The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science (FEAS) through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers the BEng in Biomedical Engineering four-year degree program. The Bachelor of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering program is one of the first standalone undergraduate Biomedical Engineering programs in Canada and is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). Our Biomedical Engineering program aims to take advantage of the strategic location of Ryerson University in proximity to Toronto's Discovery District and seven world-class hospitals.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in collaboration with the Departments of Aerospace Engineering, Biology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, and Mathematics at Ryerson University will deliver the curriculum.

According to the working definition of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), biomedical engineering integrates physical, chemical, mathematical and computational sciences and engineering principles to study biology, medicine, behaviour, and health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge from the molecular to the organ system levels, and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants, devices and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease; for patient rehabilitation; and for improving health.

The Biomedical Engineering program has been developed to benefit from, enhance and expand the multidisciplinary collaboration among the various engineering and science programs at Ryerson; to attract more students of higher quality to the university and retain them, as well as enhance the reputation of engineering education at Ryerson. It will offer students excellent opportunities to build strong backgrounds in biomedical engineering and benefit from the collaborative interdisciplinary relationships between engineering and life sciences, being key strategic areas of strength at FEAS, Ryerson. The Faculty has expertise in almost all of the areas of biomedical engineering. At this point the expertise is primarily devoted to the research activities of the faculty members.

This program is run within the framework of engineering programs at Ryerson. As with all degree programs associated with engineering, students are initially admitted into the common first year for engineering. During the second year students will study fundamental courses in electronic circuits, biomaterials, cell biology, physiology, engineering algorithms, digital systems, statics and mechanics of materials. In third year the students will focus in microprocessor systems, fluid mechanics, biomedical transducers, bioinformatics, biomechanics, biostatistics, signals and systems, control systems, and biomedical instrumentation. In the fourth year, the students will study a range of state-of-the-art topics in biomedical engineering, and will also be involved in a capstone design project.

For further information about the program please refer to the Department's home page at .  

TRANSITION PROGRAM

First Year: The objective of the first year transition program is to provide students, who may need more time to adapt to the demanding university curriculum, with an immediate opportunity to upgrade their Academic Standing. In the second semester, Phase I of the transition program offers all first semester core courses: CHY 102, MTH 140, and PCS 211 in parallel to the second semester regular program courses. Students who have failed or are missing any one of these courses at the end of the first semester are required to upgrade their Academic Standing through enrolling in the transition program. During the condensed Spring term (May-July) Phase II of the transition program offers all second semester core courses: BME 100, CHE 200, CHY 211, CPS 125, EES 512, ELE 202, MEC 222, MTH 240, MTL 200, and PCS 125. These courses represent a repeat of the second semester regular program courses that were not taken by students enrolled in Phase I of the transition program.

Attention: Students are also given the opportunity to complete the following courses through The Chang School of Continuing Education during both the Spring and Summer terms: CECN 801, CCMN 432, and appropriate lower- and upper-level liberal studies courses. Only these Chang School courses will be counted towards the student's full-time Engineering degree program.

At the completion of the transition program, successful transition program students will be promoted to the second year of the Biomedical Engineering program, without losing an academic year.

Early Intervention Program

Highly innovative and proactive retention strategies play an important role in helping students build the skills for success in a demanding engineering curriculum. Through the First-Year and Common Engineering Office, the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science has incorporated the Early Intervention Program into the first-year engineering experience. At the semester's mid-point, students who are failing courses in their core curriculum are identified and encouraged to attend an interview with a member of our academic support team (First-Year and Common Engineering Program Director/Academic Advisor and/or the Student Counsellor). Together, they discuss options to help reduce the chances of academic failure.

Communications Proficiency and Writing Skills

All new engineering students are automatically enrolled in CEN 199: Writing Skills.

CEN 199 is graded on a Pass/Fail basis, and is used to track the results of the Writing Skills Test (WST) and/or Ryerson Test of English Proficiency (RTEP).

All students admitted into engineering, except those who wrote the RTEP and achieved a grade of ‘B' or higher, are required to write the mandatory Writing Skills Test (WST) during Orientation Week. Students who pass the WST (by achieving a grade of ‘B' or higher) or the RTEP (by achieving a grade of ‘B' or higher) will receive a PASS in CEN 199 and therefore may enroll in the lower level Liberal Studies course of their choice (subject to availability).

Students who do not pass the WST, or achieved a ‘C' level remedial pass on the RTEP, will receive an INP grade (In Progress) in CEN 199 and will be required to enroll in one of LNG 111, LNG 112, LNG 113, or LNG 121 as their first-year lower level Liberal Studies course.  These courses, which count towards lower level Liberal Studies requirements, are writing-intensive humanities and social science courses designed to give students the opportunity to strengthen their foundations in communication. These students will then have three additional opportunities to write and pass the WST:

• In May, following Semester 2.
• During Orientation Week prior to Semester 3.
• In May, following Semester 4.

A PASS in CEN 199: Writing Skills is required to enroll in all third-year engineering courses. Students with a grade of INP in CEN 199 will not be allowed to enroll in any third-year engineering course.

Detailed information is available from the First-Year and Common Engineering Office. Room ENG 377 Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 4261.

OPTIONAL INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (IIP): In order to enroll in the IIP students must have a CLEAR Academic Standing after completing all THIRD year required courses with a minimum CGPA of 2.7. If hired by one of the corporations who intend to provide such internship placements, IIP students will spend a period of 8-16 consecutive months, from May to September of the following year, as engineering interns at the corresponding corporations. After the completion of the industrial internship, students return to the academic program to complete their final year of studies. Enrollment in the IIP extends the program length to five years.

After securing an internship position the IIP students will be enrolled in the course WKT 99A/B Industrial Internship Program for Biomedical Engineering students during the academic year in which they work as interns. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. Completion of the Industrial Program (IIP) will be identified on the student's transcript as WKT 99A/B: Industrial Internship Program, with the appropriate grade received.

Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OSMS)

Students can enrich their studies and hone their management skills with the Optional Specialization in Management Sciences. Courses within the optional specialization cover four major areas in management sciences: Strategic Engineering Management, Operations Management/Operations Research, Finance, and Organizational Behaviour.  For eligibility, registration, and course information see Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OSMS).

CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

There is a growing need for engineers trained in the biomedical sciences. Biomedical engineers are employed in industry, in hospitals, in research facilities of educational and medical institutions, in teaching, and in government regulatory agencies. They often serve a coordinating or interfacing function, using their background in both the engineering and medical fields. In industry, they may create designs where an in-depth understanding of living systems and of technology is essential. They may be involved in performance testing of new or proposed products. Government positions often involve product testing and safety, as well as establishing safety standards for devices. In the hospital, the biomedical engineer may provide advice on the selection and use of medical equipment, as well as supervising its performance testing and maintenance. They may also build customized devices for special health care or research needs. In research institutions, biomedical engineers supervise laboratories and equipment, and participate in or direct research activities in collaboration with other researchers with such backgrounds as medicine, physiology, and nursing. The number of biomedical engineering jobs will climb almost twice as fast as the overall engineering discipline average for a 26.1 percent gain by 2012, according to the U.S. government's new long-range forecast.

Engineering Transfer Credits

Applicants approved into an Engineering program cannot expect to receive any transfer credits in Engineering discipline or Engineering related discipline courses if their applicable post secondary education was not completed at a program accredited by the CEAB. Refer to for a listing of CEAB accredited institutions.

Core and professional engineering course transfer credits will ONLY be granted at the time of admission. An Offer of Admission will notify the applicant of transfer credit decision(s) subject to acceptance of their Offer.

Liberal Studies discipline courses taken at CEAB accredited or non-accredited schools will be considered for either lower- or upper-level liberal studies transfer credit. College courses, in general, are not eligible for transfer credit except in the case of lower-level liberal studies courses.

Liberal Studies

Students must take two lower-level liberal studies courses and two upper-level liberal studies courses to graduate.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson with exceptions. Please refer to the Minors Policy section of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and restrictions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible restrictions. Please refer to the Curriculum Advising website at for complete details.