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Biomedical Engineering Sciences Major

The biomedical engineering sciences major is offered to students interested in either medical school or graduate studies in biomedical engineering. Faculty from Thayer School and Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) jointly advise the research projects.

DMS offers an opportunity for accomplished biomedical engineering sciences majors to apply for early decision admission.

For more information, contact Professor Brian Pogue.

Course of Study

Prerequisites

Majors are expected to have a basic understanding of calculus, physics, chemistry, and computer science. First-year students interested in the major should take the placement test in mathematics.

Mathematics (3 courses)

MATH 3 Introduction to Calculus
MATH 8 Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables
MATH 13 Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions

Biology (1 course)

BIOL 11 The Science of Life

Chemistry (1-2 courses)

CHEM 5–6 General Chemistry OR CHEM 10 Honors First-Year General Chemistry

Physics (2 courses)

PHYS 13 Introductory Physics I
PHYS 14 Introductory Physics II

Computer Science (choose 1 course)

ENGS 20 Introduction to Scientific Computing
COSC 5 Introduction to Computer Science

Unless otherwise prohibited, prerequisites may be taken under the Non-Recording Option.

Required Courses

Common core courses (2 courses)

ENGS 21 Introduction to Engineering
ENGS 22 Systems

Common and distributive core courses (choose 1 course)

ENGS 23 Distributed Systems and Fields
ENGS 24 Science of Materials
ENGS 25 Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 26 Control Theory
ENGS 27 Discrete and Probabilistic Systems

Gateway course (choose 1 course)

Electrical

ENGS 31 Digital Electronics
ENGS 32 Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits

Mechanical

ENGS 33 Solid Mechanics
ENGS 34 Fluid Dynamics

Chemical/Biochemical

ENGS 35 Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
ENGS 36 Chemical Engineering

Engineering course (choose 1 course)

ENGS 56 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering OR 1 additional course from ENGS 23–36

Biology courses (choose 2 courses)

BIOL 12 Cell Structure and Function
BIOL 13 Gene Expression and Inheritance
BIOL 14 Physiology

Chemistry courses (2 courses)

CHEM 51–52 Organic Chemistry OR CHEM 57–58 Organic Chemistry

Elective (choose 1 course)

Engineering sciences course numbered above ENGS 23
BIOL 40 (formerly BIOL 77) Biochemistry
CHEM 41 Biological Chemistry

Culminating Experience

Biomedical Engineering Sciences majors complete a culminating experience, which is part of a course (either an elective or an additional course). Normally taken during the senior year, the course is chosen from the following options:

Thesis

ENGS 86 Independent Project
ENGS 88 Honors Thesis

Advanced course

ENGS 160 Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
ENGS 161 Metabolic Engineering
ENGS 162 Methods in Biotechnology
ENGS 165 Biomaterials
ENGS 167 Medical Imaging

Transfer Credit

No more than two transfer courses may be used for credit in the major.

Academic Standing

Satisfactory completion of the major requires a grade point average of 2.0 in the courses suitable for satisfying the major.

Early Decision to Dartmouth Medical School

The curriculum for the biomedical engineering sciences major is designed to prepare engineering students for admission to medical school after completion of either their A.B. or B.E. degree.

Each year, a small number of top-tier students who are planning to attend medical school will be invited in their junior year (for A.B. candidates) or senior year (for B.E. candidates) to apply for a non-binding early decision for admission to Dartmouth Medical School (DMS).

These students will be identified by Thayer School in consultation with DMS, and an initially responsive group will be selected based upon a combination of their academic record, leadership, and research experience. Students thus identified will be informed by the end of fall term and asked to sit for the MCAT that winter.

If these students subsequently obtain competitive MCAT scores based on the scores of students in prior matriculating DMS classes, they will be invited to submit a full application to DMS early in the spring of that academic year (junior year for A.B. candidates, senior year for B.E. candidates).

The DMS Admissions Office will review applications and invite for interviews the students they judge to be of a comparable achievement level as the most recent entering DMS student classes (see profile).

Students will be informed of the DMS decision by the end of May of that academic year. Those accepted via this early decision process will be offered a place in the DMS class scheduled to matriculate in August of the year following their acceptance, contingent upon the students' continued exemplary undergraduate performance.

A maximum of 2 to 3 students per year will be admitted early decision. Those admitted may then spend their senior (or B.E.) year conducting biomedical engineering research and focusing on their studies prior to matriculation at DMS.