The MEng-BMI is a 12-month intensive, hands-on program for students seeking to hone their engineering skills and acquire the entrepreneurial skills necessary to convert great ideas into products that benefit people. This professional training program allows students to develop a well-rounded skillset comparable to engineers with multiple years of industry experience.
Overview
With guidance, students initially identify problems in health care that can be solved through the judicious application of technology. They then spend the remainder of the program working in groups not only to solve an important problem, but also to learn how to develop and protect intellectual property, to raise money and to construct a business plan to see their solution implemented in society. Graduates will have the tools to start their own companies or take advanced positions in established enterprises dedicated to improving health care.
Program Requirements
This 12-month professional graduate degree is designed for students interested in entrepreneurship or "intra"preneurship for advanced placement within a medical device company. It is a team-based approach in which students develop the engineering, manufacturing and business skills to solve an unmet clinical need. The program consists of 30 units that are distributed into five areas:
- Engineering Skills (6 units)
- Master Design (10 units)
- Biomedical Product Development (4 units)
- Biomedical Business Development (4 units)
- Targeted Electives (6 units)
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents.
Program Timeline
The program starts the Tuesday following Memorial Day. Identification of a specific design program for master design will take place within two months of the program's start. During this time, students will shadow WashU physicians at either Barnes-Jewish Hospital or St. Louis Children's Hospital to identify various clinical needs.
In July, students will participate in a retreat to brainstorm potential solutions to various clinical needs, and teams will be chosen at the beginning of fall semester and may include team members from other programs in the university.
