accordance with prevailing policies from the
Graduate School.
To pass the exam, the student must demonstrate adequate preparation to begin effective independent research: the
student must be well-versed in the fundamentals, have cogent familiarity with the primary literature in the proposed
area of research, and demonstrate an ability to design and effectively communicate a competent, sound scientific
research plan.
In some cases, the committee may pass the student contingent upon successfully responding to issues raised during
the oral qualifying exam. These issues can be focused on both the written and/or oral components of the exam.
Contingencies can include proposal revisions, supplemental coursework, supplemental written reporting, new
supporting data and/or additional oral presentations. Students are given two opportunities to pass this oral/written
research proposal exam. A report of the written research proposal and oral exam outcome must be signed by the
supervisory committee and delivered to the Department and then to the Graduate School.
Ph.D. Candidacy
A student becomes a Ph.D. candidate after passing the written comprehensive exam and successfully completing both
parts of the research proposal, written and oral.
Seminar Presentation
Ph.D. students must present at least one oral podium presentation or seminar prior to applying for graduation and
defending their dissertation.
Publications
The primary requirement of the PhD program is for students to demonstrate competency in independent research and
advance the state of knowledge in biomedical engineering. To successfully complete this requirement, the Dissertation
typically includes three or more peer reviewed publications written by the candidate that have (or will) appear in
supervisory committee-approved journals. The dissertation will also include an introduction that outlines the
motivation for research and the challenge in expert terms, with stated objectives and possibly an over-arching
hypothesis, and a concluding chapter that provides a technical synopsis of accomplishment as well as an expert’s
recommendation for specific technical steps for important future work in the area of the dissertation. Supervisory
committees should be consulted for their expectations regarding publication of research results.
Dissertation
Dissertations must embody original insights, motivations, and results of the Ph.D. candidate’s independent creative
scientific conduct and scholarly research. Above all, they must also provide clear evidence of the candidate’s scientific
maturity, unique expertise, innovation, and ability to perform independent research and contribute new knowledge.
Dissertations must show a mastery of relevant literature and be presented in a style approved by the Department. The
Approved Dissertation Style Guide for the Department of Biomedical Engineering is registered with the thesis and
dissertation editor, who approves dissertations in accordance with Department and Graduate School policy.
Preparation of the dissertation must adhere to University of Utah Graduate School requirements. If approved by the
student’s supervisory committee, chapters from student manuscripts “in press” (appropriately documented) or
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published may be inserted into the dissertation “as is” (i.e., complete publisher’s galley proof or journal off-print) as a
chapter, and with additional amendments and author supplements as desired.
Ph.D. candidates are required to submit copies of their dissertation to their supervisory committee chair and external
reviewer (if applicable) at least three weeks prior to the dissertation defense. Additionally, they are required to submit
a copy of their dissertation to their supervisory committee members, research advisor, and the Biomedical Engineering
graduate academic advisor at least two weeks prior to the dissertation defense. Doctoral dissertations are expected
to be made available to other scholars and the general public. Therefore, a copy of the Ph.D. candidate’s dissertation
will be made available by the Department for public viewing.
Detailed policies and procedures are contained within “A Handbook for Theses and Dissertations”, published by The
Graduate School and available on The Graduate School webpage. Additional information regarding dissertations is
available on the Thesis Office webpage.
External Reviewer
The review of the Ph.D. dissertation by an external reviewer is not required, but optional, and can be encouraged by
the mentor or supervisory committee. The Ph.D. candidate along with their supervisory committee should consider
this option if deemed necessary. The external reviewer must hold an academic appointment at an institution outside
the University of Utah and should submit a written evaluation of the dissertation to be read at the time of defense.
Dissertation Defense
The Ph.D. candidate must successfully defend his/her dissertation in a public forum in accordance with the rules of the
Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Graduate School. The title, location, date, and time of the student’s
defense must be publicly announced at least 2 weeks in advance of the event along with an abstract of the dissertation.
The oral presentation is followed by general questions from the public audience in an open session. If relevant, the
external review of the dissertation is presented near the end of the public session. If possible, the review should be
delivered by the external reviewer or by an oral reading from the thesis advisor if the external reviewer is unable to
attend the defense (also by video/teleconference). Following the public defense, the research supervisory committee
further examines the candidate in a closed session (the external reviewer can be included in the closed session by
supervisory committee invitation).
To successfully defend the dissertation, the candidate must effectively apply the scientific method, demonstrate the
significance of his/her contributions to the field relative to the state of the field, and professionally communicate the
results in both written and oral form. Following the defense, the supervisory committee and the external reviewer (if
any) dismiss the candidate and meet privately to discuss the candidate’s work and defense performance. Votes to pass
the candidate on both the dissertation and the oral defense are recorded by the committee alone; the external
reviewer does not have a vote. The dissertation and oral defense are evaluated and voted upon separately. Based on
the results of the votes, the committee will choose to a) pass the candidate, b) pass the candidate contingent upon the
candidate successfully responding to issues with their defense (either written, or oral, or both), or c) fail the candidate.
Ph.D. candidates have two opportunities to pass the dissertation defense in accordance with prevailing policies from
the Graduate School. Changes and improvements to the dissertation, as recommended or required by the reviewer
and/or the committee members, must be incorporated into the student’s oral defense or dissertation document prior
to obtaining final dissertation reading approval from the committee, the supervisory chair and final approval from the
department chair as necessary for submission to the Graduate School thesis editor.
University Thesis and Dissertation Regulations are available in “A Handbook for Theses and Dissertations” which can
be downloaded from the Graduate School Thesis Office website.
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4.2 Master of Science (M.S.) Program
M.S. Degree Requirements
To earn an M.S. degree, students must meet the requirements specified by the University of Utah Graduate School. In
addition, students must complete the following requirements to be eligible for the Master of Science (M.S.) in
Biomedical Engineering.
M.S. Supervisory Committee
Supervisory committees are responsible for approving a graduate student’s academic programs, preparing and judging
student’s qualifying examinations, approving student’s thesis subjects, reading and approving student’s thesis, and
administering and judging student’s final oral examination or thesis defense. In addition, supervisory committees are
responsible for arbitrating disputes, resolving conflicts, or difficult strategic programming decisions between the
student and the advisor, determining student pace or progress in research/project and graduate programming, and
directing the research and writing of student’s thesis, including its quality for submission to the Department Chair and
the Graduate School.
Within the first semester of admission to the M.S. program, students are required to form a supervisory committee
consisting of at least three Department of Biomedical Engineering faculty members. The majority of the supervisory
committee, including the committee chair, must be tenure-line faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
The process of forming a supervisory committee is completed by student’s filing the Request for Supervisory
Committee form with the Department for approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are responsible for
contacting prospective committee members about their willingness and availability to serve as a member of their
supervisory committee. Best practices include writing a short synopsis of the intended research project and
motivation, and rationale for why the contributions of a specific faculty are deemed important to guide the student in
such a project. Non-thesis students should first contact their Specialized Graduate Track Advisor to determine an
appropriate Committee Chair and members.
Students are required to meet with their supervisory committee annually to evaluate and discuss their research
progress, strategies, success, coursework advancement, and any issues, technical or otherwise. These meetings are to
be documented by the student in the form of meeting minutes distributed to the committee members subsequent to
the committee meeting. Additional M.S. Supervisory Committee information is available on The Graduate School’s
webpage.
M.S. Credit Hour Requirements
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering students must successfully complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the
5000 level or above. To maintain status in the program, students must register for a minimum of 3 credit hours per
semester. However, a minimum of 9 credits is required for Tuition Benefit Program eligibility. A maximum of 9
semester credit hours may be taken as non-matriculated and a maximum of 6 credit hours or 2 courses (not to exceed
6 credit hours) may be transferred from another institution. Up to 6 credit hours may be petitioned undergraduate
classes (5000 level or above). The minimum allowable grade for any course counted toward the requirements for an
M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering is a B-. However, a B grade or better is required for transfer or petitioned
courses. For additional information regarding the use of credit hours previously earned toward a current degree
program, please see the “Graduate Program Transfer Credit” section to follow.
M.S. Thesis, Course and Project Options
Thesis Option M.S.
The Thesis Option M.S. program requires 9 credit hours of thesis research (BME 6970) and submission of a Master of
Science Thesis to the Graduate School in the required format. M.S. students will defend their thesis research in a public
forum. The public defense is followed by an oral comprehensive examination administered by the supervisory
committee.
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MS students must effectively apply the scientific method, demonstrate the significance of their contribution to the
field, and professionally communicate the results in both written and oral form. The thesis option M.S. candidate must
successfully defend his/her thesis in a public forum in accordance with the rules of the Department of Biomedical
Engineering and the Graduate School. The thesis title, location, date, and time of the defense must be publicly
announced at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. The oral presentation is followed by general questions from the
audience, then an oral comprehensive examination administered in closed session by the thesis committee.
To successfully defend the thesis, the candidate must effectively apply the scientific method, demonstrate the
significance of his/her contributions to the field, and professionally communicate the results in both written and oral
form. Following the defense, the supervisory committee meet in private to discuss the candidate’s work and defense.
The vote to pass the candidate is taken by the committee alone. Based on the results of the vote, the committee will
choose to a) pass the candidate, b) pass the candidate contingent upon the candidate successfully responding to issues
with their defense, or c) fail the candidate. M.S. candidates have two opportunities to pass the thesis defense. Changes
and improvements to the thesis, recommended or required by the committee members, are incorporated into the
document prior to obtaining final reading approval from the committee chair and the department chair for submission
to the thesis editor.
University Thesis and Dissertation Regulations are available in “A Handbook for Theses and Dissertations” which can
be downloaded from the Graduate School Thesis Office website.
Course Option M.S.
In lieu of a thesis, the Course Option M.S. program requires the successful completion of at least 9 credit hours of
advanced coursework (6000 level or above) within a Biomedical Engineering track specialization. To demonstrate depth
of knowledge within the field, the course option M.S. also requires students to pass an oral examination administered
by the M.S. supervisory committee or the written portion of the Ph.D. qualifying examination within the student's track
specialization.
Project Option M.S.
In lieu of a writing and defending a thesis, the Project Option M.S. program requires the successful completion of at
least 9 credit hours of advanced coursework (6000 level or above) within a Biomedical Engineering track specialization.
A project is selected by the student to serve as the basis for a scholarly body of work commensurate with their M.S.
degree. The basis of the project can be from a class, laboratory or work and should be related to the
student's field of study. To demonstrate depth of knowledge within the field, the Project Option M.S. also requires
students to present their project to their supervisory committee and pass an oral exam administered by the M.S.
supervisory committee. The presentation should demonstrate that the student can integrate the scope and necessary
details from their technical training into a cogent, professional presentation. Following the presentation, the MS
committee examines the candidate with questions in order to examine the breadth and depth of knowledge. The
committee can use the candidate's presentation materials, spoken words and program of study as the basis for the
examination questions. No public presentation is required.
M.S. Program of Study
The M.S program of study is a list of all courses taken beyond the baccalaureate degree, and must also list all research
credits (6970, if appropriate) to be applied toward the M.S. degree (if applicable).
A Program of Study including courses focused within a well-defined area of specialization must be approved by the
research supervisory committee, as well as the Biomedical Engineering Director of Graduate Studies. The student’s
advisor and supervisory committee should both be consulted before selecting specific courses to ensure compliance
with required department curriculum and relevance to the student’s area of specialization.
Thesis M.S. Option Programs of Study must contain:
• 21 credit hours of coursework (minimum) including:
- At least 13 credits of Core Curriculum (or approved substitutes)
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- At least 8 credit hours of graduate level science and engineering elective courses; typically from the
Specialized Graduate Track courses
• 9 credit hours (minimum) of dedicated research: BME 6970 “M.S. Thesis Research”
Project and Course only M.S. Option Programs of Study must contain:
• 30 credit hours of coursework (minimum) including:
- At least 9 credits of advanced (6000 level) courses within a track specialization.
- At least 13 credits of Core Curriculum (or approved substitutes)
- At least 17 credit hours of graduate level science and engineering elective courses; typically from the
Specialized Graduate Track courses
Specialized Graduate Tracks
Biomedical Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that uses research tools and techniques from virtually all of the
physical and life sciences. The curriculum within our areas of specialization, or tracks, is designed to accommodate a
wide range of approaches. Our goal is to provide an educational framework that will encourage graduate students to
excel in their chosen area of specialization.
• bioInnovate
• Biomaterials and Therapeutics
• Biomechanics
• Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biophysics
• Computational Systems and Synthetic Biomedical Engineering
• Imaging
• Neuroengineering
For additional information and course information for areas of specialization, see the "Specialized Graduate Tracks"
section of this handbook.
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5. DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
5.1 M.D./Ph.D. Program
The M.D./Ph.D. Program provides an outstanding education for future physician-scientists. Students develop clinical
skills and engage in rigorous scientific training. Through our top medical program and exceptional graduate programs,
students become well-prepared for careers as biomedical researchers and clinician scientists.
Admissions Criteria and Application
The M.D./Ph.D. Program admissions criteria are the same as the M.D. Program, but have a greater emphasis on
research experience. Please refer to the M.D. Preparing for Medical School website for details about premedical
coursework, Grade Point Average (GPA), and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score requirements.
Please also refer to the M.D./Ph.D. Program Website for full admission process details and policies. All initial
M.D./Ph.D. Program applications must be submitted to the American Medical College Application Services
(AMCAS) and are available to US citizens or permanent US residents only. We encourage applications from qualified
students nationwide. Applicants will complete 2 additional essays for the M.D./Ph.D. Program application.
• MD-PhD essay
• Significant Research essay
GRE scores are waived in lieu of MCAT scores. Applicants must have MCAT scores of 500 or higher, GPA of 3.0 or
higher, community/volunteer service, leadership, research, physician shadowing, patient exposure, etc. A competitive
M.D./Ph.D. Program applicant should be well rounded in all of these areas, with a strong focus on research.
If admitted by the School of Medicine, an additional application for admission to the Biomedical Engineering
Department PhD program must be submitted through the “Apply Yourself” electronic application system by April 1st
of the year in which the Ph.D. is intended to begin. See the Department application process, materials, deadlines, fees,
etc. on our website.
Curriculum
For M.D./Ph.D. Program students, the medical school curriculum satisfies the Life Science Fundamental (6 credit hours)
and Scientific Presentations (5 credit hours) BME department core requirements as well as an additional 5 credit hours
of Elective science courses. Thus, M.D./Ph.D. Program students must fulfill the Bioengineering Core requirement
(6 credit hours) and 8 credit hours of Specialized Track courses, resulting in a minimum of 14 minimum credit hours of
coursework plus 60 credit hours of PhD Thesis Research (BME 7970) required above the M.D. curriculum. Additionally,
the “TA Mentorship” requirement (BME 7880) is optional for M.D./Ph.D. Program students.
The following program timeline is typical for M.D./Ph.D. Program students:
Summer 0 - Lab rotation with Biomedical Engineering faculty (optional but encouraged)
Academic Year 1
- Medical School Year 1
Summer 1
- Lab rotation with Biomedical Engineering faculty
Academic Year 2
- Medical School Year 2
- Select PhD research mentor, lab & project and submit “AY” application to the PhD Dept.
- Complete STEP 1 exam and request Leave of Absence from MD program
Summer 2
- Work on PhD research
Academic Year 3
- Start PhD coursework*
- Work on PhD research
- Establish PhD Supervisory Committee and Submit Preliminary Program of Study**
Summer 3
- Work on PhD research
- Prepare for PhD written qualifying exam
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Academic Year 4
- Complete PhD qualifying exams: Written Exam (Fall) and Research Proposal (Spring)***
- Work on PhD Research
- Finish PhD coursework and submit Final Program of Study
Summer 4
- Work on PhD Research
- Present a Seminar or oral conference presentation
Academic Year 5
- Complete PhD research
- Defend PhD dissertation (by the end of Spring 5)
Summer 5 - Complete PhD dissertation review/release process w/Thesis Office
Academic Year 6 - Medical School Year 3
Summer 6
- Optional Post-Doc work in mentor's lab
Academic Year 7
- Medical School Year 4
- Graduate with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees
*MD/ PhD students may participate in the Tuition Benefit Program (TBP) if they are paid from qualifying grants and
meet the TBP eligibility requirements. The TBP program provides up to 25 credit hour tuition waiver per year: 11 credit
hours for Fall and Spring semesters and 3 credit hours for Summer semester (if a qualified/grant funded RA). For more
information about TBP see: https://gradrchoolutah.edu/tbp/guidelines.php
**By the end of Academic Year 3 each student is expected to form a 5-member PhD Supervisory Committee, with 3
BME tenure-line faculty members, 1 MD/ PhD Operations Committee faculty member and 1 outside faculty member.
Additionally, they will select a Biomedical Engineering Specialized Graduate Track
***MD/PhD students may present their Research Proposal prior to taking the PhD Written exam if approved by their
Supervisory Committee. However, it must be completed no later than the Spring semester of year 4.
5.2 M.S./M.B.A. Degree Program
This Dual Degree Program enables students to earn both a two-year Biomedical Engineering Master of Science degree,
and a two-year Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree in as little as 2.5 years.
In addition, this program combines students’ applied interests and training in engineering with a comprehensive
business exposure, providing them with professional flexibility in transitioning between the technical and commercial
domains. Combining their training and experience, graduates are qualified to direct and/or manage the creation,
transition, and improvement of new products, processes, and systems from the laboratory to the boardroom.
M.S./M.B.A. Degree Requirements
• To complete these degrees simultaneously, students are required to apply for, and be accepted to both the
Biomedical Engineering M.S. and full-time M.B.A. programs.
• Students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 74 credit hours, 24 credit hours in Biomedical
Engineering and 50 credit hours in Business Administration.
- Biomedical Engineering: minimum of 6 credit hours of Life Science Fundamentals, 6 credit hours of
Bioengineering Fundamentals, 1 credit hour of Scientific Presentation and 11 elective/track credit hours
- Business: 38 "MBA Core" credit hours and 12 Business Elective credit hours (at 6000 level or above)
- Combined Biomedical Engineering and Business: 6 credit hours of Capstone courses
• The Biomedical Engineering M.S. requirements for this program are the same as the traditional M.S.
requirements listed in previous "M.S. Program" with the exception of the 6 credit hours of Capstone courses
that are shared with the M.B.A. program and applied to both Programs of Study
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M.S./M.B.A. Typical Course Load and Registration Requirement
To complete both programs within 2.5 years typically requires a course load of 16-18 credits hours each semester (Fall
and Spring) as follows:
Year One:
Fall Semester = 18 credit hours (14.5 MBA core + .5 BME MS core + 3 Electives)
Spring Semester = 17 credit hours (13.5 MBA core + .5 BME MS core + 3 Electives)
Summer Semester = MBA Internship Strongly Recommended
Year Two:
Fall Semester = 16 credit hours (7 MBA core + 6 BME MS core + 3 Electives)
Spring Semester = 17.5 credit hours (2.5 MBA core + 6 BME MS core + 6 Capstone + 3 Electives)
Summer Semester = MBA Internship Strongly Recommended
Year Three (optional to complete requirements):
Fall Semester = 6 credit hours (6 BME MS Electives)
While the Graduate School enforces a maximum of 16 credit hours for most graduate students, the maximum of 18
credit hours per semester is allowed for M.S./M.B.A. dual degree students. Registration above 18 credit hours would
require a petition to the Graduate School.
For additional information, please visit the David Eccles School of Business website.
5.3 B.S./M.S. BME Dual Degree Program
This dual degree program is designed to allow students to begin their M.S. studies while still enrolled as
undergraduates; thereby, taking advantage of additional coursework successfully completed as an undergraduate in
order to accelerate the completion of the M.S. in Biomedical Engineering degree. A standard M.S. in Biomedical
Engineering degree typically requires 2 or more years of study beyond the B.S. degree while the B.S./M.S. program
shortens that time, typically to a single year beyond the B.S. degree.
Students must meet the requirements specified by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the University of
Utah Graduate School. In addition, students must successfully complete the following requirements to be eligible for
the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biomedical Engineering and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Biomedical Engineering
degrees.
B.S./M.S. Program Requirements
Students complete both their BS and MS degrees at the same time and must meet the following requirements.
• A minimum of 122 credit hours that meet the requirements of the Biomedical Engineering BS major
• A minimum of 30 credit hours that meet the requirements of the Biomedical Engineering MS degree
• A maximum of 12 Graduate level credit hours (of the required 30) may be completed while students are still in
undergraduate status
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Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering Requirements
All requirements for the standard Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering are listed in the Undergraduate
Handbook. Students should reference the handbook that correlates with their “catalog year”, i.e., the academic year
of their admission to major status.
Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering Requirements
The standard M.S. degree requirements are found in the “M.S. Degree Program” section of this handbook.
B.S./M.S. Application Eligibility and Procedures
To be eligible to apply, students must be U.S. citizens (or Permanent Residents), have full major status in the Biomedical
Engineering B.S. program, have completed a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours by the end of the semester of
application, not yet completed the Senior Thesis I course (BME 4991), and have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
For eligible students, two separate applications are required. The first is a Department application designed to allow
students to join the program beginning their senior year, yet maintain full Undergraduate status and privileges
(undergraduate financial aid, tuition rates, etc.). The second is a formal application to the University of Utah Graduate
School for admission to “Graduate Status” to complete their MS year in the program.
Department Dual Degree Application Procedure:
Before applying to the B.S./M.S. program, students are encouraged to meet with the Department B.S./M.S. Program
Advisor. In addition, for undergraduate students to be eligible to apply to the B.S./M.S. program, they are required to
be at major status and enrolled in good standing in their junior year of the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical
Engineering at the University of Utah.
The application form and instructions can be found on the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies website. The
application deadline is April 1 for fall semester admission and November 1 for spring semester admission. The
application must be submitted to the Graduate Academic Advisor in the Biomedical Engineering Office. Supporting
documents will include a one-page Personal Statement, unofficial Transcript (or DARS), and a professional résumé or
CV. Additionally, applicants with a cumulative GPA between 3.000 and 3.499 will be required to provide three letters
of recommendation, including at least one from a Biomedical Engineering Core faculty member. Applicants are not
required to submit GRE scores for admission to the B.S./M.S. Dual Degree program.
Dual Degree Graduate School application procedure:
Students apply for “Graduate” status after completing 122 semester credit hours of qualified studies, or in the
application semester, they complete the maximum of 12 credit hours of 5000+ courses for application to their MS
degree requirements. Students must follow regular University of Utah Graduate School application procedures to apply
online using the “Apply Yourself” application system.
Students who have advanced to graduate status and who are funded as Graduate Research Assistants in a lab may be
eligible for the University of Utah’s Graduate Tuition Benefit Program (TBP). See the Handbook’s Tuition Benefit
section.
Once students are enrolled with graduate status, all Graduate School rules apply (e.g., graduate tuition structure,
tuition benefit program (TBP), health insurance program, etc.). When deciding on the timing for their change of status
from undergraduate to graduate, students should read the TBP guidelines and weigh benefits (e.g., tuition benefit and
health insurance) vs. negatives (e.g., no scholarships, more costly tuition).
B.S./M.S. Dual Degree: Petitioning for Graduate credit
Students enrolled in this program may request up to a maximum of 12 credit hours of coursework taken as an
undergraduate to be applied to their MS degree. All courses must be at the 5000 level or above and students must
submit the “Request for Graduate Credit in the BS/MS Program” to the Registrar’s office during their first semester in
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graduate status. The Request for Graduate Credit in BS/MS Program form must be reviewed by the Biomedical
Engineering Graduate Academic Advisor before being submitted by the Department to the Office of the Registrar for
approval. The Registrar’s Office will update the DARS from all B.S./M.S. students, noting that the requested courses
have been reserved for graduate credit. When completed, these updates are final and cannot be reversed.
Requested courses that have been approved by the Office of the Registrar be “Reserved” on the student’s
undergraduate record, and no longer eligible to apply toward the B.S. degree. However, they will be eligible for credit
toward the M.S. degree and must be included on the student’s MS Program of Study for approval consideration from
their supervisory committee.
Criteria:
The requested course(s) must have a letter grade of B or better
The requested course(s) may not be used to fulfill requirements toward any other degree (including B.S.
core courses). However, up to 6 credit hours can come from the undergraduate elective requirements
approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Once requested courses have been approved through the Office of the Registrar, students who
subsequently withdraw from the B.S./M.S. program will not be allowed to apply those reserved credits
toward their B.S. degree, and will be restricted in the extent to which they may apply them toward future
M.S. degree requirements (see below).
B.S./M.S. candidates must maintain two separate enrollment records (undergraduate and graduate) and are
responsible to register for the remaining undergraduate courses on their undergraduate enrollment and
graduate courses under their graduate enrollment.
Graduation from the B.S./M.S. Program
Following successful completion of all requirements in both degree programs, the B.S. and M.S. degrees are both
conferred simultaneously. Therefore, students must apply for graduation in the same semester for both degrees. See
the Graduation Office website for application deadlines, etc.: https://registrar.utah.edu/graduation/index.php. The
M.S. degree will not be awarded to any student who has not successfully completed all of the requirements for the
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program.
Discontinuing the B.S./M.S. Program
Students who request to exit the B.S./M.S., dual-degree program, may do so without penalty if they do so before
achieving Graduate status. At that time, qualified coursework will be applied toward the traditional B.S. and M.S.
degree requirements, respectively. Graduate Status students who have reserved up to 12 credits of 5000+ coursework
can apply only 6 of those credits to a future graduate degree.
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6. SPECIALIZED GRADUATE TRACKS
The goal of the graduate program is to provide an educational framework that will encourage students to excel in a
chosen area of specialization with relevant technical competence. Each of the specialized graduate tracks has a track
advisor. The track advisor’s role is to guide the curricular content of the track, establish the specialized track courses,
develop track requirements for recruiting prospective graduate students and to advise the student in preparing for the
PhD written qualifying exam. Each student works with a graduate track advisor, their research advisor, and their
supervisory committee to design a program of study that meets the M.S. or Ph.D. requirements. The program of study
should reflect the specific research interests of the student and be designed to develop the highest possible level of
expertise.
The Ph.D. written qualifying exam is structured around each student’s area of specialization and therefore courses
completed as part of the program of study serve as partial preparation for the qualifying exam. The following
Specialized Track areas form the basis for Ph.D. writing qualifying exams and M.S. programs of study.
BIOINNOVATE
Dr. Robert Hitchcock, Advisor
Medical Device Design and Development
Business Plan Development
The bioInnovate track aims to provide a comprehensive biomedical device design training program through the use of
a multidisciplinary, hands-on teaching approach in classroom, clinical, and laboratory settings. The track will focus
students on clinical problem identification, medical device innovation, and commercial translation; all within the
regulatory framework of the FDA. Students will immerse themselves within clinical environments and learn to observe
procedures and medical devices to uncover unmet clinical needs. By refining these needs into feasible medical device
products with commercial potential, student teams will further develop these ideas into testable prototypes and
develop business. Upon completion of the bioInnovate track, students will be able to 1) observe and identify unmet
needs in clinical environments, 2) work effectively in multidisciplinary teams in asynchronous environments, 3)
understand and apply FDA QSR in the design and development of medical devices, 4) develop a business plan, attract
potential funding sources and start a company in the medical device industry.
Ph.D. Students
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam: Ph.D. students in the bioInnovate track are expected to have general knowledge in the field.
General knowledge includes Biomedical Engineering fundamentals, clinical needs identification, concept generation,
FDA QSR, medical device design and development, prototyping and testing, business concepts, and business plan
development. The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is to encourage students to revisit the fundamental principles
in Biomedical Engineering, regulatory compliance, medical device innovation, and business development. Students
should take the exam in the second year of study. Although the specific content of the exam changes each year,
approximately 25% of the exam covers material from the M.S. level Biomedical Engineering core curriculum and 75%
of the exam covers topics specific to the field of medical device development and clinical needs finding. Although
specific courses are not required, the following set of courses serve as a basis for the bioInnovate qualifying exam.
Additional information on the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam can be found in the “Examinations” section to follow.
For students in the bioInnovate Track, the Program of Study in Biomedical Engineering should include a hierarchy of
courses selected to develop expertise in a focus area. Although there are no specific requirements, knowledge in
fundamental areas noted above will be required to pass the Qualifying Exam. Additional expertise in a focus area will
be required to perform well on the research proposal.
Additional courses must be completed to meet the minimum course credit hour requirements for the Ph.D. A typical
plan of study would include approximately 5 specialized courses in addition to the bioInnovate track core courses to
reach the course credit requirement. A limited set of example courses are given below. The specific set of courses, over
and above the bioInnovate track core courses, should be selected on an individual basis to maximize expertise in the
area most closely related to the student’s area of research.
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bioInnovate Courses
Core Courses
BME 6081: Biomedical Device Innovation I
BME 6082: Biomedical Device Innovation II
Competitive Admission Track Courses
BME 6181: Clinical Problem Solving Through Strategic Analysis I
BME 6182: Clinical Problem Solving Through Strategic Analysis II
bioInnovate Advanced Courses
Business
ACCTG 5620
Business Valuation and Analysis
3 Credits
ENTP 5770
Business Discovery and Creation
3 Credits
ENTP 5774
Funding the Social Enterprise
3 Credits
ENTP 6810
Venture Foundations
1.5 – 3 Credits
ENTP 6820
Venture Trends
1.5 – 3 Credits
ENTP 6830
Applied Venture Skills
1.5 – 3 Credits
ENTP 6840
Venture Planning
1.5 – 3 Credits
ENTP 6860
Lassonde Venture
1.5 – 3 Credits
FINAN 5300
New Venture Finance
3 Credits
FINAN 5881
Managing the Venture Process
1.5 – 3 Credits
FINAN 6300
Venture Capital
1.5 Credits
FINAN 6881
Venture Planning
1.5 – 3 Credits
MBA 6860
Technology Commercialization
3 Credits
MHA 6550
Marketing for Health Professionals
3 Credits
MHA 6553
Health Care Financial Management
1.5 – 3 Credits
MKTG 6551
The Environment of Healthcare I: Management and Administration
1.5 Credits
MKTG 6552
The Environment of Healthcare II: Management and Administration
MKTG 6715
Entrepreneurial Marketing
1.5 Credits
MKTG 6860
Marketing Research
1.5 – 3 Credits
MST 6020
Effective Leadership and Management for Scientists
1 Credit
MST 6021
Strategic Planning and Marketing for Scientists
1 Credit
MST 6022
Production and Operations Management for Scientists
1 Credit
MST 6600
Applied Statistical Techniques
3 Credits
STRAT 5750
Profiles of Leadership
1 – 3 Credits
STRAT 6710
Strategy and Technology
1.5 – 3 Credits
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Law
LAW 7051
Business Planning
3 Credits
LAW 7056
Corporate Finance: Mergers and Acquisitions
3 Credits
LAW 7065
Intellectual Property
3 – 4 Credits
LAW 7360
Health Law
3 Credits
LAW 7630
New Ventures Clinic
1 – 5 Credits
LAW 7760
Patent Law
3 Credits
LAW 7773
Intellectual Property Licensing
3 Credits
LAW 7788
New Ventures
2 Credits
LAW 7847
Bioethics and the Law
3 Credits
LAW 7889
Colloquium in Contemporary Issues in Law and the Health Sciences
1 Credit
Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
BME 6421
Fundamentals of Micromachining
3 Credits
BME 6701
Microfluidic Chip Design and Fabrication
3 Credits
ME EN 6010
Principles of Manufacturing Processes
3 Credits
ME EN 6030
Reliability Engineering
3 Credits
ME EN 6040
Quality Assurance Engineering
3 Credits
ME EN 6050
Fundamentals of Micromachining Processes
3 Credits
ME EN 6100
Ergonomics
3 Credits
ME EN 6120
Human Factors in Engineering Design
3 Credits
ME EN 6250
Object-Oriented Programming for Interactive Systems
3 Credits
ME EN 6620
Fundamentals of Microscale Engineering
3 Credits
BIOMATERIALS AND THERAPEUTICS
Dr. Russell Stewart, Advisor
Biomedical Polymers
Biomolecular Engineering
Synthetic Biology
Tissue Engineering
Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine
The Biomaterials and Therapeutics track covers an interdisciplinary field focused on the physical and biological
study of biomaterials and drug delivery systems and their applications to modern biomedical problems. It
encompasses synthetic materials, macromolecules, bioconjugates, modern drug delivery systems, genetically
programmed materials and networks, composites and hybrid materials, cell-material combinations and self-
assembling systems, as well as their interactions with biological environments and physiological systems.
Students in the Biomaterials and Therapeutics track should understand the relationships between the
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structure and designs of biomaterials, synthetic biology, and drug delivery systems and their interactions with
complex biological systems.
Biomaterials and Therapeutics Elective Courses
BME 6140
Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering
2 Credits
BME 6405
Nanomedicine
3 Credits
BME 7160
Physics Nature of Surfaces
3 Credits
PHCEU 7011
Fundamentals of Pharmacokinetics
3 Credits
PHCEU 7030
Macromolecular Therapeutics and Drug Delivery
4 Credits
PHCEU 7040
Biotechnology
4 Credits
BIOMECHANICS
Dr. Jeffrey Weiss, Advisor
Example Sub-fields:
Molecular, Cell, Tissue, Organ and System Level Biomechanics
Biosolids, Biofluids, and Biofluid-solid Interactions
Biophysics
Computational Biomechanics
Mechanobiology
Biomechanics is a broad field directed at applying the principles of engineering mechanics, across multiple length
scales, to the study of biology and medicine. Topics in biomechanics range from understanding the role of stress in
cytoskeleton dynamics as related to cell growth, migration, and adhesion to establishing patient-specific modeling
techniques to predict in vivo biomechanical loading environments. The University of Utah has faculty conducting
biomechanics research in areas such as: molecular biomechanics, cellular biophysics, cell mechanotransduction,
computational biomechanics, hemodynamics, mechanobiology, medical device design, soft tissue mechanics (arteries,
cartilage, ligaments), ocular biomechanics, orthopedic biomechanics, cardiovascular biomechanics, tissue engineering,
and traumatic brain injury. Given the broad range of biomechanics research at the University of Utah, with faculty
spanning numerous departments there exist ample collaborative opportunities and interdisciplinary projects with
faculty in the College of Engineering, College of Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, and the
Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute. The Biomechanics track aims to provide students with a strong
quantitative foundation in engineering mechanics, physiology, and medicine that will serve them equally well for
careers in both academia or industry.
Masters Students
M.S. students within the biomechanics track must successfully complete the Biomechanics Track Core Courses and at
least one additional course from the list of Biomechanics Track Elective Courses (shown below). Please note that some
of the courses are offered every other year and plan accordingly.
Ph.D. Students
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Ph.D. Qualifying Exam
The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is to ensure students are competent in the theoretical and conceptual
fundamentals of biomechanics before undertaking intensive research in their selected field of study. Ph.D. Students in
the Biomechanics track are expected to be proficient in the following topics: index and direct notation, finite
deformation kinematics, concepts of stress and strain, linear elasticity, material behavior of biological materials,
hyperelasticity, mixture theory, and fluid mechanics. These topics are covered in Biomechanics I and II courses, so much
of the Qualifying Exam material will come from these courses. Additional information on the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam can
be obtained by contacting the track advisor. Students should take Ph.D. Qualifying Exam following completion of the
second year of study.
Program of Study
The Program of Study is a list created by the student and the supervisory committee of all courses to be completed by
the student as part of the requirements for the Ph.D. The Program of Study requires formal approval by the student’s
advisor, Dissertation Supervisory Committee, and Director of Graduate Studies. In addition to the Biomedical
Engineering graduate core curriculum, the Program of Study for students in the Biomechanics track includes the
Biomechanics Core Courses and Elective Courses that support the student’s area of research.
Biomechanics Track Core Courses*
Completion of these core courses and proficiency in the course content are required to pass the written Ph.D.
Qualifying exam and the Ph.D. proposal, which includes an oral qualifying exam.
BME 5250
Biomechanics II
3 Credits
BME 6480
Biomechanics Research (3x)
1 Credit
BME 7210
Computational Biomechanics
3 Credits
*If students are not already familiar with the material covered in Biomechanics I from their undergraduate studies,
they will be required to audit BME 4250 (Biomechanics I) prior to enrolling in BME 5250 (Biomechanics II)
Biomechanics Track Elective Courses
The course selection that will be appropriate for each student in the Biomechanics track will depend on the specific
research project in which the student participates. It will be especially important to choose courses that provide both
the scientific background and the technical skills required to carry out this research. A typical set of elective courses
would include approximately six specialized courses in addition to the Biomechanics Core Courses. Some example
courses that have been included in the Programs of Study of PhD students in the Biomechanics Track are provided
below, organized by the parent department. The specific set of courses, over and above the Biomechanics Core
Courses, should be selected on an individual basis to maximize expertise in the area most closely related to the
student's area of research.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
BME 6002
Molecular Biophysics
BME 6303
Cell and Tissue Engineering: Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering
BME 6304
Introduction to Polymers and Biopolymers
BME 6305
Cell and Tissue Engineering:
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BME 6401
Medical Imaging Systems
BME 6500
Mathematics of Imaging
BME 6702
Introduction to Image-based Modeling
BME 6760
Modeling and Analysis of Biological Networks
School of Computing
CS 6210
Advanced Scientific Computing I
CS 6962
Programming for Engineers
Department of Mathematics
MATH 5610
Introduction to Numerical Analysis I
MATH 5620
Introduction to Numerical Analysis II
MATH 6420
Partial Differential Equations
MATH 6610
Analysis of Numerical Methods I
MATH 6620
Analysis of Numerical Methods II
MATH 6830
Mathematical Biology I
Department of Mechanical Engineering
ME EN 6510
Introduction to Finite Elements
ME EN 6520
Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
ME EN 6700
Intermediate Fluid Dynamics
ME EN 6720
Computational Fluid Dynamics
ME EN 7540
Advanced Finite Elements
ME EN 7525
Inelasticity
CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS
Dr. Rob MacLeod, Advisor
Membrane Ion Transport and Ionic Channels
Cell Action Potentials and Ion Currents, Ion Regulation, and Contraction
Cell to Cell Coupling and Spread of Excitation
Electrocardiography and Volume Conductors
Experimental and Simulation Techniques
Cardiac electrophysiology and biophysics is a discipline that encompasses all the electrical activity of the heart,
includes both basic science and clinical components, and spans a spectrum from the molecular to the complete body.
Research in this area addresses some of the most basic questions of how cells, organs, and the body function and also
seeks to develop methods, interventions, and devices that could have profound impact on diseases of the heart and
vasculature. Despite dramatic improvements in clinical detection and care, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading
26
causes of death in developed countries. Research in cardiac electrophysiology makes use of the most advanced
technologies in areas such as bioinstrumentation, multichannel signal acquisition and processing, molecular biology,
imaging across many modalities, mathematical simulation and modeling, and all aspects of computer technology.
As a result of this diversity of biomedical and technical opportunities, students with graduate training in cardiac
electrophysiology and biophysics receive a very broad education in both physiology and biomedical technology and
will be extremely well-equipped for careers in academia and industry. The program makes use of background courses
from several departments as well as specialized training in the discipline through both courses and extensive
laboratory experiences. Because of the outstanding research emphasis on cardiac electrophysiology and biophysics at
Utah, rich opportunities exist for student interactions with a wide range of experts in the field as well as involvement
in interdisciplinary projects within teams of related researchers and students.
Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biophysics Courses
BME 6000
Systems Physiology I: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems
4 Credits
BME 6003
Cellular Electrophysiology and Biophysics
3 Credits
BME 6460
Electrophysiology and Bioelectricity of Tissues
3 Credits
Biomedical Engineering
BME 6330
Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3 Credits
BME 6500
Mathematical Foundations of Imaging
3 Credits
BME 6640
Introduction to Digital Image Processing
3 Credits
BME 7310
Advanced Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3 Credits
BME 7320
3D Reconstruction Techniques in Medical Imaging
3 Credits
Biology
BIOL 5110
Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering
3 Credits
BIOL 5210
Cell Structure and Function
3 Credits
BIOL 5910
Mathematical Models in Biology
3 Credits
BIOL 6500
Advanced Statistical Modeling for Biologists
3 Credits
Computer Science (scientific computing and software)
CS 6100
Theory of Computation
3 Credits
CS 6210
Advanced Scientific Computing I
3 Credits
CS 6220
Advanced Scientific Computing II
3 Credits
ECE 7820
Parallel Computer Architecture
3 Credits
Electrical Engineering (signal processing, electromagnetics)
ECE 5510
Random Processes
3 Credits
ECE 5530
Digital Signal Processing
3 Credits
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ECE 6340
Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics
3 Credits
ECE 6533
Advanced Digital Signal Processing I
3 Credits
ECE 6534
Advanced Digital Signal Processing II
3 Credits
ECE 6540
Estimation Theory
3 Credits
ECE 6560
Multivariable Systems
3 Credits
Mathematics
MATH 5040
Stochastic Processes and Simulation I
3 Credits
MATH 5050
Stochastic Processes and Simulation II
3 Credits
MATH 5110
Mathematical Biology I
3 Credits
MATH 5120
Mathematical Biology II
3 Credits
MATH 5410
Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations
4 Credits
MATH 5440
Introduction to Partial Differential Equations
3 Credits
MATH 5600
Survey of Numerical Analysis
4 Credits
MATH 5610
Introduction to Numerical Analysis I
4 Credits
MATH 5740
Mathematical Modeling
3 Credits
MATH 6630
Numerical Solutions of Partial Differential Equations
3 Credits
MATH 6740
Bifurcation Theory
3 Credits
MATH 6770
Mathematical Biology I
3 Credits
MATH 6780
Mathematical Biology II
3 Credits
Physics
PHYS 6720
Introduction to Computing in Physics
4 Credits
PHYS 6730
Computational Physics II
4 Credits
COMPUTATIONAL SYSTEMS AND SYNTHETIC BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Dr. Orly Alter and Dr. Tara Deans, Advisors
Cellular Systems Biomedical Engineering
Cellular Synthetic Biomedical Engineering
Computational Data Science, and Mathematical and Statistical Modeling
High-Throughput Molecular Biotechnologies
Systems and Synthetic Biomedical Engineering are complementary emergent fields that combine experimental,
computational and theoretical methods to solve challenging biomedical problems. Systems Biomedical Engineering is
based on a holistic approach of integrating large amounts of molecular information to elucidate the relationships
between genotype and phenotype. This multi-scale understanding of biological systems will help answer important
questions about physiological systems, human disease, and therapeutic strategies. Synthetic Biomedical Engineering
28
is the design and construction of biological systems from molecular biological components for useful purposes. Such
systems have applications in a wide range of complex biomedical problems.
Among the greatest challenges in these fields are how to obtain, manipulate, and interpret massive datasets. Research
in this area also requires a multi-scale understanding of the system of interest, from molecules to cells, to organisms
to ecosystems. Computational systems and synthetic Biomedical Engineering draw from a wide range of specialties
including mathematical modeling, scientific computing, signal processing, molecular biology, and high-throughput
technologies to provide a unique approach to solving biomedical problems.
This track draws from the rich set of resources currently available at the University of Utah to provide students with
valuable interdisciplinary academic and research experiences. Students receive training in desirable skills including
large-scale data analysis and genomic technologies, making them well-suited for careers in academia, industry and
government.
Because computational systems and synthetic Biomedical Engineering are inherently interdisciplinary, the program
supplements a strong Biomedical Engineering core with courses from a variety of departments. Below are summaries
of the proposed course and research requirements for the track.
Computational Systems and Synthetic Biomedical Engineering Courses
Biomedical Engineering
BME 6000
Systems Physiology I: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems
4 Credits
BME 6010
Systemic Physiology II
3 Credits
BME 6002
Molecular Biophysics
3 Credits
BME 6003
Cellular Biophysics and Electrophysiology
3 Credits
Biology
BIOL 5110
Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering
3 Credits
BIOL 5140
Genome Biology
3 Credits
BIOL 6500
Advanced Statistical Modeling for Biologists
3 Credits
Biological Chemistry
BLCHM 6400
Genetic Engineering
2 Credits
Biomedical Informatics
BMI 6030
Foundations of Bioinformatics
2 Credits
BMI 6420
Advanced Biomedical Computing
2 Credits
BMI 6530
Bioinformatics Data Integration and Analysis
3 Credits
Computer Science
CS 6140
Data Mining
3 Credits
CS 6150
Advanced Algorithms
3 Credits
CS 6220
Advanced Scientific Computing II
3 Credits
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CS 6350
Machine Learning
3 Credits
CS 6530
Database Systems
3 Credits
CS 7120
Information-Based Complexity
Electrical and Computer Engineering
ECE 6520
Information Theory
3 Credits
ECE 6530
Digital Signal Processing
3 Credits
ECE 6540
Estimation Theory
3 Credits
ECE 6550
Adaptive Filters
3 Credits
ECE 6570
Adaptive Control
3 Credits
Family and Preventive Medicine
PBHLT 6107
Survival Analysis
3 Credits
PBHLT 7120
Linear and Logistic Regression Models
3 Credits
Human Genetics
BIOL 5920
Advanced Eukaryotic Genetics
3 Credits
H GEN 6500
Human Genetics
3 Credits
H GEN 6503
Clinical Cancer Genetics
3 Credits
Mathematics
MATH 6770
Mathematical Biology I/II
3 Credits
MATH 6780
MATH 6810
Stochastic Processes and Simulation I/II
3 Credits
MATH 6815
MATH 6845
Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
3 Credits
MATH 6855
Survey of Numerical Methods
4 Credits
MATH 6860
Introduction to Numerical Analysis I/II
4 Credits
MATH 6865
Molecular Biology
MBIOL 6420
G3: Genetics, Genomes and Gene Expression
3 Credits
BIOL 5120
Gene Expression
3 Credits
Medicine Clinical Research Center
MDCRC 6150
Foundations in Personalized Healthcare
2 Credits
MDCRC 6420
Genetics of Complex Diseases
1.5 Credits
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IMAGING
Dr. Edward Hsu, Advisor
Medical Imaging
Optical Systems, Imaging Methods and Hardware
Visualization of anatomical and physiological processes of the body plays an indispensable role in today’s clinical
healthcare as well as basic science research. This is the interdisciplinary field of imaging, which encompasses hardware
instrumentation, acquisition methodology, contrast agent development, post-processing analysis, and the application
of any combination of the above in biomedical research. The Imaging track curriculum is designed to cover both the
breadth and depth in the training, and to prepare students for research in the development or application of
biomedical imaging technologies.
Imaging Courses
BME 5480
Principles of Ultrasound
3 Credits
BME 6330
Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3 Credits
BME 6500
Mathematical Foundations of Imaging
3 Credits
BME 6640
Introduction to Digital Image Processing
3 Credits
BME 7310
Advanced Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3 Credits
BME 7320
3D Reconstruction Techniques in Medical Imaging
3 Credits
PHCEU 7110
Molecular Imaging
2 Credits
NEUROENGINEERING (formerly Neural Interfaces)
Dr. Gregory Clark, Advisor
Electrophysiology
Biomaterials
Computational / Modeling
The Neuroengineering Track trains students in the fields of basic and applied neuroscience and neuroengineering.
Its goals include the application of engineering approaches to the treatment of neural dysfunction, and conversely,
the discovery of effective strategies utilized by biological nervous systems and their application to traditional
engineering problems. Research areas of Biomedical Engineering faculty in Neuroengineering area include electrical
neural interfaces and neuroprostheses; cell and chemical delivery systems for neural tissue; engineering of neural
self-repair; neural plasticity; neural coding in sensory and motor systems; neural imaging; and non-traditional modes
of stimulating neural tissue (e.g., focused ultrasound and magnetic stimulation)
Students in the Neuroengineering Track are expected to have general knowledge in the fields of basic and applied
neuroscience.
Ph.D. students in the Neuroengineering Track typically are required to complete successfully the required
Neuroengineering core courses below. The core courses are intended to provide knowledge in the major areas of
the field. They also will provide considerable assistance in preparing for the written portion of the Neuroengineering
qualifying exam. A student’s Supervisory Committee may grant exemptions to these course requirements on a case-
by-case basis if the exemptions are sufficiently justified. Students may take either or both of the two computational
courses: BME 6050 (offered in Spring Semester of odd years) or BME 60xx (pending and under development;
expected to be offered in Spring Semester of even years). Either course will suffice to help prepare for the qualifying
exam, although they will have somewhat different emphases. In practice, the Qualifying Exam may combine topics
31
across courses; e.g., questions regarding cellular or systems neuroscience may be asked from a quantitative
perspective.
Course readings also serve as way for students to prepare for the qualifying exam, although not all core courses
have assigned textbooks. The first portion of Kandel et al., Principles of Neural Science, provides an excellent text
for the study of cellular neurosciences; the latter portion of this text is used for BME 6430 Systems Neuroscience.
Masters students in the Neuroengineering Track typically are required to complete successfully the same required
core courses as do PhD students, with the exception that NEUSC 6040 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience is not
required for Masters students. Understanding of cellular/molecular neuroscience is nonetheless still required for
exams for Masters students.
Two of the Neuroengineering Track core courses (BME 6430 Systems Neuroscience and BME 6440 Neural
Engineering) may also count as two of the required Biomedical Engineering core courses.
Neuroengineering Track students are also expected to enroll and participate routinely in BME 6470 Neural
Engineering Research Group (NERG).
The purpose of the written portion of the Neuroengineering Qualifying Exam is to encourage students to approach
their graduate education as an experience that transcends the boundaries of individual courses; to revisit the
fundamental principles in basic and applied neuroscience; and to consolidate, synthesize, and integrate this
material. Specific topics that may be covered on the qualifying exam are covered in the Neuroengineering Track
core courses.
Neuroengineering Core Courses
BME 6005 or
BME 60xx
Computational Neuroscience or Computational Neuroscience,
Systems/Quantitative Neuroscience (pending; under development)
3 Credits
BME 6430
Systems Neuroscience
4 Credits
BME 6440
Neural Engineering
3 Credits
BME 6470
Neural Engineering Research Group (NERG) (2 semesters)
0.5 Credits
NEUSC 6040
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (not required for Masters
students)
4 Credits
Additional Generally Useful Courses
BME 6010
Systemic Physiology II
3 Credits
BME 6140
Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering
2 Credits
BME 6230
Functional Anatomy for Engineers
3 Credits
BME 6433
Biological Statistical Signal Processing
3 Credits
BME 6460
Electrophysiology and Bioelectricity
3 Credits
BME 7120
Biocompatibility
2 Credits
ECE 6520
Information Theory
3 Credits
ECE 6540
Estimation Theory
3 Credits
MATH 6770
Mathematical Biology I
3 Credits
MATH 6780
Mathematical Biology II
3 Credits
MATH 6790
Case Studies in Computational Engineering and Science
3 Credits
32
MDCRC 6450
Grant Writing
3 Credits
NEUSC 6060
Neuroanatomy
1.5 Credits
NEUSC 6010
Frontiers in Neuroscience (seminar)
1 Credit
Additional Advanced Courses in Neuroengineering
Electrophysiology
BME 6003
Cellular Biophysics
BME 6421
Fundamentals of Micromachining
3 Credits
BME 6433
Biological Statistical Signal Processing
3 Credits
ECE 6550
Adaptive Filters
3 Credits
ECE 6533
Advanced Digital Signal Processing I
3 Credits
ECE 6534
Advanced Digital Signal Processing II
3 Credits
ECE 6710
Digital VLSI Design
4 Credits
NEUSC 7750
Developmental Neurobiology
3 Credits
NEUSC 6245
Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology Laboratory
2 Credits
ONCSC 6150
Biostatistics
RHSCI 7200
Neuromuscular Performance & Adaptation
3 Credits
Biomaterials
BME 6140
Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering
2 Credits
BME 6302
Biomaterials
3 Credits
BME 7120
Biocompatibility
2 Credits
BME 7160
Physical Nature of Surfaces
3 Credits
Computational/ Modeling
CS 6210
Advanced Scientific Computing I
3 Credits
CS 6355
Structured Prediction (machine learning)
3 Credits
CS 6955
Deep Learning (advanced neural networks and applications)
CS 7960
Neuromorphic Architectures (neural networks)
MATH 6070
Mathematical Statistics
3 Credits
MATH 6440
Advanced Dynamical Systems
3 Credits
MATH 6630
Numerical Solutions of Partial Differential Equations
3 Credits
MATH 6740
Bifurcation Theory
3 Credits
ME EN 7200
Nonlinear Controls
3 Credits
ME EN 7210
Optimal Controls
3 Credits
33
7. DEPARTMENT COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Department Core Course Requirements
Our Biomedical Engineering core curriculum builds upon course material introduced to students in undergraduate
biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Students must complete the graduate core curriculum (or committee-
approved substitutes) as part of the required 30 course credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate level.
Coursework should align with student’s educational goals and areas of specialization, and be an approved part of their
Program of Study. Student’s supervisory committees may require students to take additional courses depending on
the student’s performance on the qualifying exam, academic background, or other factors.
Life Science Fundamentals:
Minimum of 6 credit hours required for all students from the following courses
BME 6000
Systems Physiology for Engineers
4 Credits
BME 6303
Cell and Tissue Engineering I
3 Credits
BME 6430
Systems Neuroscience
4 Credits
BME 6440
Neural Engineering
3 Credits
Biomedical Engineering Fundamentals:
Minimum of 6 credit hours required for all students from the following courses
BME 6401
Medical Imaging Systems
3 Credits
BME 6002
Molecular Biophysics
3 Credits
BME 6250
Biomechanics II
3 Credits
BME 6302
Biomaterials
3 Credits
Scientific Presentations:
Minimum of 1 credit hour required for all students from the following
BME 6090
Department Seminar
To be taken the first semester in the program
0.5 Credits
BME 6090
Department Seminar
To be taken the second semester in the program
0.5 Credits
Minimum of 4 credit hour required for Ph.D. students (only) from the following
BME 7070
Proposal Writing and Presentations I
To be taken Spring Semester of 2
nd
year
2 Credits
BME 7071
Proposal Writing and Presentations II
To be taken Fall Semester of 3
rd
year
2 Credits
Department Core Curriculum Substitution Guidelines
Students may have documented evidence of equivalent previous experiences and knowledge in the “Fundamental”
curriculum areas, based on previous degree curriculum and research experience. When this is the case, students may
consider selecting alternative courses related to the Fundamental areas of study which would better meet their needs
and interests.
34
However, students with limited experience or knowledge in the core curriculum may be required by their Research
advisor or Supervisory Committee to complete additional coursework within a “Fundamental” area.
Any core curriculum substitutions are to be requested in the form of a memorandum and must be approved by the
supervisory committee prior to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. Approvals will be based on the student’s
demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter and previous degree fields as follows:
Students with B.S. Degrees in the Formal Sciences, the Physical Sciences, or Traditional Engineering
Students who enter the graduate program with a B.S. degree in the formal sciences (i.e. mathematics or statistics), the
physical sciences (i.e. physics or chemistry), or traditional engineering (i.e. chemical, computer, electrical, materials, or
mechanical) may have little training in the life sciences.
Students in this category may be required to complete independent self-study and/or prerequisite coursework prior to
enrolling in life science fundamentals courses. Students in this category are strongly encouraged to take 3 courses (a
minimum of 9 credits) in the life science fundamentals core instead of the required 2 courses (a minimum of 6 credits).
It is rare for Life Science Fundamental core curriculum substitutions to be approved for students in this category.
Students with B.S. Degrees in the Life Sciences
Students who enter the graduate program with a B.S. degree in the life sciences (i.e. biology, microbiology, physiology,
or biochemistry) may have little training in engineering, mathematics, and/or physics.
Students in this category may be required to complete independent self-study and/or prerequisite coursework prior to
enrolling in Biomedical Engineering fundamentals courses. Students in this category are strongly encouraged to take 3
courses (a minimum of 9 credits) in the Biomedical Engineering fundamentals core instead of the required 2 courses (a
minimum of 6 credits).
It is rare for Biomedical Engineering Fundamental core curriculum substitutions to be approved for students in this
category.
Students with B.S. Degrees in Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering
Typically, students who enter the graduate program with a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical
Engineering have completed introductory courses similar to the Life Science and Biomedical Engineering fundamental
core courses.
Students in this category are permitted to choose alternate Life Science and Biomedical Engineering courses to fulfill
the core curriculum requirements. Students are given considerable flexibility when requesting Life Science and
Biomedical Engineering Fundamental course substitutions, based on their individual backgrounds and research
interests.
Course Substitution Procedure
Students intending to request relevant course substitutions for the department core course requirements must submit
a written proposal outlining their request to their supervisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Substitution proposals should indicate the following:
- The student’s experience/background in the core area including a list of specific courses and when taken.
- The reason(s) the proposed course(s) meets the aim/scope of a "Fundamental" requirement in that area.
- The student’s research focus and why the proposed course(s) would be in their best interest.
Proposals will be submitted with the student’s Program of Study form (or Preliminary Program of Study form) for their
Supervisory Committee’s approval. An additional approval of the Director of Graduate Studies will also be required.
35
Department Seminar
During the academic semesters, the Department hosts topical seminar speakers on a weekly basis. These speakers are
leaders in their fields from both the University of Utah as well as outside institutions. All graduate students are
expected to attend whether or not they are registered for the BME 6090 course. This is an important part of our
Biomedical Engineering community and many good ideas come from listening to seminar speakers who are speaking
in areas outside of the student’s dissertation research area. Although attendance is not taken at these seminars, it is
clear to the faculty, committee members and the Department administration who attends the seminars and how
regularly they attend. All Biomedical Engineering graduate students are expected to attend these seminars without
exception.
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8. GRADUATE SCHOOL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Credit Hour Policies
For graduate students, 9 credit hours is considered full-time enrollment until the “Enrollment Residency” Requirement
is completed (see below). After that point, 3 credit hours of Thesis Research registration (BME 6970 and BME 7970
only) will qualify a student in good standing for full-time student status (and at in-state tuition rates). Students are not
allowed to register for more than 16 credit hours without approval from the Dean of the Graduate School. Students
are required to enroll in at least 3 credit hours in the semester they complete their final exam or defend their
thesis/dissertation. BME 7990 “Continuing Registration” is only available to Ph.D. students who have been admitted
to candidacy and are not using University resources other than the library (i.e., not performing any research on campus,
not occupying university space beyond the library, not using faculty or staff time, etc.). BME 7990 registration is limited
to 4 semesters and does not qualify a student for full or part-time enrollment status for loan deferments or insurance
eligibility, etc. Students who are not U.S. citizens should refer to the University of Utah International Student Scholar
Services office for additional registration requirements.
“Enrollment Residency” Requirement
• Ph.D. students are required to complete at least one year (two consecutive semesters) of the Ph.D. program in
full-time academic work at the University of Utah campus.
• M.S. students are required to complete at least 24 credits of resident study at the University of Utah campus.
These requirements do not refer to or fulfill the other “Utah Residency for Tuition Purposes” Requirements for
graduate students from the Graduate School. Per policy, domestic, out-of-state students must apply for Utah State
residency upon completion of 40 graduate level semester credit hours at the University of Utah. Details on qualifying
and applying for Utah residency reclassification are available on the Admissions office website. For additional
information on the Enrollment Residency Requirement, please see Degree Requirements on the Graduate School’s
website.
Continuous Registration
The Graduate School requires graduate students to be registered for at least one course from the time of formal
admission through completion of all requirements for the degree they are seeking, unless granted an official leave of
absence. Further, the Biomedical Engineering department requires a minimum registration of 3 credit hours per
semester for all graduate students through their final exam/defense semester. Summer semesters are excluded from
the registration requirement unless the student will complete their final exam/defense during the summer semester.
Non-compliance with this policy will result in discontinuation from graduate study and the student will be required to
re-apply for admission to the program.
Leaves of Absence
Requests for leaves of absence may be granted for up to one year for circumstances related to:
• a serious health condition of the student or family member
• parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child
• a call to serve in military service
• other compelling reasons that the student’s department believes is in the best interests of both the student
and the University.
The form requesting a leave of absence for a current semester must be completed and received in The Office of the
Registrar by the last day of classes of that semester. Leaves of absence are not granted retroactively. Students must
officially withdraw from classes in any semester for which a leave is granted; failure to formally withdraw results in the
reporting of E or EU grades for all classes.
The period during which a leave of absence is granted does not count toward the period allowed to complete the
degree. Leaves are granted for a maximum of one year at a time, and may be renewed by submitting a new form to
The Office of the Registrar. The leave of absence is void if a student registers for classes in a semester for which a leave
was granted. Please refer to the Graduate School website for additional information on Leaves of Absence.
37
Leaves of Absence for International Students
In response to guidance from U.S. immigration authorities, the University is required to make a change to the vacation
semester policy for F-1 visa holders. Beginning Fall 2017, vacation semesters will automatically be granted to all
international students during the Summer semesters. Students will no longer be eligible for a vacation semester during
the Fall or Spring semesters.
Please NOTE the following important changes to the Vacation Semester Policy:
• Students will no longer need to submit vacation requests to ISSS, but will instead be automatically granted
vacation in the summer
• Students may still choose to take full time courses in the summer if they wish
• Students may no longer request to be below full time for the purpose of a vacation in the Spring or Fall
semester
• Students may still choose to take courses at another university during their summer semester as long as
they request a letter to attend another school from ISSS
• Students will NOT be allowed to participate in Full-time CPT or on campus work during Spring or Fall
semesters (unless during official university breaks such as Spring break or Fall break). Students MAY
participate in Full-time CPT or on campus work during their summer vacation semester
International Student Registration Guidelines
International graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credit hours until they have completed the
“Enrollment Residency” requirement and/or while they are participating in the Tuition Benefit program. After which,
they may register for 3 credit hours Thesis Research (6970 or 7970 only) per semester to maintain full-time student
status. F-1 students must take the minimum credits each semester except during vacation semester (i.e., Summer)
through the semester in which they take their final exam or defend their thesis/dissertation. Please consult the
International Student Scholar Services (ISSS) website for and personnel for complete international student policies,
laws and regulations. http://internationalcenter.utah.edu/students/immigration-status/maintaining-status.php
38
9. GRADUATE PROGRAM TRANSFER CREDITS
Transfer of Credit from Another Institution
Students who received credit for graduate courses from regionally-accredited institutions, may petition for those
courses to be transferred to the University of Utah as part of the fulfillment of their Biomedical Engineering degree
requirements. Restrictions:
No more than 6 graduate semester hours or 2 courses (not to exceed 6 credits) may be transferred.
Transfer credits may be applied to one degree only and cannot have been used to earn a previous degree.
Must be graduate level courses equivalent to the UofU 5000 level or above
The student must have earned a letter grade of B or higher for the requested transfer course
Credit only grades are not acceptable
Must be relevant and applicable to the students Biomedical Engineering degree program and approved by
student’s supervisory committees
Requested transfer credits must have been taken within 4 years of M.S. student’s semester of admission and
within 7 years of Ph.D. student’s semester of admission
Non-Matriculated Course Credit
Students who completed courses as a non-matriculated student at the University of Utah may request those courses
to be applied toward the fulfillment of their degree requirements. Restrictions:
A maximum of 9 graduate semester hours
Must be graduate courses at 5000 level or above
Non-matriculated credits may be applied to one degree only.
Must be relevant and applicable to the students Biomedical Engineering degree program and approved by
student’s supervisory committees
Requested non-matriculated credits must have been taken within 3 years of the student’s semester of
admission to any graduate program
Undergraduate Petition for Graduate Credit
Students who received credit for graduate courses from the University of Utah during their undergraduate program,
may petition for those courses to be applied to their graduate degree as part of the fulfillment of their Biomedical
Engineering degree requirements. Restrictions:
No more than 6 graduate semester hours or 2 courses may be transferred (whichever comes first)
Credits used to earn an undergraduate degree cannot be applied toward a graduate degree also.
Must be graduate courses at 5000 level or above
The student must have earned a letter grade of B or higher for the requested course
“Credit” only grades are not acceptable
Must be relevant and applicable to the students Biomedical Engineering degree program and approved by
student’s supervisory committees
Requested credits must have been taken within 3 years of the student’s semester of admission to any graduate
program
39
Request for Graduate Credit in BS/MS Program
BS/MS Dual Degree program students (only) who earn credit for graduate level courses from the University of Utah
before matriculating to graduate status, may petition for those courses to be applied to their graduate degree as part
of the fulfillment of their Biomedical Engineering MS degree requirements once graduate status is achieved.
Restrictions:
No more than 12 graduate credit hours may be “reserved” for the MS degree
Credits to be used to earn an undergraduate degree cannot be applied toward a graduate degree also.
Must be graduate courses at 5000 level or above
The student must have earned a letter grade of B or higher for the requested course(s)
“Credit” only (CR) grades are not acceptable
Must be relevant and applicable to the students Biomedical Engineering degree program and approved by the
student’s supervisory committees
Credits must be “reserved” for the MS degree during the first semester as graduate status
If discontinuing the BS/MS program, the “reserved” graduate credits cannot be applied toward an
undergraduate degree.
40
10. TIMELINE FOR PROGRAM COMPLETION
The timelines for each degree program differ and are summarized below.
PhD completion timeline:
Students typically graduate within 5 years of entering the BME Ph.D. program. However, the nature of some projects
and methods require longer time commitments for full completion of dissertation work.
The official time limit for completing the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. degree is 8 years. If a student in good standing
has not completed the Ph.D. program within 8 years, a time limit extension may be requested with a letter of support
from the student’s Supervisory Committee Chair to the Department Chair and Graduate School, justifying reasons for
the extension and including a forecast for student completion. Time limit extensions must be approved by the
Department Director of Graduate Studies as well as the Dean of the Graduate School.
The following timeline is based on a five-year plan for students entering the Ph.D. program with Bachelor’s degree.
Please note that students entering with their master’s degree will typically follow a more accelerated three- or four-
year plan depending on their M.S. degree institution. (see the Tuition Benefit section)
First Year
Begin the Core Curriculum courses
Identify a Research Advisor (and typically Committee Chair) by the end of the first semester
Begin dedicated Ph.D. research (BME 7970)
Select an Area of Specialization/Track
Establish full Ph.D. Supervisory Committee before the end of the second semester and convene first
committee meeting to discuss research aims, expectations, timeline, course plan, etc.
Second Year
Meet with Supervisory Committee to report progress, planned coursework, research aims, set goals, etc.
Take advanced courses and specialized research track courses to fulfill course requirements
Begin TA Mentorship requirement
Begin Proposal Writing and Presentations Series (Spring)
Submit Preliminary Program of Study by the end of the fourth semester
Prepare for the Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations
Third Year
Meet with Supervisory Committee to report progress and prepare for Research Proposal
Take written Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (Fall)
Complete Proposal Writing and Presentations Series (Fall)
Fulfill TA Mentorship requirement
Complete written Research Proposal
Complete and present oral Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (Research Proposal)
Report research at public seminar
Note: Failure to take the written Ph.D. Qualifying Exam in the fall semester and take the oral qualifying exam by
the end of Year 3 may result in a loss of tuition benefit eligibility.
41
Fourth Year
Meet with Supervisory Committee to report progress
Complete any remaining course requirements, including TA Mentorship if needed
Report research (podium presentation) at scientific meeting or seminar
Identify External Reviewer (if applicable)
Submit Final Program of Study for the Ph.D. degree to the Department
Fifth Year
Meet with Supervisory Committee to report progress
Apply for graduation
Write and Defend Ph.D. Dissertation
Submit Ph.D. Dissertation manuscript to the Thesis Office. See the Thesis Office website for policies
M.S. completion timeline:
Students typically graduate within 2 years of entering the BME M.S. program. However, the nature of some projects
and methods requires longer time commitments for full completion of thesis work, etc.
The time limit for completing the Biomedical Engineering M.S. degree is 4 years. If a student in good standing has not
completed the M.S. program within 4 years, a time limit extension may be requested with a letter of support from the
student’s Supervisory Committee Chair to the Graduate School, justifying reasons for the extension and including a
forecast for student completion timeline. Time limit extensions must be approved by the Department Director of
Graduate Studies as well as the Dean of the Graduate School.
The following timeline is based on a two-year plan for traditional full-time M.S. students. Please note that students
in a dual degree program or part-time M.S. may need to adjust their timeline accordingly
First Year
Begin the Core Curriculum courses
Select a Specialized Graduate Track
Form a Supervisory Committee and submit Supervisory Request form by the end of the first semester
Meet with Supervisory Committee at the beginning of the second semester to report planned coursework,
timeline for completion, expectations, etc.
Thesis students may begin dedicated M.S. research (BME 6970)
Begin Specialized Graduate Track courses
Second Year
Meet with Supervisory Committee at the beginning of the second year to report progress, finalized/approve
Program of Study and plan for Final Exam or Thesis Defense
Take advanced Specialized Track courses (6000+) and complete course requirements and Thesis
Research credits (if applicable)
Submit approved Program of Study form
Apply for graduation
Non-thesis students complete a final oral exam by the last day of Finals and submit “Report Final Exam” form
Thesis students complete a thesis defense/exam and submit “Report Final Exam” form
Thesis Students must also submit their written manuscript to the Thesis Office for publication. See the Thesis
Office website for policies and deadlines.
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11. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, STANDARDS AND STANDING
All graduate students are required to maintain good academic standing by meeting the minimum academic standards
as defined by the Graduate School and the Department. The Graduate School academic standards can be found on the
University of Utah Graduate School website. Many privileges associated with graduate standing require this minimal
academic performance. Students who fall below minimum academic performance requirements are placed
immediately on academic probation for one semester.
If these students fail to correct their record after one semester with subsequent sufficient improvements in academic
performance so to maintain minimal standards as defined by the Graduate School, then they will lose benefits,
including fellowships, tuition support, and stipend. This may require that they leave the program, either voluntarily or
involuntarily. As per the Graduate Student Handbook for the Graduate School at the University of Utah, “Candidates
for graduate degrees are required to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in course work counted toward the degree (i.e.
courses on the program of study).”
The Graduate School’s policy to remain in good academic standing is to maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher in coursework
counted towards the fulfillment of degree requirements. The Biomedical Engineering students must remain in good
academic standing with the Graduate School (i.e., GPA > or equal to 3.0) or risk probation and/or dismissal. If the
student is on probation from the Graduate School, one semester is allowed to increase the student’s GPA to meet the
minimum GPA requirements before termination of the Tuition Benefit Plan and dismissal from the Graduate program.
In addition, students must pass each of the core Biomedical Engineering courses and electives with a B- or better grade.
If a student does not achieve a B- minus grade or better in all Biomedical Engineering core courses, one additional
opportunity is allowed for remediation prior to dismissal from the Biomedical Engineering program. The student will
be informed that there is a student academic deficiency as delineated in the Department Policies and Procedures and
the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The student, supervisory committee chair, Director of Graduate
Studies, and Department Chair will be notified in writing. If the situation is not remedied, the Director of Graduate
Studies will provide a letter of notification that the student has not remedied the deficiency, resulting in his/her
termination.
Below is a list of common conditions that cause a student to be academically deficient within the Ph.D. program. If a
student satisfies any of the conditions below, then the student is academically deficient unless a previous formalized
arrangement is signed off with the Director of Graduate Studies for approved deviation from the corresponding
academic requirement(s). Problem areas for dismissal concerns include:
•
Failure to identify and research advisor by the end the first semester of graduate study
•
Failure to establish a graduate supervisory committee and meet together by the end of the first year of graduate
study
•
Failure to have annual evaluations between the student and supervisory committee
•
Failure to take the written comprehensive exam by the fall semester of the third year of graduate study
•
Failure to pass the written comprehensive exam on the second attempt
•
Failure to present the oral portion of the Ph.D. qualifying exam by the end of the spring semester of their third year
•
Failure to pass either the written or oral portions of the Ph.D. qualifying exam by the date specified by the
department chair, director of graduate studies, or the student’s supervisory committee
•
Failure to maintain a 3.0 grade point average as required by the Graduate School
•
Failure to meet satisfactory progress as determined by the supervisory committee chair, Director of Graduate
Studies or Department Chair
•
Failure to meet any individualized requirements specified by student’s supervisory committees and/or the Director
of Graduate Studies as stipulated in writing
•
Failure to graduate by the date specified in student’s most recent letter of support, or within the 8-year time limit
from matriculation into the Ph.D. program
43
Students who are remiss in satisfying any of these categories, or who fail to meet other requirements specified for
their program, can be dismissed from the graduate program. In these cases, students must promptly appeal to the
Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair if they wish to continue in the program (these deficiencies may be
pointed out to the student earlier). Dismissal from the Biomedical Engineering graduate program shall result in
termination of graduate student support, stipends or funding.
Academic, Behavioral, and Professional Misconduct Policies
All Biomedical Engineering graduate students, as well as any students taking a Biomedical Engineering course or course
cross-listed with Biomedical Engineering are required to read and understand the Department of Biomedical
Engineering policy statement on academic misconduct and to sign and file the associated student acknowledgement
form with the Department. See the department’s misconduct policy on BME “Graduate Studies” webpage.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s work, inappropriately
collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information. It also includes facilitating academic
misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.
The University’s complete “Student Code” policy, Policy 6-400: Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities from the
Regulations Library, includes the 7 sections listed below.
•
Section I: General Provisions and Definitions – ACADEMIC SANCTION
•
Section II: Student Bill of Rights
•
Section III: Student Behavior – STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR
•
Section IV: Student Academic Performance
•
Section V: Student Academic Conduct
•
Section VI: Student Professional and Ethical Conduct
•
Section VII: Student Records
“Students at the University of Utah are members of an academic community committed to basic and broadly shared
ethical principles and concepts of civility. Integrity, autonomy, justice, respect and responsibility represent the basis
for the rights and responsibilities that follow. Participation in the University of Utah community obligates each member
to follow a code of civilized behavior.”
“The purposes of the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities are to set forth the specific authority and
responsibility of the University to maintain social discipline, to establish guidelines that facilitate a just and civil campus
community, and to outline the educational process for determining student and student organization responsibility for
alleged violations of University regulations. University policies have been designed to protect individuals and the
campus community and create an environment conducive to achieving the academic mission of the institution. The
University encourages informal resolution of problems, and students are urged to discuss their concerns with the
involved faculty member, department chair, dean of the college or dean of students. Informal resolution of problems
by mutual consent of all parties is highly desired and is appropriate at any time.”
“Section VI. A. Standards of Professional Conduct – To ensure that the highest standards of professional and ethical
conduct are promoted and supported at the University, students must adhere to the prescribed professional and
ethical standards of the profession or discipline for which the student is preparing, as adopted or recognized as
authoritative by the relevant academic program.” “Section VI. B. Professional Misconduct – A student who engages in
academic misconduct may be subject to academic sanctions including, but not limited to, a grade reduction, failing
grade, probation, suspension or dismissal from the program or the University, or revocation of the student’s degree or
certificate. Sanctions may also include community service, a written reprimand, and/or a written statement of
misconduct that can be put into an appropriate record maintained for purposes of the profession or discipline for which
the student is preparing.”
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Program Suspension and Dismissal Policies
Matriculated graduate students in the program who fail to comply with performance expectations in either their
graduate research and/or didactic coursework, and/or with codified university policies for graduate conduct (including
plagiarism) can be dismissed from either the Department’s academic program or from the Graduate School, or both.
Student’s progress, academic and research performance is evaluated annually in meetings held with students and their
Supervisory Committees. These meetings are considered formal reviews of student progress in the program and are
the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete. Failure to produce this annual review and reporting is considered
a major student programmatic deficiency. Should any issues regarding continuation in the program arise, these issues
will be discussed at the Committee level and documented with the student, first in a formal letter emanating from the
Director of Graduate Studies (with input from the faculty advisor after faculty meeting discussions) followed by
discussion with the faculty advisor.
However, individual faculty members can coordinate with the Director of Graduate studies to initiate the dismissal
process of a student from the Biomedical Engineering graduate program and/or the Graduate School at any time for
failure to meet the academic requirements of the program and for academic or professional misconduct. An ad hoc
committee of faculty may be called to arbitrate if necessary. Final decision is provided to the student by the
Department Chair.
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12. LABORATORY PERFORMANCE AND EXPECTATIONS
Research creativity, consistent productivity, evident progress, independence and motivation are the hallmarks of
successful graduate student performance. Those students who perform in their academics and research generally
succeed and proceed expediently through the graduate program. Unfortunately, unsatisfactory student performance
and progress in their graduate research program can result in their dismissal from the program and loss of stipend
support. University policy 6-309 Section D Orderly Dismissal) provides a basis for this evaluation and dismissal process.
Section III.D.1 states:
“Performance Evaluation. Any person appointed according to the provisions of this section may be dismissed for cause.
The individual’s designated supervisor shall provide timely informal evaluations of the individual’s job performance
and make conscientious efforts to assist the individual to correct any unsatisfactory aspects of job performance. If
unsatisfactory aspects of job performance persist, the supervisor must provide the individual with a written statement
of difficulties and a reasonable time in which to correct them.”
The Department faculty supervising the student reserves the right to dismiss students who, after notice of their sub-
optimal performance and deficiencies, fail to either perform to expected standards or to exhibit an acceptable
trajectory of substantial improvement, effort and motivation. Department policy mandates that the student will be
provided written notification of the advisor’s dissatisfaction and evidence for failure to progress or insufficient research
performance.
Upon meeting with the research advisor, the student shall sign this written notice, acknowledging the meeting’s
occurrence (whether they agree with the assertions or not) and this document will be placed in their graduate file.
The student can lodge a protest with their supervisory committee first, then the Chair, and if also use the University’s
appeal process desired to counter these assertions. Following this meeting, the student will be given a 6-week
probationary period to change their performance as prescribed and produce tangible evidence of improvement and
productivity. A second student-advisor meeting at this 6-week time-point will produce a second written evaluation of
the student’s performance and evidence asserting either improvements, further concerns or non-improvements as
evidence of failure to progress. Another second 6–week period will be the final evaluation period.
At termination of 12 weeks, the student is provided a written permission from the advisor to continue in their specific
research program or for dismissal from that advisor/mentor’s group based on specific cited criteria for poor
productivity, poor performance, sub-optimal motivation or failure to progress.
The student can remain in the department’s graduate program, but without support/stipend, as long as they remain
in good academic standing, but must find another willing faculty mentor to produce a qualified research project that
satisfies department graduate program requirements in order to finish their degree. This policy does not supersede
current student rights accorded by the University’s Policy and Procedures Manual (PPM), and its references to student
participation in formal Family Leave or Medical leave policies and procedures.
Responsible Conduct of Research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) require appropriate training in the
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) for certain types of grants. RCR instruction must be undertaken at least once
during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years.
The NSF requirements apply to all postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students participating on a
funded project. The NIH policy requires inclusion of a plan to receive RCR instruction in applications of most types of
training grants including fellowships, career development awards, research education grants, and dissertation research
grants.
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13. FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND TUITION
Biomedical Engineering graduate students at the University of Utah are often supported by Graduate Research
Fellowships through the College of Engineering, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships or Extramural
Fellowships. Financial support is a privilege and intended to support direct, efficient progression of the student through
their graduate experience.
Admission to the Ph.D. program generally includes a research-based Research Assistantship and stipend or salary
provided by the research advisor. Note: this salary is not guaranteed. It is based on the availability of research funding
from various sources (grants and contracts). A subsidy may be provided for individual health insurance at the research
advisor’s discretion, but is not required or expected.
Financial support for the period in which the student is conducting dissertation research is the responsibility of the
student’s faculty mentor and is normally derived from faculty research grants. No Departmental funds are available
for this purpose; no guarantees for graduate student financial support come from the Department, although it
attempts to mediate extenuating circumstances and unusual hardships as resources allow.
Hence, the award of a Research Assistantship is considered a privileged position for each student, one to be respected,
and should be considered the primary means of support for the primary focus of the student in the program: expedient
and efficient pursuit of the graduate degree.
Financial support may also be rescinded by supervising faculty for documented student failure to progress both in
research and in performing to minimal academic standards. Although this can be a unilateral advisor decision, faculty-
student relationships would best enroll the advice of the student’s supervisory committee before withdrawing stipend
support. Additionally, the University Policies and Procedures Manual provides specific recommendations and process
for addressing “failure to progress” and other student performance deficiencies with documentation, warnings, and
written responses.
Differential Tuition
Per current College policy, all students, regardless of class standing, will be charged an additional College of Engineering
differential fee per credit hour for graduate level courses in the College of Engineering. This differential tuition is not
included as part of the Graduate School’s tuition benefit program and must be paid by the student. Please see the
Income Accounting Tuition website detailed tuition and fee rates.
Other Fees and University Expenses
•
Special Course Fees. For those courses requiring them, special fees are shown in a column of the course listings.
These fees, which must be paid with tuition, are in addition to regular tuition and mandatory fee charges.
•
Mandatory Fees. The mandatory fees include the following fees: ASUU Activity, Athletic, Building, Collegiate
Reader Program, Computing, Fine Arts, Utilities, Health, Library, Publication Council, Recreation, Study Abroad,
Sustainability, Money Management and Transportation. The amounts for these fees are included in the Tuition and
Fee schedule listed above.
•
Health Insurance. All BME graduate students are required to have documented health insurance.
-
Subsidized insurance is available to TAs and RAs who are receiving a full 100% tuition benefit. They may hold
both a TA and an RA position (with the total adding up to 100% tuition benefit) to qualify. The insurance is the
same Student Health Insurance policy offered to all U of U students. Coverage for dependents is not subsidized.
Qualifying students are billed for 20% of the premium through Income Accounting and the Graduate School
pays the remaining 80% at the start of the semester.
-
If not qualified for the TBP-subsidized insurance Program, students are responsible to purchase their own
health insurance. Policy and premium information is available from University Student Health Services.
See the “Student Health Insurance” section to follow.
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14. FELLOWSHIPS AND ASSISTANTSHIPS
Fellowships
Students are encouraged to continually seek out and apply for university, state, national and international fellowships
to supplement or replace their stipend support. Although faculty advisors determine support levels, fellowship support
is a distinction, and therefore, all fellowship support should remain the property of the student receiving this honorary
award, with stipend support adjusted at the faculty advisor’s discretion. Stipend and fellowship support levels are
determined by the faculty advisor although it is recognized that fellowship support is a distinction, and therefore, all
fellowship support should remain the property of the student receiving this honorary award, with stipend support
adjusted per advisor discretion. Additionally, students are encouraged to continually seek and submit their own
fellowship applications from numerous university, national and international agencies that sponsor these awards.
Extramural Fellowships
A current listing of Extramural Fellowships is available online through the Graduate School.
Research Fellowships
Several outstanding Biomedical Engineering students receive support each year from fellowship administered through
the College of Engineering. The Department Scholarship Committee nominates these students based on the application
information provided and the Department Chair must support their nomination in writing. Additional information
regarding the College of Engineering fellowships can be found on the College of Engineering website.
Research Assistantships (RA)
Individual faculty members from the Department of Biomedical Engineering offer Research Assistant or RA positions,
supported by research grants and contracts, to a vast majority of graduate students. The Department recommends
that stipends offered to students align with NIH pre-doctoral level of support for Ph.D. students. In addition, students
receive tuition waivers through the Graduate School’s Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).
The Graduate Admissions Committee can assist students with identifying potential faculty sponsors, but ultimately, it
is student’s responsibility to secure an RA position, stipend and benefits.
During on-campus admissions interviews and after acceptance to the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program,
students are strongly encouraged to arrange interviews with potential faculty advisors to sponsor an RA position.
Continuation of tuition waivers, stipend and increases are contingent upon continuous enrollment, rules of The
Graduate School, and satisfactory progress in the BME graduate program.
Teaching Assistantships (TA)
Teaching Assistantships provide Ph.D. students with valuable pedagogical leadership experiences and mentoring
opportunities. The Department determines which Biomedical Engineering undergraduate and graduate courses will
utilize TAs. Duties may include lecturing, holding discussion or problem sessions, conducting laboratory sections,
grading, tutoring and holding office hours.
Ph.D. students must first fulfill the 4 required credit hours of TA Mentorship (BME 7880) prior to accepting a paid
Teaching Assistantship. See the PhD Program requirements section for more details
Teaching Assistantship Time Commitment:
•
A “Half TA” assignment requires a time commitment of 10 hours per week for the duration of each semester. PhD
students may earn 2 credits of BME 7880: TA Mentorship by fulfilling a Half TA assignment.
•
A “Full TA” assignment requires a time commitment of 20 hours per week for the duration of the semester. PhD
students may earn 4 credits of BME 7880: TA Mentorship by fulfilling a Full TA assignment.
•
In rare cases, courses may need a “Quarter TA”, which would require a time commitment of 5 hours per week for
the duration of each semester. PhD students may earn 1 credit of BME 7880: TA Mentorship by fulfilling a Quarter
TA assignment.
Teaching Assistantship requirements also include:
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•
TAs are required to strictly abide by the regulations set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or
FERPA. This federal law protects the privacy of educational records of students.
•
TAs are required to attend a mandatory training provided by the College of Engineering within the first 2 weeks of
Fall Semester. The Department will notify TAs of the date, time and location.
•
TAs are required to meet with their assigned course instructor(s) prior to the beginning of the semester to initiate
organization and to identify the expectations of the TAs role and duties.
•
TAs are required to attend all lectures of their assigned course(s) and be sufficiently familiar with the materials
covered in both the class and the homework to tutor the content.
•
TAs are expected to contribute in a substantive way to the pedagogical needs of their assigned course(s). The
instructor and the nature of the course determines these needs. For example, TAs should expect to undertake one
or more of the following activities: 1) deliver one or more course lectures, 2) lead problem-solving or discussion
sessions prior to exams, or 3) grade exams.
•
The TA requirement of 4 credits must be completed by the end of student’s 4
th
year of Ph.D. graduate study, and
prior to the end of their TBP, but may be completed prior to this time if a student volunteers or is asked for a TA
course assignment.
•
The Teaching Assistantship requirement is for credit and is not eligible for consideration of a paid position until the
four 7880 credit hours have been completed. However, financial stipend support will continue from the student’s
research advisor. Thereafter, additional financial support will be determined by the Department.
•
TAs are required to be proficient in the English language in order to effectively interact with students in a leadership
and pedagogical manner. To be eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program for teaching assistantships, the Graduate
School requires all non-native English speaking graduate students to be cleared by the International Teaching
Assistant or ITA Program prior to any teaching exposure. Therefore, clearance from the ITA Program is a
compulsory requirement for all international students.
• TA workshops, as well as online teaching resources are available through the Center for Teaching and Learning
Excellence (CTLE).
• Student TAs are not allowed to provide formal didactic lectures without a department faculty or faculty or record
in the classroom; or prior review and approval of the lecture presentation.
• For all other students, TA and Grader positions will be made available at the discretion of the Department Chair.
15. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
The Department of Biomedical Engineering considers a full-time research stipend for graduate support to be a full-time
traineeship, with the privilege of support, and expectation of long and irregular hours required for successful degree
completion. Responsibilities of such conditions of graduate study preclude the pursuit of other gainful employment
without interference with doctoral program progress.
Therefore, students are strongly discouraged from engaging in employment outside of the Department. Such
arrangements must be approved in writing and in advance of the situation, from both the faculty advisor and
supervisory committee. If a student is employed outside the Department, the student’s supervisory committee and
department faculty will monitor whether such employment interferes with the expectations of the program (i.e. the
student’s progress in course and research work, research or other program requirements). Outside employment
includes employment, internships or other "out of lab" training that occurs at the University of Utah (e. g. Lassonde
internship, Center for Medical Innovation internship, Bench to Bedside competition, etc.) or outside the University of
Utah (e. g. employment at a private / public corporation).
If the supervisory committee or department faculty determines that outside employment is unduly interfering with
the student’s doctoral progress, the student may be asked to reduce their outside employment commitments or to
leave the program.
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16. TUITION BENEFIT PROGRAM
Administered by the Graduate School, the Tuition Benefit Program (TBP) provides payment of general graduate tuition
and mandatory fees for eligible graduate students who are compensated through the University of Utah. Students
receiving this benefit are responsible to pay all differential tuition and non-mandatory fee charges.
Categories of Supported Graduate Students
The four eligible classifications qualifying a student for TBP participation are:
•
Graduate Research Assistant (RA) with Exempt job code 9314: Students assigned directly to an externally funded
research grant (5000 fund) and performing research for that project.
•
Graduate Assistant (GA) with Exempt job code 9330: Students assigned work related to their degree program and
not covered in the previous category. A GA must be funded from within their payroll department and not
supported by external grant funding.
•
Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) with Exempt job code 9416: Students with instructional responsibilities as the
instructor of record, assistant to the instructor of record, or tutor. International students must be cleared through
the International Teaching Assistant Program before being assigned a TA position.
•
Graduate Fellow (GF): Students on a fellowship, whose tuition is not paid by their award. If tuition is included in a
student’s fellowship award, the student may not also use the tuition benefit. The University must administer the
award and a service expectation may or may not accompany it.
Graduate School Requirements for TBP
•
Students must be matriculated and in good standing.
•
Students must maintain the Graduate School’s minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
•
Students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credit hours (full-time for graduate students) for the duration of
both fall and spring semesters.
•
Students must meet minimum financial support levels indicated on the TBP website. These levels vary by
semester/year. Financial support must be paid through the University of Utah.
•
Non-resident, non-international graduate students receiving the tuition benefit must apply for Utah residency
upon completion of 40 semester credit hours at the University of Utah per Graduate School policy. This is to avoid
billing the university for out-of-state student tuition at unnecessary out of state rates. Additional information
regarding the Residency for Tuition Purposes policy is available on the Office of Admissions website, as well as the
Residency Reclassification Application.
•
Both, students and the Department are responsible for maintaining an accurate count of the semesters students
receive TBP support. If students receive TBP support for more semesters than they are eligible, they may be
retroactively billed and liable for tuition (in-state or out-of-state if not UT resident) for ineligible semesters.
•
Students covered by TBP support who withdraw mid-semester or fail to comply with TBP requirements mid-
semester (or summer) may be required to re-pay TB support (in-state or out-of-state if not UT resident).
Tuition Benefit Coverage Guidelines
•
For GAs, TAs, and GFs, the tuition benefit covers 9-12 credit hours in fall and spring semesters (only).
•
For RAs, the tuition benefit covers 9-11 credit hours in fall and spring semesters, and 3 credit hours in summer
semester.
-
For summer semesters, the tuition benefit is only available to RAs who were classified on TBP and paid as
100% RA in the preceding fall and/or spring semesters, and who will continue to be classified and paid as
an RA in summer semester.
-
Summer TBP covers only 3 credit hours and students must register for 3 credits to be eligible.
-
Summer semesters do not count against the total number of semesters students are eligible for the tuition
benefit.
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•
The TBP covers student’s non-resident tuition in full, with the exception of RAs who exceed 84 cumulative credit
hours. In the semester an RA exceeds 84 cumulative credit hours, the tuition benefit will cover only resident
tuition amounts. To avoid being charged non-resident tuition, non-resident RAs who have completed their
required coursework should only register for 9 credit hours of BME 7970: Ph.D. Thesis Research.
Restrictions
•
The recommended Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) maximum is 0.50 (20 hrs/week) and cannot exceed 0.74 FTE. Other
paid positions on campus (internships, tutoring, etc.) are counted toward the student’s FTE.
•
Courses designated as undergraduate (below 5000 level), contract, audit, repeat, and credit/non-credit will count
toward the required minimum of 9 credit hours, but do not qualify and will not be paid for by the tuition benefit.
•
The tuition benefit program will not pay for any withdrawn credit hours, and if a student’s registration falls below
9 credit hours at any time during the semester, they will become ineligible for tuition benefit support and will be
billed full tuition for that semester.
•
Students may register for the maximum of 16 credit hours, but will be responsible to pay all tuition and fee
amounts above 12 credit hours (or 11 for RAs).
•
Non-matriculated students, part-time students, and students on academic probation are not eligible to participate
in the tuition benefit program.
Semester Limits
Students are limited in the number of semesters, which are not required to be sequential, that they may participate in
the tuition benefit program.
•
Students enrolled in the M.S. program are limited to 4 semesters (2 years) of tuition benefit support.
•
Students who enter the Ph.D. program with a bachelor’s degree are limited to 10 semesters (5 years) of tuition
benefit support.
•
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program who receive(d) a master’s degree from the University of Utah are limited
to 10 semesters (5 years) total of tuition benefit support, 4 semesters (2 years) for a master’s degree and 6
semesters (3 years) for a doctorate degree. The 4 semesters of TBP designated to the master’s degree do not
carry over to the doctoral degree if not used. Therefore, students who earn a master’s degree from the University
of Utah are eligible for a maximum of 6 semesters (3 years) of TBP for their PhD program
•
Students who enter the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree from another university are eligible for 8 semesters
(4 years) of tuition benefit support.
Additional information regarding the Tuition Benefit Program and its policies is available on the Graduate School’s
website under Fellowships and Benefits.
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17. STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE
Subsidized Graduate Student Health Insurance
Subsidized student health insurance is available to TAs and RA’s who receive 100% tuition benefit. Students who qualify
will be enrolled in the insurance plans by the Tuition Benefit office during the open enrollment period for the semester.
The Tuition Benefit office will pay 80% of the insurance premium and the students will be billed the remining 20% on
their tuition account after the open enrollment period closes.
Insurance coverage is not subsidized for spouses or dependents. However, students may purchase dependent
insurance plans at their own expense, directly through United Healthcare for standard health insurance and EMI Health
for vision and dental insurance.
Additional information regarding Subsidized Graduate Student Health Insurance is available on the Tuition Benefit
Office website.
Non-Subsidized Graduate Student Health Insurance
Students who do not qualify for subsidized student health insurance may purchase their own insurance through the
University Student Health Center. Students must be registered for a minimum of 3 credit hours to qualify to purchase
the University of Utah contracted student health insurance plans. These plans are the same as the subsidized student
health insurance plans.
International Student Health Insurance
The University requires all new, transfer or readmitted international students to be automatically enrolled in the
University of Utah Student Health Insurance Plan administered by United Healthcare Student Resources.
For more
information about student insurance, including cost please visit www.uhcsr.com/utah. International Student who
qualify for and request the Subsidized insurance coverage through the Tuitional Benefit Program will be refunded the
automatic charge; however, the 20% student portion will still be charged as indicated above.
If you have an existing insurance plan, you may be eligible to apply for a waiver from the insurance requirement. Your
existing plan must have coverage that equivalent to or better than the plan offered by the University. Travel
insurance
plans do not qualify. For information regarding the waiver process contact the International Student Scholar Services
(ISSS) office: https://isss.utah.edu/students/orientation-arrival/health-insurance.php
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18. PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY
Parental Leave for Employees
Parental leave is available to full-time graduate students who are employed part-time in a research lab and in good
standing following the birth or adoption of a child who will serve as the primary caregiver to their own or their partner’s
newborn or newly adopted child during the requested leave time.
Students who become new parents are entitled to six weeks of parental leave with full pay, and an additional six weeks
of parental leave without pay, during which students will retain their benefits. Students will also receive their normal
financial compensation for the duration of the leave, provided that they 1) use their vacation allowance during that
year as part of the parental leave, and 2) the research advisor and/or Department can provide this funding
commensurate with University policies and procedures for funded projects.
To request parental leave, students must submit the Parental Leave of Absence request in writing to the Department
prior to the expected arrival of the child. Under normal circumstances, students should arrange the parental leave time
with their advisor and the Department at least 30 days in advance. The parental leave should be complete within six
months of the arrival of the new child, and may only be taken for purposes relating to childcare.
Upon approval, the parental leave will begin on the date requested, and students will be released from professional
duties and not be expected to maintain scholarly productivity for the duration of the approved parental leave.
No extensions of this leave will be granted. If additional time is required due to medical and/or other reasons, an
unpaid, formal Leave of Absence from the program should be requested through the Office of the Registrar.
The Director of Graduate Studies must approve exceptions to these and other eligibility criteria.
Students who experience a medical condition associated with their pregnancy and need accommodations
recommended by their medical provider should review the Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Related Accommodations online,
where the Pregnancy Accommodation Request form is available and which is a service provided by the Office of Equal
Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX.
Leave of Absence from Academic Program
Please see the “Graduate School Registration Requirements” section above for information regarding leave of absence
policies for domestic and international students. Please also refer to the leave of absence policy information on the
Graduate School webpage. A leave of absence from the student’s academic program for up to one year must be
approved by the student’s supervisory committee and the director of graduate studies or department chair. If
additional time is required, an additional request must be approved and submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Access
the Leave of Absence request forms on the Registrar’s website.
Disability Access and Accommodation
For information regarding disability access and accommodation, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please
visit the Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX.
Students requesting accommodations should contact the Center for Disability and Access to schedule an appointment.
Students may also access the Process for Students Requesting ADA Accommodations, the Center for Disability and
Access Student Handbook, and the Documentation Guidelines through the How to Qualify for Services website.
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19. SAFETY AND WELLNESS
Your safety is our top priority. In an emergency, dial 911 or seek a nearby emergency phone (throughout campus).
Report any crimes or suspicious people to 801-585-COPS (2677); this number will get you to a dispatch officer at the
University of Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS; dps.utah.edu). If at any time, you would like to be escorted by a
security officer to or from areas on campus, call DPS for assistance.
The University of Utah seeks to provide a safe and healthy experience for students, employees, and others who make
use of campus facilities. In support of this goal, the University has established confidential resources and support
services to assist students who may have been affected by harassment, abusive relationships, or sexual misconduct. A
detailed listing of University Resources for campus safety can be found in the University of Utah Student Handbook
found on the Registrars’ Office website at: https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/campussafety.php
20. DISCLAIMER
Although some content herein is recommended for best practices as a graduate student in the Department, other
university and department policies described in this handbook are intended to be read, understood and followed by
all department graduate students. Violations of university and department policies are grounds for immediate
dismissal from the program. Policy exceptions may be made in well justified cases that are petitioned in writing by the
student and supported by the student’s committee. No policies or recommendations in this Handbook are intended,
interpreted or construed to conflict with or violate standing College or University policies except where allowed. Given
such a university conflict without allowance, this Handbook defers to standing universities policies and expectations.
