Founded in 1968 as one of the pioneer programs in the world, the Case Western Reserve University Department of Biomedical Engineering has established highly successful and comprehensive graduate programs in research and education. The department consistently remains a top-ranked biomedical engineering program for graduate studies according to U.S. News & World Report.
Our mission is to promote human health through education and research that bridges the gap between medicine and engineering. Our faculty and students play leading roles ranging from basic science discovery to the creation, clinical translation, and commercialization of new technologies, devices and therapies. In short, we are engineering better health.
The cornerstone of our success has been active collaborations between students and faculty in classrooms and research laboratories and beyond. Collaborations are also greatly facilitated by our prime location adjacent to the outstanding research and clinical resources at Case Western Reserve’s School of Medicine, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, and MetroHealth Medical Center. Their close proximity allow prospective students the opportunity to work in a variety of world-class research laboratories.
Our department continues to evolve to match the recent accelerated pace of biomedical engineering developments. As a joint program in the schools of engineering and medicine, our cutting-edge research spans a wide range of new interdisciplinary engineering discoveries and biomedical applications. The department is associated with over 20 research centers and over $50 million in current grants. Our research and education programs are strongly integrated with industry through job opportunities for graduates, sponsored research, and industrial training activities.
The department’s faculty members have diverse backgrounds, which enable students to pursue highly interdisciplinary work.
Numerous fellowships and research assistantships are available to support graduate students in their studies.
Graduates in biomedical engineering are employed in industry, hospitals, research centers, government, and universities. Biomedical engineers also use their undergraduate training as a basis for careers in business, medicine, law, consulting and other professions.
Request More Information About the Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program
Program Philosophy
"Innovative Approach to Graduate Education"
Senator Hillary Clinton popularized the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." In the CWRU Department of Biomedical Engineering, we believe this philosophy can also apply to education our graduate students. We have very active thesis committees. Our graduate students do not just work for one professor and/or get advice from one academic advisor. At CWRU, we build a team of faculty around each student's research interests to provide consultation and mentorship. Each student is has both an academic and research advisor, as well as 2-5 other committee members
The graduate student's educational experience begins with our comprehensive curriculum, which provides a foundation in both engineering and biomedical coursework. The graduate core consists of six engineering courses, five biomedical courses, two math courses. These courses provide each student with a solid background to adapt to the fast-paced changes encountered in today's biomedical engineering research environment. Additionally, to learn teaching techniques and enhance communication skills, each graduate student is required to complete teaching assistant assignments. Lastly, the graduate educational experience is completed by two semesters of biomedical engineering seminars, including world-renowned speakers and current topics, and completing a PhD qualifying exam and a thesis defense.
See Our Master's Program Offerings