Purdue University offering new online Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Accessible professional degree addresses growing demand for engineers in health care fields 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  – Advances in medical technology have increased the scope and complexity of modern health care systems. In the United States alone, health care spending grew by nearly 10% in 2020, reaching a gross spend of more than $4 trillion.

The scope of the health care industry is expected to continue to increase due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies. Many health care fields are growing – including biomedical engineering, a field of engineering focused on designing medical devices, technologies, computer systems and software. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in biomedical engineering are expected to grow significantly through 2030.

To accommodate this growth, Purdue University’s top-ranked (#4 Graduate Programs, U.S News & World Report, 2022 and 2023) College of Engineering is offering a new online Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering to complement its long-standing on-campus master’s program. The new program will offer all courses fully online, allowing students to complete their degree virtually from anywhere in the world.

Both the online and on-campus nonthesis options for the Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering are geared toward professional students who currently work or hope to work in the biomedical field as engineers, consultants, scientists, regulatory specialists and similar roles. The program’s online version allows students to access course materials at any time for optimal flexibility.

“With this new online option for our professional master’s program, we will now be able to offer students even more options to further their education and advance their career with a Purdue engineering degree,” said Aaron Lottes, associate professor of engineering practice. “This program enables students to enroll in as few or as many courses as their schedule allows and complete their degree at their own pace from any location globally.”

The online courses offered by the program are identical to their on-campus counterparts and cover topics such as biostatistics, signal processing, engineering ethics and medical-device regulation. Graduates of the online program will earn the same degree as graduates of the on-campus professional master’s (nonthesis) program. All courses are taught by faculty in Purdue’s College of Engineering, all of whom have years of research and professional experience.

“This new online program gives students from all over the world the immense opportunity to study with renowned professors and become highly competitive for the emerging markets in biomedical tech,” said Andrew Brightman, professor of engineering practice.

The application process for both the on-campus and online professional master’s programs are identical: Applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in engineering, life sciences or technology, and it is recommended that they have a strong background in mathematics. GRE scores are not required for admission.

"The online degree option continues to build on the strength of Purdue engineering and strives to achieve excellence at scale by increasing opportunities for students to access continuing professional education while still working full time in the biomedical field,” said Lottes. “Bringing working professionals together in the online program creates a diverse learning environment to enhance student experiences and growth.”

For more information about the online or on-campus Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, including application deadlines, please visit the program’s website.

Writer: Rachel Barton, 240-818-1189, barton53@purdue.edu

Sources: Aaron Lottes, lottes@purdue.edu

Andrew Brightman, aob@purdue.edu