Master of Science
Our program is designed to prepare graduates for engineering careers in both industry and academia by helping them:
- develop expertise and mastery of knowledge in their fields
- enhance their ability to develop and apply associated technologies to engineering problems
The centerpiece of the MS experience is conducting a research project in collaboration with our world-class faculty. Students who complete particularly strong research projects often publish in peer-reviewed journals with their adviser and present at conferences. As part of their professional development, MS students are also encouraged to participate in professional organizations by becoming members and attending meetings. Many of our students also broaden their professional foundations through activities such as internships, fellowships, or assisting in grant preparation. Exceptional master of science students also have the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants.
The master of science curriculum is flexible and tailor-made by you, working in collaboration with your adviser and your three member graduate committee.
Degree Requirements
- 30 Course Credits (read notes)
- Life science course - 3 credits
- Advanced mathematics course - 3 credits
- BME courses - 12 credits
- Additional 12 credits through either:
- Thesis option - 6 elective course credits and 6 thesis credits or
- Non-thesis project or committee assessment option - 12 elective course credits
- Customized study plan developed in collaboration with adviser
- Two semesters BME seminars - required
- Thesis, project, or assessment of qualifications
- Thesis defense (details on thesis prep and defense)
- Preliminary review of thesis (download rubric form)
- Evaluation at thesis defense (download rubric form)
- Non-thesis project option (project evaluation)
- Preliminary review of project (download rubric form)
- Project assessment (download rubric form)
- Thesis defense (details on thesis prep and defense)
Course Requirement Notes
- No more than two undergraduate classes at the 300 or 400 level can be applied to the MS degree and a minimum of a B must be earned for them to count. Undergraduate courses at the 200 level and lower may be taken, but cannot be used to fulfill degree requirements. The only exceptions to this rule are for courses listed under approved life science electives and approved advanced math courses.
- Students may take up to 3 units of independent study (BME 399/BME365 or other) for a project or in lieu of research credits for an MS thesis.
- Students may take 3 units of Master of Engineering, Master of Engineering Management or other business/management courses as an elective
- Other elective courses must be selected from Engineering, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, mathematics or Computer Science
BME Seminars
Project Evaluation
Non-thesis MS students complete their degree by presenting a research project to their committee either at an oral exam or poster presentation.
The project is an opportunity for students to practice effective research strategies. Projects must be approved by the student's adviser, and the formulation of the project plan is a collaborative, mentored experience. Successful project plans are those in which students can do the following:
- state a research problem in a chosen area of study and demonstrate the value of the solution to the research problem;
- apply sound research methods/tools to problems in an area of study and describe the methods/tools effectively;
- analyze/interpret research data;
- draw valid conclusions from data and make a convincing case for the contribution of those conclusions in advancing knowledge within that area; and
- communicate their research clearly and professionally in both written and oral forms appropriate to the field.
MS Thesis
MS students engaged in research are encouraged to prepare and defend a thesis.
Thesis Preparation
The Master's Thesis should follow the format defined in Guide for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations, and should include the following items:
- An abstract with objectives and clearly stated unique contributions,
- A survey and discussion/synthesis of pertinent literature,
- Discussions of the completed research tasks, including theory development, data collection, analysis, and documentation, and
- A set of conclusions that emphasize new theoretical, modeling, or experimental contributions; or novel applications of existing theories.
The quality of the Master’s Thesis should allow the material to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Here is some more information on the master's thesis from Duke's graduate school website.
Thesis Defense
Upon the completion of the written thesis, the student must defend it orally. The thesis adviser must approve the thesis for the defense before its final submission to the faculty committee. In a letter to the Graduate School, the adviser will indicate that the thesis is ready for defense. The student is responsible for asking the DGSA/DMSA to announce the thesis defense. The defense takes place no less than one week after the student has submitted the thesis to the Graduate School and has presented copies to the faculty committee members. The oral presentation is a public event. The faculty committee generally meets with the candidate in a closed meeting following the open oral presentation. During the defense, the faculty committee may question the student on both the content of the thesis and on the student's course work.
The possible outcomes of the Master's Examination are:
- The student passes. A majority of supporting votes are required, in addition to the approval of the Adviser.
- The student fails. Re-examination might be permitted upon the recommendation of the adviser and the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.