Programs Overview
Overview
Are you a prospective student? Here at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME), we connect researchers across the University of Toronto and its partner hospitals to develop innovative solutions to improve human health.
At the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME), we have 3 graduate programs and 2 undergraduate programs.
Graduate programs
Doctor of Philosophy
Research degree that exposes candidates to cutting-edge research in a laboratory
Master of Applied Science
Research degree that exposes candidates to cutting-edge research in a laboratory
Master of Engineering
Professional degree that exposes candidates to biomedical device design to commercialization
Graduate programs comparison
| Stream: | Research | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Program: | PhD / MASc | MEng |
| Focus: | Research intensive training in a laboratory or clinical setting. | Training in biomedical device design, implementation, and commercialization. |
| Career Interests: | Individuals pursuing careers in academia, healthcare, government, or industry, who have a passion for research and development. • Motivated to conduct cutting-edge research • Passionate about academic collaboration and science communication • Keen on becoming key opinion leaders with distinct research specialization | Individuals interested in medical device production from design to implementation in human patients. • Seeking product design knowledge • Interested in learning entrepreneurship fundamentals • Eagar to gain real-world experience in the healthcare sector |
| Degree(s) Required: | Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Applied Science (for PhD only), or Master of Engineering (PhD only). | Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Science. |
| Outcome: | Program graduates excel as leaders in academia, industry, and government agencies across the globe. | Through work-integrated learning, graduates emerge as company founders, technology leaders, and start-up creators in the healthcare sector. |
| Program Length: | approx. 2 years (for MASc) or approx. 4 years (for PhD) | 1 year |
| Funding: | Unit-funded | Self-funded |
| Curricula: | • Coursework • Committee Meetings • Qualifying/Bypass Exam (for PhD) • Thesis • Defense • Final Oral Exam (for PhD) | • Coursework • Practical Experience |
Apply to graduate studies at BME
Undergraduate programs and opportunities
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Year 1
Engineering Science (EngSci) program students learn fundamentals of different science disciplines and begin team-based design training through praxis courses.
Opportunities:
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Year 4
Major students may focus on skill advancement and further knowledge and competencies through the completion of specialization courses, thesis, and design/capstone projects.
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Year 1
Engineering students establish knowledge in math and applied & basic sciences.
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Year 4
Minor students may focus on skill advancement in one of the three themes (mentioned above) toward becoming a specialist in their respective field.
Read more student news & stories
Faces of BME – Soowan Choi
Inspired by the need to help others, MASc candidate Soowan Choi is developing tools that incentivize children’s rehabilitation through video games. Ultimately, he wants to make these technologies more accessible to people, regardless of their background.
KITE trainee earns multiple awards for asthma and obstructive sleep apnea research
Shaghayegh Chavoshian, a PhD student in BME, will receive $20,000 in combined funding to support her research at KITE.
Solving healthcare problems through strategic consulting
Completed her Ph.D. in Dr. Paul Santerre’s lab in 2019, Dr. Meghan Wright always had a passion for entrepreneurship, business, and science. After graduating, Meghan interned briefly with the life sciences investment firm Bloom Burton & Co. as a consultant before joining Shift Health, a life sciences and healthcare strategy consulting firm located in Toronto. Now Meghan is working on projects across a wide range of areas – from the private sector to academia, to help transform healthcare.
Faces of BME – Ali Howidi
Working as a MASc student in Dr. Paul Yoo’s lab, Ali is researching a novel method of recording continuous blood pressure through AI and machine learning. In his downtime, he finds solace in vinyl records.
BME welcomes the 2022 MasterCard Scholar cohort
Three students funded by the MasterCard Scholars program joined BME in 2022 to pursue their degrees in Masters of Engineering. As a part of the MasterCard Foundation initiative, this Scholarship aims to further education, leadership, and skill development for young people from Africa, while working to address systemic barriers in higher education. We asked the MasterCard Scholars what they look forward to at the University of Toronto, and how they will advance their knowledge in the field of biomedical engineering.
Incoming class of 2022
In September, BME welcomed 100+ students into our graduate programs. We asked some of these students why they chose our programs, and what they are looking forward to in this unusual year. Here’s what they have to say.
BME Barbeque 2022
On September 12, 2022, BME celebrated the start of a new academic year with our yearly BBQ.
Making academic articles more accessible
Graduated from BME in 2021, Dr. Lazar Jovanovic is now developing a platform, Summations, which allows researchers to efficiently communicate their work with large and broad audiences by enhancing the reader’s understanding of academic articles.
U of T grad Ben Ouyang wants to answer the ‘questions that matter most to patients and their families’
Dr. Ben Ouyang shares his journey in medicine, how mentorship inspired his research in cancer nanomedicine and what his future holds.