The graduate program in biomedical sciences is designed to provide a multidisciplinary educational and training environment that will prepare students for independent research and teaching careers. It is centered in the Faculty of Medicine, where investigative collaborations among basic and clinical scientists are fostered. The program emphasizes concepts and state-of-the-art techniques of molecular and cellular medicine, and integrates students into the extensive and rapidly expanding translational research programs. Students may choose a discipline of study from the several research areas/programs offered by the Faculty of Medicine.
For general requirements about graduate study at AUB, refer to the Office of Admissions section of this catalogue.
MS Disciplines
Biochemistry
| Refer to Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics |
Human Morphology
| Refer to Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences |
Microbiology and Immunology
| Refer to Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology |
| Pharmacology and Therapeutics | Refer to Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology |
Physiology
| Refer to Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences |
| Neurosciences (Interfaculty) | Refer to Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences |
| Biomedical Engineering (Interfaculty) | Refer to Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program |
Scholar Health Research Program (SHARP) (Clinical)
| Refer to Scholars in Health Research Program (SHARP)
|
| Orthodontics (Clinical) | Refer to Department of Dentofacial Medicine
|
Admission to MS Programs
| Admission as a regular student | Refer to the Office of Admissions section |
| Admission on probation | Refer to the Office of Admissions section
|
Course and Thesis Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 21 credits of graduate course work with a minimum GPA of 3.3. Graduate students who intend to apply to the medical program should complete 21 credits of graduate courses, 10 credits of which are not integral to the structured medical curriculum. Those with a degree in dental or veterinary medicine are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits of graduate course work. In addition, all students must pass a comprehensive examination and complete a thesis project equivalent to 9 credits. The thesis must be presented and defended to the satisfaction of the examining committee.
Students following the non-thesis master’s program are required to take a minimum of 30 graduate-credit hours, 3 credits of which may be a project and should follow a course of study approved by the department/program and the concerned faculty Graduate Studies Committee.
PhD Program
Mission
The mission of the doctoral program in biomedical sciences (DBMS) is to provide excellent educational and research opportunities for students to develop into independent researchers and educators who will enrich the research and teaching output from Lebanon, the Middle East and beyond. The program will provide the students with the theoretical foundations and the special skills and attitudes that will allow them to develop their critical thinking and creative potential, conduct high caliber research in the biomedical sciences, contribute to the advancement of science, uphold the principles of intellectual honesty and become leaders in their chosen fields of study.
Program Objectives
Students are expected to:
- design and pursue pertinent research in biomedical science questions by devising and implementing a research plan to test a novel hypothesis.
- generate and analyze data critically, and utilize such analysis in devising, revising, and/or refining a research plan.
- communicate findings, in both oral and written formats, through presentations at scientific meetings, publications in peer-reviewed journals and tutoring of junior students.
- demonstrate knowledge and integration of the fundamental principles of the various biomedical sciences.
- demonstrate theoretical and practical expertise in a specific field of research in the biomedical sciences.
- appreciate the complexity and volume of emerging new scientific information and its technical components, and be able to cope with it and manage one’s learning efficiently and effectively.
- and appreciate the importance of openness, teamwork, and integrity in the advancement of knowledge through research.
PhD Disciplines
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology of Cancer
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Neurosciences Program
- Nutrition (Interfaculty)
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Physiology
Academic Governance
Oversight of the DBMS Program occurs at three levels: at the PhD Program Committee level with faculty representation from the department and program of study and the coordinator of the PhD Program, at the Faculty of Medicine dean’s office represented by the Faculty of Medicine Graduate Studies Committee and at the university level through the Board of Graduate Studies.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the program will be on a competitive basis. Students eligible for admission to the DBMS must have a sound academic record (GPA: 3.7) or its equivalent in the major field of study, a demonstrated, genuine interest in biomedical research and, preferably, research experience.
Minimum requirements for admission into the program are the following:
- Students with a BS degree or its equivalent in mathematics, biology, physics or chemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as well as advanced courses in other medical science disciplines, and preferably with research experience, are eligible to apply (accelerated track PhD). Applicants with other degrees such as master’s (MS), medical doctor (MD), pharmacist (Pharm D or equivalent), veterinarian doctor (VMD), dental doctor (DMD, DDS), will also be considered for admission into the program (regular track PhD).
- Students should provide three letters of recommendation.
- Students should have prior laboratory experience, including wet lab skills.
- General Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which is less than 5 years old, is required (applicant can use unofficial scores in the application and send the official copy after the application submission deadline). Total score of minimum 304 (equivalent to 1100 converted old GRE score) in the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections of the GRE test is required.
- Applicants to the graduate program, other than AUB graduates and graduates of colleges or universities recognized and located in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, must meet the Readiness for University Studies in English (RUSE). Refer to catalogue section on Readiness for University Studies in English.
- Provide a personal statement (500 words maximum).
- Students should be interviewed by the PhD Committee members.
- Students should be recommended for admission by the PhD Committee.
PhD program applications are accepted for fall admission only.
Financial Support
The PhD program offers, on a competitive basis, substantial support which fully covers tuition and includes a monthly stipend and housing. In return, students are expected to help in teaching and in proctoring exams.
Program Requirements
50 credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s program or 29 credit hours of course work beyond the master’s program are required. To fulfill course requirements, 16 required core courses (34 credits), in addition to elective courses, are offered. A maximum of 21 credit hours may be transferred from the master’s work if considered within the scope of the program. Students are expected to register for 24 credits of thesis.
Upon admission into the program, students will be advised by the coordinator of the PhD program. After the first year, students will have selected a thesis adviser who will design the set of elective courses to meet students’ research interests and career goals. Students’ course of study will be designed individually in light of the students’ interests and career goals. All the duties of the coordinator of the PhD program will be transferred to the students’ thesis adviser, who must be selected no later than the end of the first year for students entering into an MS program.
Core Courses
First Year
|
Credits
|
| BIOC 321 | Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1
| Required
|
| BIOC 322 | Protein Biochemistry | 1 | Required
|
| BIOC 323 | Cellular Metabolism and Regulation | 2
| Required |
| PHYL 310 | Cell Physiology and Biophysics | 3 | Required
|
| BIOC 325 | Receptor and Signal Transduction | 2 | Required |
| HUMR 305 | Cell and Tissue Biology | 3 | Required |
| MBIM 320 | Microbiology and Immunology | 3 | Required |
| BIOM 491 | Laboratory Rotation | 1 | Required |
| HUMR 314 | Seminar and Journal Club | 1 | Required |
| EDUC 401 | Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (C-THE) | 0 | Required |
| EDUC 402 | Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (C-THE) II | 0 | Required
|
| HUMR 310A | Biomedical Research Techniques: Module A | 1 | Required |
| HUMR 310B | Biomedical Research Techniques: Module B | 1 | Required |
| HUMR 310C | Biomedical Research Techniques: Module C | 1
| Required
|
| PHRM 315 | Principles of Pharmacology | 2
| Required |
| BIOM 385 | Research Ethics | 1 | Required
|
Second Year
|
Credits
|
| EPHD 310 | Biostatistics | 3 | Required |
IDTH 301
| Introduction to Medical Science Literature Organ Physiology (Ph.D. candidates: can choose one of these as elective)
| 2
| Required
|
| PHYL 302 | Neuroanatomy | 2 | Required |
| IDTH 308A | Neuroanatomy | 3 | Elective |
| IDTH 308B | Neurophysiology | 3 | Elective |
| PHYL 300 | Pulmonary – Renal | 2 | Elective |
| PHYL 304 | GL – Endocrine – Reproductive | 3 | Elective
|
For other elective courses, refer to MS disciplines.
| BIOC Courses | Refer to Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics |
HUMR Courses
| Refer to Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences |
PHYL Courses
| Refer to Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences |
| IDTH Courses | Refer to Interdepartmental Courses – Graduate Program |
| PHRM Courses | Refer to Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology |
MBIM Courses
| Refer to Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology
|
Course Descriptions
PhD Thesis Requirements
Thesis Committee
The PhD Thesis Committee should consist of at least five members. Two members should be from outside AUB, and the chair of the PhD Thesis Committee should be a faculty member holding the rank of a full professor and different from the thesis adviser. Refer to PhD Thesis Committee under General University Academic Information section.
Thesis Defense
After qualifying as a PhD candidate, students will focus on the doctoral research with continued participation in seminars. The doctoral research, once completed, will be presented publicly, and defended immediately after in front of the PhD Thesis Committee. Prior to the defense, all major revisions to the thesis must be completed. The decision of the committee will be by consensus. Refer to PhD Thesis Defense under General University Academic Information section.
Publication Requirements
PhD students should have published or have in the press one journal publication and one abstract in an international conference related to their thesis topics.
Candidacy and Residency Requirements
All students admitted to the PhD program must successfully complete the qualifying exam part I (written) and qualifying exam part II (oral defense of thesis proposal).
To satisfy the minimum residency requirements for the PhD degree, all students must register and be in residence for at least three years beyond the completion of the master’s degree. The requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy must be completed within a period of 5 years after joining the PhD program. Extension beyond the 5-year period will require Graduate Council approval upon the recommendation of the faculty Graduate Studies Committee.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a PhD degree in biomedical sciences, students must fulfill the following graduation requirements:
- Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 at the PhD level.
- Pass qualifying exams part I and II.
- Pass the PhD thesis defense.
- Satisfy the minimum residency requirements.
- Have a first author publication (original paper) in a leading international journal, based on the PhD research.
- Have at least one accepted abstract (first author) in an international conference, based on the PhD research.
- Satisfy all pertinent AUB regulations.
In addition to the AUB general requirements for graduate study, the Faculty of Medicine graduate study requirements and regulations are as follows:
-
Application and Notification of Acceptance: For application submission deadlines and admissions decision notifications, refer to Application Procedures under the Office of Admissions section.
-
Acceptance: Acceptance offers are issued in duplicates including category offered, registration period and date of start of classes. These dates are mentioned in the university calendar issued annually by the Office of the Registrar.
- Candidates must sign a copy of the above letter indicating acceptance and return it to the Office of Admissions at the due date. If acceptance letters are not signed and sent back by the set deadline, positions will be re-assigned to candidates on the waiting list.
-
Periods of Study: The graduate program, once initiated, proceeds without interruption through the first term, the second term and the summer term.
-
Transfer Students: See Transfer of Credits into a PhD Degree Program under General University Academic Information section.
-
Categories of Graduate Students: The categories applicable at the university in general are also applicable in the Faculty of Medicine with the following modifications: Students are given a regular graduate student status when they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA in the major field of study of at least 3.3 or its equivalent, and they are given a graduate on special status when they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA in the major field of study or an overall average of 3.0 or higher but lower than 3.3 or equivalent. Graduates on probation status are transferred to regular status upon achieving an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in 9 credits of graduate courses within two terms.
-
Visiting Graduate Students: is a status applicable to students who pay a fee to attend a period of observership in an ongoing research project.
-
Exchange students: is a status applicable to students who participate in the graduate program in accordance with formal agreements between the Faculty of Medicine and other institutions.
In all instances, candidates must submit applications which are reviewed and acted upon by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Leave of Absence
See Leave of Absence under General University Academic Information section.
Courses
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
| Coordinator | Mhanna, Rami (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA) |
| Co-coordinator | Rahal, Elias (Experimental Pathology, Immunology & Microbiology, FM) |
Coordinating Committee Members
| Amatoury, Jason (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA)
Daou, Arij (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA)
Darwiche, Nadine (Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, FM)
El Hajj, Albert (Surgery, FM)
Khraiche, Massoud (Biomedical Engineering, MSFEA)
Refaat, Marwan (Internal Medicine, FM)
Saad, Walid (Chemical Engineering and Advanced Energy, MSFEA)
Zouein, Fouad (Pharmacology & Toxicology, FM)
|
Background
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program (BMEP) is a joint MSFEA and FM interdisciplinary program that offers two degrees: master of science (MS) in biomedical engineering and doctor of philosophy (PhD) in biomedical engineering. The BMEP is housed in the MSFEA and administered by both MSFEA and FM via a joint program coordinating committee (JPCC).
The mission of the BMEP is to provide excellent education and promote innovative research enabling students to apply knowledge and approaches from the biomedical and clinical sciences in conjunction with design and quantitative principles, methods, and tools from the engineering disciplines to address human health related challenges of high relevance to Lebanon, the Middle East and beyond. The program prepares its students to be leaders in their chosen areas of specialization committed to lifelong learning, critical thinking, and intellectual integrity.
The curricula of the MS and PhD degrees are composed of core and elective courses balanced between biomedical sciences and engineering and between fundamental and applied knowledge.
The curricula include the following three research focus areas:
-
Biomedical Systems: This focus area includes research directions such as devices, instrumentation, biomechanics, biomaterials, drug delivery systems and tissue engineering.
-
Biomedical Cybernetics: This focus area includes research directions such as biomedical and health informatics, computational biology, biomedical signal/image processing and biomedical systems engineering.
-
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Engineering: This focus area includes research directions such as fluid mechanics, modeling, simulation, imaging, devices, and implants related to both human cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.
Students may select their courses to satisfy the requirements of one of the three focus areas.
The MS and PhD degrees are open to students holding degrees from relevant fields of study including basic sciences, biomedical sciences, computer science, engineering, health sciences, and mathematics. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, eight remedial undergraduate courses in sciences, math and engineering have been identified to cover the needed prerequisite knowledge; the remedial courses required by each admitted students are customized on a case-by-case basis depending on the students’ undergraduate degree. Remedial undergraduate courses do not count as credit towards the MS or PhD degree completion. Grades on these remedial courses will appear on the transcript as Pass/Fail with a passing grade of (C+).
Required core courses (18 cr.)
|
Credits |
BIOC 321
| Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1
|
| BIOC 322 | Protein Biochemistry | 1
|
| BMEN 600 | Biomedical Engineering Applications | 3
|
| BMEN 601 | Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems | 3
|
| BMEN 672 | Hospital Lab Rotation | 0
|
| BMEN 673L | Biomedical Engineering Lab | 1
|
| EPHD 310 | Basic Biostatistics | 3
|
HUMR 310 (A, B, or C)
|
Biomedical Research Techniques
|
1
|
| HUMR 314 | Research Seminar | 1
|
| PHYL 346 | Human Physiology | 4
|
Restricted elective graduate courses: 6 credits restricted elective courses customized per focus
area and required by both thesis and non-thesis options.
Restricted elective courses (6 cr.)
|
Credits |
Systems |
Cybernetics |
Cardiovascular |
BIOC 325
| Receptors and Signal Transduction
| 2
|
| X
|
|
BIOC 326A
| Bioinformatics Tools and Applications in Genomics | 1
|
| X
|
|
| BMEN 603 | Tissue Engineering | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 604 | Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems | 3 | X | | X
|
| BMEN 605 | Biomedical Imaging | 3 | | X | X |
| BMEN 606 | Nanobiosensors | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 607 | Biomechanics | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 608 | Biomaterials and Medical Devices | 3 | X | | X |
BMEN 609
or
EECE 605 | Computational Neuroscience
or
Neuromuscular Engineering |
3
|
X
|
X
|
|
| BMEN 610 | Micro and Nano Neural Interfaces | 3 | X | | |
BMEN 611
| Computational Modeling in Biomechanics | 3
| X
| X
| X
|
EECE 601
or
EECE 602 | Biomedical Engineering I
or
Biomedical Engineering II | 3
| X
| X
| X
|
EECE 603
| Biomedical Signal and Image Processing | 3
|
| X
| X
|
EECE 633
or
EECE 663
or
EECE 667
or
EECE 693 | Data Mining
or
System Identification
or
Pattern Recognition
or
Neural Networks | 3
|
| X
|
|
| HUMR 305 | Cell and Tissue Biology | 3 | X | | |
| PHYL 302 | Cardiovascular Physiology | 2 | | | R |
| PHYL 300A | Pulmonary Physiology | 1 | | | R
|
Free elective graduate courses for the non-thesis option: 6 credits additional elective courses. These courses should be taken from engineering and should be approved by the students’ adviser and the coordinator of the joint program coordinating committee.
Master thesis for the thesis option: 6 credits master’s thesis in biomedical engineering. The thesis requirements follow AUB’s General University Academic Information as documented in the graduate catalogue.
PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Admission Requirements
The application procedures and admission requirements to the PhD program follow AUB’s General University Academic Information as documented in the graduate catalogue. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field of study from AUB or its equivalent, or from a recognized institution of higher learning.
Acceptance into the PhD program is determined by academic performance as well as an assessment of readiness, potential and ability to develop into independent researchers as judged by interviews by faculty members, a written statement, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and other means of assessment such as publications and industrial experience.
Accepted students are eligible to receive scholarships that fully cover their tuition fees and provide a monthly stipend.
Degree Requirements
General requirements for master’s degree holders: Based on AUB’s guidelines, a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond those required for the master’s degree, of which a minimum of 18 credit hours must be in graduate level course work and a minimum of 24 credit hours of thesis work, must be taken. Requirements also allow a maximum of 3 credit hours out of the 18 credits of coursework as tutorial course and include a 0-credit comprehensive examination preparation course and a 0-credit thesis proposal preparation course.
General requirements for bachelor’s degree holders: Based on AUB’s guidelines, a minimum of 78 credit hours beyond those required for the bachelor’s degree, of which a minimum of 36 credit hours must be in graduate level coursework and a minimum of 30 credit hours of thesis work, must be taken. Requirements also allow a maximum of 6 credit hours out of the 36 credits of coursework as tutorial courses and include a 0-credit comprehensive examination preparation course and a 0-credit thesis proposal preparation course.
To earn a PhD degree in biomedical engineering, students must complete the following requirements:
- Satisfy the course and research credit requirements.
- Satisfy the residence requirement and all other pertinent AUB regulations.
- Have at least one international refereed journal article based on the PhD thesis.
- Have at least one refereed conference paper based on the PhD thesis.
- Have a cumulative GPA of (3.7) or above.
- Pass the comprehensive and oral qualifying examinations.
- Successfully defend the PhD thesis.
The following are the graduate level course requirements for students admitted with a bachelor’s degree. The total number of credits is at least 36 credits divided among core, restricted elective, and free elective courses. Students admitted with a master’s degree can waive as many courses as possible without going below the minimum required 18 credits of coursework.
Core graduate courses: 21 credits of core courses from biomedical sciences and engineering.
Required core courses (21 cr.)
|
Credits |
BIOC 321
| Nucleic Acids and Basic Genetics
| 1
|
| BIOC 322 | Protein Biochemistry | 1
|
| BIOM 385 | Research Ethics | 1
|
| BMEN 600 | Biomedical Engineering Applications | 3
|
| BMEN 601 | Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems | 3
|
| BMEN 671 | PhD Lab Rotation | 1 + 1 |
| BMEN 672 | Hospital Lab Rotation | 0
|
| BMEN 673L | Biomedical Engineering Lab | 1
|
| BMEN 675 | Approved Experience | 0
|
| EPHD 310 | Basic Biostatistics | 3
|
|
HUMR 310(A, B, or C) |
Biomedical Research Techniques | 1 |
| HUMR 314 | Research Seminar | 1
|
| PHYL 346 | Human Physiology | 4
|
Restricted elective graduate courses: 9 credits restricted elective courses customized per focus area.
Restricted elective courses (6 cr.)
|
Credits |
Systems |
Cybernetics |
Cardiovascular |
| BIOC 325 | Receptors and Signal Transduction | 2 | | R |
|
BIOC 326A
| Bioinformatics Tools and Applications in Genomics | 1
|
| R
|
|
| BMEN 603 | Tissue Engineering | 3 | X | | X |
| BMEN 604 | Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems | 3 | X | | X
|
| BMEN 605 | Biomedical Imaging | 3 | | X | X |
| BMEN 606 | Nanobiosensors | 3 | X | X | |
| BMEN 607 | Biomechanics | 3 | X | | |
| BMEN 608 | Biomaterials and Medical Devices | 3 | X | | X |
BMEN 609
or
EECE 605 |
Computational Neuroscience
or
Neuromuscular Engineering
| 3
| X
| X
|
|
| BMEN 610 | Micro and Nano Neural Interfaces | 3 | X | | |
BMEN 611
| Computational Modeling in Biomechanics | 3
| X
| X
| X
|
EECE 601
or
EECE 602 | Biomedical Engineering I
or
Biomedical Engineering II | 3
| X
| X
| X
|
EECE 603
| Biomedical Signal and Image Processing | 3
| | X
| X
|
EECE 633
or
EECE 663
or
EECE 667
or
EECE 693
| Data Mining
or
System Identification
or
Pattern Recognition
or
Neural Networks | 3
|
| X
|
|
| HUMR 305 | Cell and Tissue Biology | 3 | R | | |
| PHYL 300A | Pulmonary Physiology | 1 | | | R |
| PHYL 302 | Cardiovascular Physiology | 2 | | | R
|
Free elective graduate courses: 6 credits additional elective courses. These courses should be taken based on the students’ specific area of research as approved by the students’ adviser.
Course Descriptions