Individual Graduate Program, Biological Engineering and Small-Scale Technologies Emphasis, M.S.

Program Description

best.ucmerced.edu
Chair: Valerie J. Leppert, vleppert@ucmerced.edu

The engineering sciences are undergoing a vast and fundamental metamorphosis from isolated disciplines to more integrative and multidisciplinary topics. The approved emphasis in BEST under the Individual Graduate Program (IGP) offers Masters of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in the synergistic areas of Biological Engineering and Materials Engineering with specializations in diverse themes. Research projects are available on topics ranging from fundamental characterization of materials to tissue engineering, and coursework will provide a background in the tools and integration of modern materials.

Our faculty and staff take pride in combining exceptional teaching with state-of-the-art research to advance the education and research of this rapidly maturing discipline. Our researchers are actively participating both within and beyond the university community to apply biotechnology principles to the solutions of essential medical, technological, and societal challenges.

The doctoral degree is granted to students who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of a broad field of learning and have given evidence of distinguished accomplishment in that field. The degree also signifies that the recipient has critical ability and powers of imaginative synthesis as demonstrated by a doctoral dissertation containing an original contribution to knowledge in his or her chosen field of study. The doctoral student will complete a variety of coursework tailored to his or her specific area of study. Research and publication efforts will also be a primary focus of the individual doctoral training program. Funding is usually provided for doctoral students in the form of fellowships, training grants, teaching assistantships or research assistantships.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Core Knowledge – Graduates will possess the fundamental knowledge needed to understand and critically evaluate current research literature in their chosen field of biological engineering, materials science and engineering, and micro/nanotechnology
2. Research Competency – Graduates will have the skill and knowledge to:
   1. (M.S. graduates) Be proficient in laboratory and/or theoretical techniques necessary to contribute to knowledge in their chosen field, under appropriate supervision and in the context of a M.S. thesis or project
   2. (Ph.D. graduates) Independently identify new research opportunities, plan effective strategies for pursuing these opportunities, and conduct research that makes a new contribution to knowledge in their chosen field
3. Communication Skills - Graduates will be adept at oral and written communication of research results in their field to expert and non-expert audiences
4. Ethics - Graduates will understand and promulgate the importance of research and professional ethics, and maintaining the trust of governmental and non-governmental scientific organizations, professional colleagues, and the public
    

Best Research Themes Include: