MSE advising manual
Introduction | Program Description | General Information | Planning to Graduate | Thesis Guidelines | Forms
Table of Contents
I. Introduction |
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We hope that this handbook will provide assistance and advice to the students and faculty involved in the MSE Program. This guide explains some of the intricacies of University and Departmental policy and procedure. If there are any areas which you feel have not been addressed, please contact the program coordinator.
Although the physical home of the MSE program is on the Homewood campus, the program is both interdivisional and interdepartmental. Therefore, Biomedical Engineering students of the MSE program are considered full-time students of both the School of Medicine and the Whiting School of Engineering. Although the duality of the department offers many advantages and opportunities, it can also compromise communication between the program office and students. We encourage you to check the web site and your email regularly for information or changes regarding the program.
We hope that you will always feel comfortable enough to seek assistance or clarification when you have a problem. Please contact the program coordinator via email or phone (410) 516-8482, or the program director via email or phone (410) 516-4914, with any questions you may have.
II. Program Description |
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The master's degree program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in research and development, academics, or medicine. The program, which is designed to be completed in two years, consists of 24 credits of course work and a thesis project. The remaining course requirements may be tailored to students' backgrounds and interests.
Our goal is to educate students in the interdisciplinary fields of engineering and medicine. Students in the master's program receive:
- Sound theoretical instruction in the traditional engineering disciplines;
- Exposure to specialized topics in biomedical engineering, such as biomedical instrumentation, systems physiology, biosensors, biomaterials, biomechanics, and biomedical imaging;
- Practical training in the form of supervised projects.
III. General Information |
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- Before You Get Here
In early summer, before your first semester, you will receive a packet containing information regarding housing, tuition/living expenses, etc. Please note that registration materials for first-year students are mailed to the Department in August. It is best to wait until your arrival to make a final decision on courses for the semester, however you may want to familiarize yourself with what courses are available. During orientation, before classes start, you can then speak with other students, the program director, and other faculty members to finalize your schedule. - Registering for Classes
Registration materials are sent to the department about six weeks before the end of each semester. Students are given a week or two to mail in registration materials. If the mail-in deadline is missed, students are required to register in person before the start of classes. When choosing classes, students should consult with their advisors and/or the program director. Please check the academic calendar for specific deadlines. - Adding and Dropping Classes
The add/drop deadline is 6 weeks after the first day of classes. Please fill out an add/drop form and have your advisor or the program coordinator sign it. Please check the academic calendar for specific deadlines. - Auditing Classes
Students may audit courses with the approval of their faculty advisor. Auditing a course generally allows a student to gain knowledge about a subject that may lie outside of their particular area of study. Students should discuss the expectations with the course instructor before deciding to audit a course. General guidelines for auditing classes are as follows: students must attend class, students must complete homework assignments, students must participate in class, students are exempt from quizzes and examinations, and students receive no credit for the course. If students stop attending the course, they must submit and add/drop form to the registrar. - Medical Insurance
Medical insurance must be carried by all students. The University provides insurance to any student not covered by an outside insurance plan. You must have proof of insurance to register. - Funding Sources
As you were made aware of in your acceptance letter, the Department awards tuition fellowships of 50% of total tuition for 4 semesters to students in good academic standing. Additionally, a salary equal to 30% of tuition is paid to students for a madatory teaching assistantship. Although not always possible, a sincere effort is made to assign students' to teaching assistantships commensurate with their interests and experience. Students who enter the department with outside fellowships are subject to a reduction in University funding. At some point during the first and second semester, students will choose their thesis advisor. Most students receive the remaining 20% of tuition and an additional living stipend from their thesis advisors.
All students are paid on a semi-monthly basis. Pay days fall on the 15th and last day of each month. If a pay day falls on a weekend or holiday, checks will be distributed on the preceeding business day. If the month ends on the 28th or 30th, checks will be distributed on that day.
All students have the option of having their pay checks deposited directly into their checking accounts. You may opt for this time and energy saver by completing and submitting a "Direct Deposit Form" which are available in the Department Office (318 Clark Hall). - MSE Students' Association
During the summer of 1993 the MSE Students' Association was formed. Students meet monthly to discuss common interests, academic issues, employment opportunities, etc. Some meetings feature industry representatives speaking on employment prospects within industry and particularly within their corporations. The M.S.A. also sponsors various social events throughout the academic year and helps to coordinate group participation in sports such as softball. Members are also active participants in planning events such as the annual Prospective MSE Student Visit. Notices for meetings are posted via email. All students are encouraged to attend these meetings. - Choosing a Thesis Advisor
All students must have at least one full-time BME faculty member or BME joint faculty member on their thesis committee. If a student chooses a thesis advisor outside of the BME network of faculty, that student must have a BME faculty advisor (familiar with the research project) on their thesis committee. This advisor may be the original faculty advisor (Kevin Yarema) or an advisor that the student chooses. You should notify the Program Coordinator as soon as you have selected an advisor. The Program Coordinator will help arrange funding and payroll with your advisor. You should establish project and payroll expectations before deciding on an advisor. It can be detrimental to both student and advisor if a student is unhappy and must switch labs in the middle of the program. - Course Requirements
Students are required to take a total of 24 credits (3 credits of research may be applied toward the 24 credit total) of 400-level or above course work in science, engineering or math from the Department, the School of Engineering, the School of Arts and Sciences, and/or the School of Medicine. A two semester course, Physiological Foundations in Biomedical Engineering, is required of all students. In addition, a course in instrumentation, biosensors or advanced mathematics is strongly recommended and should be discussed with Dr. Yarema or your advisor. Remaining required courses may be tailored to the student's backgrounds and interests and should be discussed with the student's advisor. - Leave of Absence
Students may be placed on term leave of absence when they are unable to continue their studies for health or personal reasons. Approval by the Program Director and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Whiting School is required before a student can be placed in this category. A leave of absence shall be for a specific period of time, normally not in excess of two years. Possible reasons include military service obligations or personal/family illness. Students working on their thesis, having completed all other requirements, are not entitled to leaves of absence. There is no fee for a leave of absence. The period of leave is simply regarded as an approved interruption of the degree program. When placed on a term leave of absence status, the students will receive notification from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. - Non-Resident Status
With the approval of the Program Director and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Whiting School a graduate student may be placed on non-resident status for a period not to exceed five years. Such status is normally reserved for candidates who have completed all requirements for the degree except the thesis and who have permission to continue thesis work away from the University. When approved for non-resident status, the student will receive notification from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
A student on non-resident status will be required to pay a fee of 10% of the full-time tuition for each semester he or she is on leave. A student may not be on non-resident status who is physically present on the East Baltimore or Homewood Campus throughout a given semester, or who is employed by the University in one of its academic divisions or in the central administration.
In order to comply with U.S. Government regulations, a foreign student requesting non-resident status must have clearance from the Office of International Faculty and Student Services.
Additional academic information can be found in the Arts and Sciences / Engineering Online Catalog.
IV.Planning To Graduate |
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- When You Are Close to Finishing...
Make sure you have fulfilled the 24-credit course requirement (3 credits of research may be counted toward the 24-credit total). The Program Director will be happy to discuss your graduation requirements with you at any time.
Familiarize yourself with the thesis submission process and the semester deadlines. Contact the Program Director or the Program Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns. - Thesis Submission
Submit your thesis to a committee of three Johns Hopkins faculty (at least one must have a primary appointment or joint appointment with the Department of Biomedical Engineering) whom you choose. The committee must approve the thesis (they may elect to have you make an oral presentation). Students must allow the reader at least two weeks to read their thesis and suggest corrections. Thesis committee members should not be hurried to rubber-stamp the thesis 24 hours before the student plans to leave town.
Submit a minimum of two copies of your thesis (one for the MSE Library, one for the Talbot Library) to the Eisenhower Library and be sure to get a receipt. (see Complete Thesis Guidelines for specific details on writing and assembling your thesis).
Submit the following to the Homewood BME Office:
- A copy of the abstract and the title page of your thesis;
- The following thesis forms: signed letter of approval from your thesis committee, form letter signed by the Program Director stating that you have completed all departmental coursework requirements, "Certificate for an Advanced Degree" form signed by the Program Director;
- A note including your forwarding address and where you will be working or attending school upon graduation.
Submit an Application for Graduation to the Registrar's Office. These are not available to download. They can be picked up at the Homewood BME Office or at the Registrar's Office.
Check with the Registrar's Office about any remaining matters — tuition, fines, incompletes, etc. - Semester Deadlines
A student must be registered for the semester in which his or her degree is approved by the Whiting School Graduate Committee. A student who has completed all degree requirements and for whom certification for the degree has been approved before the first day of classes in a given semester does not need to register for that semester. In all other cases, registration according to the usual procedure, including payment of applicable tuition and fees, is mandatory.
Semester deadlines for submitting your thesis are as follows:- Spring (fourth semester)
The exact date for the spring deadline is determined at the beginning of the spring semester. The Program Coordinator will email the date as soon as it is determined. If you do not receive this information for some reason, you may contact the Registrar or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Whiting School to obtain the information. Degrees completed by this deadline will be conferred in May of the same semester. Degrees completed after this deadline will be conferred in May of the following academic year, however, your transcript will note the actual date you completed your degree. - Summer (after fourth semester)
Theses may be submitted during the summer after the fourth semester. Theses must be submitted before the first day of classes of the fall semester for summer degree completion. Degrees completed by this deadline will be conferred in May of the following academic year, however, your transcript will note the actual date you completed your degree. - Fall (after fourth semester)
There is an eight week grace period at the beginning of the fall semester following the fourth semester of graduate study. Students must register and pay all tuition and applicable registration costs in order to be eligible to graduate in this term. If you are certain that you will finish by the eighth week, you may submit a tuition deferral form with the Office of Student Accounts. Otherwise, students will be reimbursed for their fall semester tuition. If thesis documents are not submitted by eight weeks after the start of classes, students are responsible for the full semester's tuition. If a student cannot submit thesis documents by this time, he/she may want to consider applying for non-resident status. Degrees completed by this deadline will be conferred in May of the following academic year, however, your transcript will note the actual date you completed your degree.
- Spring (fourth semester)
V. Thesis Guidelines |
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VI. Forms |
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- Thesis Signature Forms
- Add/Drop Form
